From the Crows' Nest

Ken Miller (00:10):
Welcome to From the Crows' Nest, a podcast on electromagnetic spectrum operations or EMSO. I'm your host, Ken Miller, Director of Advocacy and Outreach for the Association of Old Crows. Thanks for listening. On today's episode I welcome Brigadier General Rob Parker. He is Deputy Director J6 on the joint staff. We sit down to continue our series on Joint All Domain Command and Control or JADC2. Before we begin, I want to thank our episode sponsor Northrop Grumman Corporation. Northrop Grumman provides full spectrum superiority. Their innovative multifunction interoperable solutions and share war fighters have full spectrum dominance to make real time decisions no matter the environment or domain. Learn more at ngc.com/ew.

Ken Miller (00:52):
All right, I'm pleased to be here with Brigadier General Rob Parker, Deputy Director J6. He began his assignment this past January 2021. In his role he serves as the chair of the JADC2 cross-functional team and separately as the chair of the C4 cyber functional capabilities board. General Parker thank you for joining me here on From the Crows' Nest.

Rob Parker (01:11):
Hey Ken. Really glad to be here. Very unique opportunity for me. I appreciate the opportunity and really look forward to today's dialogue.

Ken Miller (01:19):
Great. Well, just to dive right in. We've been talking on this podcast over the course of several episodes, taking a look at industry perspectives and military perspectives and so forth. We talk about JADC2 is basically a concept of connecting sensors from all the military services into a single network. Of course is a lot more complicated than that when you get into it, but generally speaking, you as the chair of the JADC2 cross functional team, I know that you just released a new strategy so I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about the cross functional team and how you're approaching this challenge of establishing JADC2. Then we can talk a little bit about the strategy coming up.

Rob Parker (01:56):
Yeah sure Ken, I'd be glad to. I think that's a great lead in question. It gives me the opportunity to really help part of what's a continual education process for us, certainly as a department over the past year What's referred to as JADC2 has been interpreted many different ways, particularly prior to us actually getting a strategy published and so sometimes there's some confusion out there amongst various stakeholders within the joint force and also outside of that. When I hear it referred to as a single network, that's usually one of the first areas that I really go back to try to help others understand that this is really, not about a single network, a single material or non-material solution. It's really about establishing a framework of federated networks that we're bringing together at multiple classification levels to really focus and enable on moving the department from what is traditionally been a very network centric environment to really a data centric environment.

Rob Parker (03:00):
To do that, we have a series of efforts underway. The establishment of the cross-functional team and really more recently here in February of this year with the deputy secretary of defense re validating our charter, and really expanding some of our roles and responsibilities has underscored just how important this effort is to really guide the department under some new and refined governance, and also provide a vision for the way ahead. The CFT not unlike other cross-functional teams as I alluded to has a charter, but what's really unique about this, this is probably one of the only places in the department where you will find representatives from almost every single DOD component in terms of our OSD staff representation. Our combatant commands, our services, including our 5I partners as well, and then other government organizations all coming together, not only on a regular basis, just for a monthly meeting, but we have five very important working groups and OPTs aligned under this structure that's really built out amongst all our stakeholders.

Rob Parker (04:15):
When a product is developed or guidance comes out to the CFT with recommendations to either the JROC as you already alluded to who we report to and really execute day-to-day operations as related to JADC2 on behalf of the JROC, or we report to the deputy secretary of defense, who we were also tasked with the answering to. Either one of those, those solutions or recommendations all come about from a combination of subject matter experts, representing a very wide variety of stakeholders there and so more often than not, it's something that everybody feels like they have buy-in and can come into that process, be heard and have their concerns addressed up front night. I'd be amiss if I didn't mention really the EMSO CFTs at the table with me as well. Dennis, Will [inaudible 00:05:09] who leads at CFTs, usually just sitting right off to my right and they're integral partner and helping make sure that when we think about all domain operations right now, I mean, clearly the five primary demands, but everything we discuss has electromagnetic spectrum is really that backbone thread through those domains that we have to acknowledge.

Rob Parker (05:32):
That's a central aspect of our ability to move from this network centric to a data centric environment that's ultimately going to rely on AI and machine learning there to generate not only information advantage, but decision advantage, and then ultimately operational advantage for the force.

Ken Miller (05:54):
I am glad you mentioned them. We'll get to that in a little bit, because I did want to talk to you about your coordinating efforts with the EMSO CFT, but you know, it really, when you look at what JADC2 is trying to accomplish, you're really basically changing the way that we need to fight across DOD and across the services. It's really kind of gets to the heart of how we have to fight in order to win in any combat here in the future. Back in early June, you just had a new strategy that was released and the strategy, as I understand it has about five key lines of effort, data, human enterprise, technology, nuclear command and control, and mission partner environment. Can you tell us a little bit about these five lines of effort of the strategy? Where is that now? It's basically implementation time now for the strategy once that's released. What does that mean for the CFT moving forward?

Rob Parker (06:44):
Yeah. Ken you're absolutely right. Our strategy was officially signed by sec def in May, really started going public with our announcement here in early June with that and as we look, that strategy lays out our strategic goals. When you mention that the lines of efforts, that's really where we see the identification of our cardinal heading to really guide a coherent orchestrated department level actions, really to deliver what I alluded to earlier, these material non-material solutions, revised policy doctrine as necessary. It's again much more than, than just a network. When we look at our data line of effort, worked very closely with the DOD chief data officer and many teaming efforts on that. We've run a series of data events and data summits and involve our chief data officers from early across the force, including all the combat and commands and services. We run through that every 30 to 60 day. We just recently finished up a very good summit out at STRATCOM. Our next one will be down at US SOCOM later this month.

Rob Parker (07:54):
Through that process it helped to formulate the methodology that we're going to apply as we build out our data fabric and really how we manage our data in terms of specifically thinking through things like what we refer to as fault. It's this idea of having visible, accessible, understandable, linked, trusted, interoperable, and secure data. We'll find that reflected in the dep sec's data strategy that came out late in the fall of last year. That kind of methodology is it's pulled in, helps to inform us as we think through things like adaptive governance, where this data is going to have to be managed and accessible, not just at an enterprise level, but all the way out to the tactical edge. I think as you look through the rest of our lines of effort, particularly the human enterprise, that's inclusive for those things, like the policy changes that are necessary to make this possible.

Rob Parker (08:55):
We know today that we have outdated policy, that's preventing us from sharing and moving data or assembling it and aggregating it in the ways necessary to really take full advantage and be able to layer that machine learning, artificial intelligence, predictive analysis that we need in so many areas, we have to revise our doctrine, our training. As we think about those things, there's critical linkage to the technology. Part of that's the traditional hardware that we think through. A lot of it's software and non-material solutions as well and how do those all come together? I'm not going to speak to the nuclear piece, but I will go to tell [inaudible 00:09:38] five, which is really a foundational element that makes JADC2 different from some of our previous efforts as a department. That's the mission partner environment where we recognize that there is a critical requirement for us to integrate and leverage our mission partner capabilities, really to improve not only the joint forces ability to plan, but also to execute these operations.

Rob Parker (10:05):
What the community will see from the start, and it has already started, it's not like something we're doing in the future. I mentioned at the CFT, we already have our Five-Eye partners sitting at the table. We have strong partnerships in place through a variety of forums where we're building out this idea of releasable network connectivity from the get-go that gives us some unique opportunities to make sure that interoperability and integration is not an afterthought once we've moved out on this. I would like to be clear and make sure that the audience understands we're not just talking about traditional, maybe NATO partners or other international military partners. When we speak to the mission partner environment, we're looking at federal, state, local, tribal, non-government organizations, other government organizations, so really it's a very wide swath of stakeholders that we've got to work to get pulled into this. That's certainly not easy. We know it's going to be hard, but we think we're off to a pretty good start right now.

Ken Miller (11:13):
You mentioned earlier, you talked a little bit about data and I want to go back to some of the challenges you are facing in pursuing JADC2. I would kind of, I would classify, I see basically four primary challenges and I'd like to get your opinion on that. It's like the first one, as you mentioned was data there's such increasingly large quantities of data out there that you have to collect and sift through and then you have the issue of automation, the speed to which you analyze, use artificial intelligence. Then you have to visualize that data when you send it out to the force and then of course, organizationally, as you mentioned, as we mentioned earlier, there's organizational aspects that you have to tackle. With some of these challenges, what are the early steps that you need to take to address some of these challenges and how do these challenges to the extent that you're in alignment with that, how do these challenges kind of shape what your final measure of success is going to be with the strategy?

Rob Parker (12:13):
Yeah. I'll try to answer that a few different ways. I think what I heard you describe is probably what we think of as some of the various data pipelines that really, as we think through, in terms of discovery, ingestion, preparation, storage, processing, and exposure, that's sort of gives us a construct for how we approach the problem set. Specifically in terms of really getting out there and understanding not only where our data is, but getting access to it. Part of that's culture, which is getting the data owners to understand that they have a requirement to share an exposed set data with our other joint partners and stakeholders out there. I'm confident that through some of the guidance that's coming out of the JROC that increasingly the customer base out there, and those data owners will understand that.

Rob Parker (13:09):
The policy piece that I spoke to is going to be really critical because in many cases, we're talking about gaining accessibility to data at multiple classification levels. In order to do so it's incredibly important for us to know who is on our network, who is requesting access to that data and do they have the right authorities and security clearances, those types of things have access to it. Identity credentialing and access management is really a critical piece as we build out the JADC2 ecosystem. Once we have that, the ability to work and expose this data and really manage it in smart ways.

Rob Parker (13:52):
We don't have the talent necessary to do that in many of organizations. I think if you speak to some senior leaders and commercial industry and other areas outside the DOD, they would tell you, you're not going to be able to afford to bring the people on and keep them on a government payroll that have the right skill set to get after the problems you're trying to solve. I'm glad that our senior military leadership in the department recognize that.

Rob Parker (14:25):
You may have heard, or the audience may have recently seen Dr. Hicks, deputy secretary put out within the past week or two, what she's referring to as her artificial intelligent, intelligence and data acceleration initiative. That's really AIDA, and that's bringing together both the power of the chief data officer and the DOD along with the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, nested with the JADC2 CFT, and importantly, getting resources put behind that from the department so that they can go out and send teams out to the combatant commands. Some will be permanent, some will come and go. They'll bring new capabilities out to assist and solving problems today. They will also assist in developing our artificial intelligence programs to solve some of the combatant command, unique problems and those that can be shared across the department. We also have several other initiatives that are ongoing out there through the JAKE and others that allow us to reach into corporate industry, to really bring in, like I said, some very high level subject matter expertise for a specific period of time to get after some of those problem sets that maybe we don't have the skillset to solve.

Ken Miller (15:44):
At this time. Let's take a quick break to hear a word from our sponsor.

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Ken Miller (16:50):
Earlier, you mentioned electromagnetic spectrum operations, EMSO and as you know, the Association of Old Crows, that's what we do. That's what we focus on. That's our mission. I was glad to hear that you, you said that EMSO is really kind of the backbone of JADC2 and that's our view here is because too, when you're starting to talk about data signals, networks, if you don't have EMS superiority, you're not going to be able to accomplish those outcomes. I wanted to go talk, get your thoughts a little bit more on the role that EMSO has to play. You mentioned your cooperative working relationship with the EMSO CFT and I was wondering if you could build upon that a little bit.

Rob Parker (17:29):
Yeah. I probably clarify a little better. I think, and see EMSO is really a critical thread in the backbone of JADC2, but not the backbone in JADC2. I would also clarify a little bit that the idea of EMS superiority from my view is a prerequisite for JADC2 and EMSO. I think that's more of an aspirational goal. Again, speaking as the CFT chair, my opinion would be that JADC2 as a framework and a construct for the joint force is by nature designed to operate in a denied, degraded, intermittent, and limited environment really by definition. That requires us to, as we've talked about earlier, have multiple networks, we also have to have multiple paths for transport and ways that we replicate and access our data globally from a variety of locations.

Rob Parker (18:31):
I think about the EMBM, the electromagnetic battle management tool set. I think that is a perfect fit within JADC2. It relies on many of the things and builds on what we've talked about already today in terms of reaching out and pulling in data in near real time, from a variety of sources across a disparate network building, using predictive analytics, machine learning, AI. I think that's critical, but I see it as just one of many systems that's out there in the JADC2 ecosystem.

Rob Parker (19:09):
When we look at building out our data fabric, and I want to be clear there isn't just one JADC2 data fabric, it's a federation of fabrics across the services and multiple organizations. That's where we see these application processing interfaces. This idea API is out there, and that's really sort of how I view EMBM is critically important. It's got to be accessible, but it's one of several critical tool sets that not only enable specific subject matter expertise for those who are working electromagnetics support, protect, attack, but it's also helping to build that critical data advantage for our joint force commanders, who are the ones who ultimately have to be able to understand the side and act in time sensitive manners and ways that just, in recent years, I don't think we can fully appreciate the acceleration of technology, the acceleration of how fast our peer adversaries are gaining access to that technology and the understanding of how we fight really puts our reliance on this time sensitive information, just incredibly important.

Rob Parker (20:30):
It makes it incredibly important. I absolutely think EMS is critical to JADC2. It cannot, JADC2 cannot exist without it. I don't want to take away from that. I just, maybe look at it through a little bit of a different lens.

Ken Miller (20:46):
There are several exercises and demonstrations across DOD and the military services over the next year, Old Quest, Project Convergence, there's Project Overmatch. All of them are advancing either service or DOD roles in the JADC2 mission. I was wondering if you could discuss any of these exercises and what is the JADC2 CFT looking, want to see from that these exercises and how are they going to further your mission?

Rob Parker (21:13):
Yeah, I appreciate that question. I think all of all along and those who've heard my boss Lieutenant General Crall speak and others, even the vice chairman. I think the common reference is always, we understand we've got to meet services and our combat commands where they are today. Meaning there's equipment systems that are fielded. They've got a certain level of capability. JADC2 can't be something that we bring about in 10 years, 15 or 20 years. It's about delivering now. There's a lot of discovery learning going on right now and we view that as healthy. You've mentioned several of the service contributing efforts to JADC2, Overmatch, Convergence, ABMs. Each one is focused both on solving some service unique problems, which we appreciate and understand they got to get after whether there's JADC2 out there or not. They've got to get after that, but there are also some joint problem sets that need to be solved.

Rob Parker (22:13):
We're watching very closely and involved with each of those efforts. What is the CFT looking forward? Just like, I think we saw an article from the dep sec def within the past week or so. We're looking for those things that have joint commonality, that show promise for helping to move and accelerate our efforts to really meet the JADC2 vision and framework that's been described today. We are actively out there looking for really what some would describe as those fires that are burning the brightest to see if we can get behind them. There's certainly some efforts ongoing in terms of identifying potential resourcing, where the services may have put in some initial resources to get it started, but simply don't have enough to bring a certain capability to fruition, either at scale for that service, or really more importantly across the joint force. Similarly, but separately, we're also looking for duplicity and you don't have to look far to find organizations, whether it's services, combatant commands or others, all doing some very similar things, trying to solve very similar problems.

Rob Parker (23:23):
In those efforts, we're trying to really identify the best off, bring that together while things like software sharing, reusable software, we've got some really smart teams out there in some of these service software factories as they've been described developing, but if it's not easily shared across a network or excuse me, across the environment, we're really spending our money multiple times to solve the same problem. I think we want to be smart about the areas we can be smart about not restrict innovation or initiatives that the services are showing, but it's not all about what the services are doing. Combatant commands have several good efforts that are out there right now. We'd look at NORTHCOM for their guide effort. The experiments that are going on there. It's multiple series of exercises there. That's globally integrated information, dominance experiment. It's getting a lot of visibility.

Rob Parker (24:21):
It's also the STRATCOM global data integration, GDI. Guide and GDI have combined here recently and I think we'll see some pretty exciting outcomes in guide three as it evolves this summer. We also have other initiatives and efforts that are out there. You mentioned Bold Quest, and we're really trying to shape Bold Quest as something of our JADC2 focal point each year. We have great participation, maybe 20 plus international partners in that environment. As we look at what we're doing this summer really critical to working our efforts, to extend out to the tactical edge. Specifically we're trying to bring in our secret and below releasable environment, SABRE environment, as part of our mission partner environment there, look at create new and different ways of distributing that, that would be effective in the kind of JADC2 environment we envision in the future. We're bringing in some tactical elements, we're going to use some different means of transport to really push that out and really worked through that demonstration to see what we can learn and how we might be able to accelerate that portion of JADC2.

Ken Miller (25:33):
Great. One more question. The FY 2022 budget was just released several weeks ago. There's no fight up to it. That'll come out next year. I was wondering if you could talk about some of the initiatives that are funded in this year's and the FY 2022 budget that you're keeping an eye on. What are some of the long-term initiatives that you expect will be addressed in the fight up over the next five years?

Rob Parker (25:58):
That's a good question. A fair question. I probably won't be able to answer it in the detail your or some of the audience might want. I would say that there's some pretty obvious areas that we'll be looking at much the same as anyone else. When we think of some of the main service initiatives that are associated with JADC2 that had been out there in the public forum, things like ABMS, army modernization priority programs specifically, but not limited to those aligned under the network CFT. Other service component efforts that are out there in the public domain. Those are all of interest to us, but I think what's really important and has our focus more so than anything is a changing resource environment in terms of thought and methodology from really the highest levels in our department that are gaining increasing support from our elected officials on the hill.

Rob Parker (26:57):
That's the idea is we think of things like colorless money thinks of other transaction authorities, which Congress has granted us, but how we're moving ahead to utilize those in new and different ways. Again, Dr. Hicks has done a great job setting the conditions for this. You and others may be familiar, just released this latest effort, the Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve, commonly referred to as RDER, and this is really about developing a unified innovation ecosystem that's going to start right away and it's about getting it institutionalized and getting after truly strategic efforts.

Rob Parker (27:40):
Your previous question when we're talking about experiments and demonstrations, this is exactly where this is focused, rapid prototyping, experimentation, other similar efforts. Whereas previously it may be communities of interest, combatant command services, trying to scrape together some money and get after something, but not really be able to put the right level of some resources behind it, the right level of departmental support.

Rob Parker (28:09):
What we'll see through this RDER reserve fund is the ability for services, combatant commands to come up and present these ideas in a competitive selection environment where they will get looked at seriously, pulled up and elevated and have the opportunity to receive some pretty significant dedicated funding resources to help build out these types of capabilities that we need to support the joint force collectively. If I was looking and listening anywhere that I think is going to be a very interesting area to watch, see how that evolves. I'm confident it's going to be extremely impactful and probably exactly what we need as a force to help accelerate modernization and get us where we need to be to win the next fight.

Ken Miller (28:56):
Thank you, General Parker for joining me here on From the Crows' Nest. It was great insight on where the Pentagon is going on JADC2 and I appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to join me today.

Rob Parker (29:07):
Again, I really appreciate the invite and equally important, I appreciate the members of the Association of Old Crows. Many are former military and remain committed to keeping after, informing, helping, assisting, and really shaping our force and the vision for the future. Thank you again.

Ken Miller (29:28):
You're welcome and I look forward to working with you and hopefully interviewing you again with an update on how everything's going to here in the next few months. I appreciate your time.

Rob Parker (29:35):
Sounds great. Thank you.

Ken Miller (29:36):
All right, take care.

Ken Miller (29:38):
That will conclude this episode of From the Crows' Nest. I want to thank my guest, Brigadier General Rob Parker for joining me. I also want to thank our episode sponsor Northrop Grumman Corporation. Northrop Grumman's multifunction interoperable solutions create full spectrum superiority for our war fighters across all domains. Learn more at ngc.com/ew. Finally, please check out our new sister podcast, A History of Crows. You can learn more at crows.org/podcast. Thanks for listening.