Data management drives new JADC2 strategy

Ghost Robotics Vision 60 prototype was tested as part of the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), which collects and fuses data from various systems. (US Air Force)

Securing, streamlining, and accelerating capabilities tied to how the US armed forces leverage collected data streams into advanced networking technologies is the driving factor behind the department's overarching implementation strategy for the new Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) capability.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signed off on the new strategy in mid-May, but department leaders officially announced its approval in June. Most of the strategy's details and key milestones are classified but Pentagon leaders expect to have an unclassified version ready for release in the coming weeks, Joint Staff Chief Information Officer (CIO) US Marine Corps Lieutenant General Dennis Crall said.

The classified version will include details on JADC2 initiative overall but include specifics on how the new capability will be implemented in command-and-control (C2) systems for the US nuclear arsenal.

“In the simplest terms, what the JADC2 strategy does is, it does bring order to our efforts in the command-and-control arena to sense, make sense, and act all at the speed of relevance,” Lt Gen Crall said. “This really starts our work. It's now implementation time,” he told reporters at the Pentagon. “Planning is good. Talk is good. Now it's delivery time. And we've been given the clear signal to begin pushing these outcomes to the people who need them,” he added.