Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or JADC2, is a concept in active development by the United States Department of Defense to link sensors from all branches of the United States Armed Forces into a unified network powered by artificial intelligence.Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. (29 August 2019) The Fraying Edge: Limits Of The Army's Global Network
Each branch of the United States Armed Forces has its own initiative that contributes directly to JADC2; The Army has Project Convergence, the Navy has Project Overmatch, the Air Force has the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS),Jaspreet Gill (17 Jan 2023) F-22 to be left out of Air Force's ABMS data transfer prototype: GAO AF RCO capability release 1 for ABMS Colin Demarest (18 Jan 2023) F-22 cut from US Air Force data-sharing prototype along with A-10s, KC-135s and the Space Force has the National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) currently being developed by the Space Development Agency.(2022) National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) Systems, Technologies, and Emerging Capabilities (STEC) About UsStew Magnuson (19 September 2019) Tim Ryan Mitchell Institute (11 Jan 2023) To ensure JADC2, and to win in future conflicts, look to the transport layer in space Ground Moving Target Identification (GMTI) and Air Moving Target Identification (AMTI)
One primary application of JADC2 is a call for fire (CFF) request. Combined JADC2 was prepared for deployment, pending Congressional approval of FY2024 funding.Sydney J. Freedberg, Jr. (21 Feb 2024) First version of all-service battle network is 'real and ready now': HicksDemarest, Colin (22 Feb 2024) Pentagon's CJADC2 milestone is signal to China, officials say
Experimentation
The DoD has held at least two critical JADC2 exercises. The first demonstration of ABMS during an exercise in Florida in December 2019 centered on simulated threats posed by cruise missiles. Air Force and Navy aircraft (including F-22 and F-35 fighter jets), a Navy destroyer, an Army Sentinel radar system, a mobile artillery system, as well as commercial space and ground sensors, demonstrated their ability to collect, analyze, and share data in real-time to provide a more comprehensive picture of the operating environment. For more information, see JADC2 at the Army's Project Convergence experiments
In July 2020, the Department of Defense carried out a second test of the JADC2 system. During this exercise, Air Force planes communicated with naval vessels stationed in the Black Sea. Additionally, special operations personnel from eight other NATO nations and a simulated environment collaborated to deter a possible attack from Russia.
In November 2022, ABMS experiments demonstrated combined arms concepts within JADC2, according to Brig. Gen. Jeffery Valenzia, USAF CFT lead for JADC2. Colin Demarest (17 Nov 2022) How the Pentagon knows when JADC2 innovations are working by introducing benchmarks: "The benchmarks include data on how technologies speed or slow decision making, how many errors are introduced, the variance among available options and potential weak spots or pitfalls" —Jeffery Valenzia.Michael Marrow (11 Jul 2023) 'Network-centric' security 'killing us' on JADC2 initiatives: USAF general Cropsey on C3BM
Infrastructure
In 2017, a joint network (Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure—JEDI) was proposed for the DoD, with a single award meant for a single vendor for $10 billion. Competitive bidding was held, and an award was made, but it was protested by a competitor. In 2021, the award was canceled;Andrew Eversden (6 Jul 2021) Pentagon cancels $10 billion JEDI cloud contract delayed by Microsoft, Amazon feud in its place, multiple vendors for an interoperable, compatible network capability with multiple awards were envisioned by 2022. This capability (Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability —JWCC) is to be for $9 billion spread among vendors and is meant to be awarded by mid-December 2022.Colin Demarest (7 Nov 2022) Pentagon closing in on $9B cloud contract award after scuttling JEDI Pentagon network officials began to envision JWCC as a necessary layer for JADC2. In early December 2022, JWCC was awarded to Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Oracle.Jaspreet Gill (7 Dec 2022) Pentagon awards Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle $9B cloud contract "JWCC is a multi-vendor, multi-cloud follow up to the infamous single-source Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure (JEDI) contract, which was worth up to $10 billion and canceled in 2021".Colin Demarest (7 Dec 2022) Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle picked for $9B JEDI successorColin Demarest (24 Aug 2022) Army IT leader pledges quicker cloud uptake in 'year of action' Lt. Gen. John Morrison, deputy chief of staff, G-6. "The Army requested $16.6 billion in cyber and IT funding for fiscal 2023, which starts Oct. 1, or more than 9% of the service's $178 billion budget blueprint"——Raj Iyer Army CIO
DISA (Defense Information Systems Agency) was embarking on upgrading its JWICS (Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System), which is top-secret; DISA was using the same vendors as for JWCC, but also including IBM. Combining the JWICS with JWCC, economies of scale allowed a cooperative project of DISA's JWICS with DoD's JWCC.Courtney Albon (27 Dec 2022) Pentagon, intelligence community eye cloud collaboration A Top Secret capability is being sought.Jaspreet Gil (14 Mar 2023) JWCC secret-level offerings coming in a few weeks: Official JWICS follow-on: "departments are layering on DevSecOps and tactical edge capabilities"Colin Demarest (8 Dec 2022) Pentagon wants competition within $9B Joint Warfighting Cloud contract to bridge Classification levels
JADC2 Services
Decision superiority is an objective of CDAO.Colin Demarest (26 Oct 2022) Pentagon setting up office to speed JADC2 integration across militaryDavid Deptula (9 Dec 2022) MAKING JOINT ALL DEMAND COMMAND AND CONTROL A REALITY By fiscal year 2023, other Electromagnetic Battle Management System (EBMS) services became available in JADC2.Jaspreet Gill (7 Nov 2022) Pentagon to award $9B JWCC cloud contract mid-December DISA: by FY2023 Electromagnetic Battle Management System (EBMS) — °situational awareness; °decision support; °command and control; and °training support Raytheon BBN demonstrated its Robust Information Provisioning Layer (RIPL)Zamone Perez and Colin Demarest (18 Nov 2022) Raytheon tests information-sharing technology with JADC2 in mind which connects legacy links to ABMS.
A theater-level simulation tool will share data under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) in order to visualize JADC2 scenarios.David Roza (1 Sep 2023) Can This New Simulator Be a Proving Ground for JADC2? Raytheon RTX Rapid Campaign Analysis and Demonstration Environment (RCADE)
The US Army's Integrated Tactical Network (ITN) will support JADC2 as a future capability. Integrated Tactical Network (ITN) Capability Set '25 will implement JADC2,Andrew Eversden (9 Jun 2021) Army says 2025 tactical network will make JADC2 a realitySpc. Richard Carlisi (8 Feb 2023) All-domain communications focus of AFCEA symposium on Indo-Pacific command according to the acting head of the Network CFT.
The Air Force's Common Tactical Edge Network joins 9 contractors, exploiting AI.Patrick Tucker (12 Swc 2022) The Physical Obstacles to the Pentagon's Connect-Everything Vision Collins Aerospace demonstrated Combined JADC2 (CJADC2) in July 2022.Breaking Defense (8 Dec 2022) Today's defense environment demands integrated systems, and JADC2 is no different "The key is creating intelligent gateways that connect networks and the cloud across security domains and translate data so the joint services can speak the same language".Barry Rosenberg (30 Aug 2023) No service can fight on its own: JADC2 demands move from self-sufficiency to interdependency
The Navy's Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) environment is a training environment for naval operations, so that the Navy, Air Force, and Army can train together in a unified way.Breaking Defense (8 Mar 2023) What DoD needs to make JADC2 a reality is Live, Virtual, and ConstructiveColin Demarest (31 Aug 2023) Why 'JADC2' needs yet another 'C', according to Pentagon officials CJADC2 In Large Scale Exercise 2023 from August 9 to August 18, the Navy will test the response of over 50 Navy commands spread over 22 time zones, using retired Navy admirals to simulate members of the Joint Staff, civilian leaders, and non-Navy personnel.Justin Katz (24 Jul 2023) Coping with 'tension': Navy's global exercise to pit commanders with joint force pressuresJustin Katz (28 Aug 2023) Inside the Navy's largest exercise: In command and under pressure Aug 9-18 2023: Large Scale Exercise 2023 For example, aboard aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower (CVN-69), inside the Combat Information Center (CIC), the ship's watchstanding crew can train to the events presented to them on the screens of the CIC,Justin Katz (31 Aug 2023) Aboard the Ike as it 'teleports' to the Mediterranean for the Navy's massive exercise "It's probably one of the most dynamic and most [stressful] situations that we put our watchstanders through and our aircrew through", Rear Adm. Marc Miguez said of using LVC technology. irrespective of the physical position of USS Eisenhower during Large Scale Exercise 2023. The Navy's Project Overmatch is now installed on three carrier strike groups for § Project Convergence Capstone 4, or PCC4 (2024).Colin Demarest (6 Mar 2024) Overmatch networking now installed on 3 carrier strike groups
The following material is split from Army Futures Command
Multi-Domain Operations (MDO); Joint warfighting concept (JADC2)
Multi-Domain Operations (MDO):Anthony Small Todd South (13 September 2019) Massive simulation shows the need for speed in multi-domain ops "400 participants working with 55 formations, 64 concepts and 150 capabilities"Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. Joint planning and operations are also part of the impending DoD emphasis on multi-domain operations.Gen. David G. Perkins, U.S. Army (Nov-Dec 2017) Multi-Domain Battle: The Advent of Twenty-First Century WarSydney J. Freedberg Jr. (7 March 2019) US 'Gets Its Ass Handed To It' In Wargames: Here's A $24 Billion Fix Army prepositioned stocks (APS) vulnerabilityMatthew Cox (28 April 2018) How Future Combat Systems FailedArmy Futures Command (28 February 2020) Joint All Domain Command and Control AFC is the functional lead representing the Army in JADC2's development Multi-domain battalions, first stood up in 2019,Army News Service. I Corps has I2CEWS Battalion or Intelligence, Information, Cyber, Electronic Warfare and Space Battalion —Joe Lacdan, (6/19/2019) Army leaders say service must shore up its space defense Jason Cutshaw (SMDC/ARSTRAT) (21 February 2019) SMDC supports the development of I2CEWS battalions for multi-domain operations Sydney J. Freedberg Jr. (24 Jan 2019) Hack, Jam, Sense & Shoot: Army Creates 1st Multi-Domain Unit an MDO BN for Targeting, I CorpsUS Army (4 Sep 2018) U.S. Army Pacific Commander Gen. Robert Brown: State of the Pacific comprise a single unit for air, land,Jason Cutshaw (USASMDC) (8 August 2019) Leader gives space and missile defense update at SMD Symposium Integrated fires across domains space,Stephen Clark (8 August 2019) Atlas 5 launch adds to U.S. military's secure communications satellite network Air Force's fifth AEHF (Advanced Extremely High Frequency) communications satelliteOffice of the Chief of Public Affairs (10.16.2019) 2019 AUSA Warriors Corner - TacticalSpace: Delivering Future Force Space Capabilities Loren Thompson (30 Jul 2019) Defense Against Hypersonic Attack Is Becoming The Biggest Military Challenge Of The Trump Era John L. Dolan, Richard K. Gallagher & David L. Mann (23 April 2019) Hypersonic Weapons – A Threat to National Security Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS)