Networks Enabling the Alliance’s Command and Control

The Alliance’s wide area networks enabling operational command and control (C2) are under continuous revision in order to facilitate the wide spectrum data exchange between NATO Command Structure (NCS), NATO Force Structure (NFS) elements and other key organisations.The focus is – as always – on the information technology’s researches and network-enabled capability development.It is clear that running the current NATO wide area network has challenges in terms of network management, information security and counter-cyber operations. Therefore, it requires a viable transformation to a wide area network with a higher-level resiliency and scalability.Having supported by NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), the decade’s one of the most important tasks is to re-new, re-design and re-organise the existing classified network domain in support of efficient C2 for the current and future operations.In this scientific article, I will provide with a short historical background of NCIA’s efforts in creation of a more resilient classified domain-net and the needs of core and functional services within the Alliance to introduce the already decided, the viable solution of classified network enhancements

Implicações no âmbito da Organização, Pessoal e Equipamentos

A NATO tem dado primordial importância à NNEC, considerando-a fundamental para o seu processo de transformação, iniciado desde há uns anos a esta parte. A complexidade e morosidade na implementação do conceito requerem uma resposta ágil e flexível por parte da organização, das pessoas e dos equipamentos. A incapacidade de uma força militar ligar-se em rede no actual contexto de emprego das forças da Aliança, pode determinar o seu afastamento da resolução da crise e por conseguinte do processo de decisão. Portugal, como membro fundador da Aliança, tem procurado responder de forma pragmática às solicitações efectuadas, traduzidas em diversas participações nos diferentes teatros de operação (TO). O trabalho em parceria com outras forças, tecnologicamente muito evoluídas, realça a necessidade de Portugal empreender uma reforma na sua estrutura superior de defesa nacional dentro da filosofia NNEC. Esta investigação debruçou-se numa fase inicial sobre o conceito NNEC e a sua evolução no seio da NATO e numa fase subsequente analisou de que forma a implementação do conceito NNEC em Portugal afecta a organização, o pessoal e a aquisição de equipamentos. A metodologia de investigação utilizada permitiu deduzir os aspectos conceptuais da NNEC nas três áreas de estudo, após o qual se procedeu a uma análise da realidade nacional. Os resultados obtidos permitiram inferir sobre a forma como essas mesmas três áreas são afectadas perante a necessidade da implementação do conceito NNEC a nível nacional. Como corolário da análise efectuada, foi possível, estabelecer sob a forma de recomendações, um conjunto de requisitos julgados fundamentais observar, no processo de implementação do conceito NNEC em Portugal. Abstract: Since a few years ago, NATO has been giving a paramount attention to NNEC, considering it fundamental to the transformation process. The complexity and time needed to implement the concept requires a flexible response from organizations, people and equipment. Nowadays, the inability of a military force to connect in a global network can put it away from crises resolution and decision making process. Portugal, as a founding member of NATO, has been responding the demands in a pragmatic way has we have seen in several operation theater. Due to the need of working with other forces, technological more advanced, Portugal has to develop improvements, according NNEC philosophy, in the superior structure of national defense. This investigation detailed, first the concept of NNEC and its evolution in NATO and after, the changes produced in the organization, people and equipment acquisition due to the implementation of NNEC. The method of investigation, focus on the 3 areas of NNEC and then we analyzed the Portuguese reality. The results allow us to see how those 3 areas are affected by the need to implement the NNEC concept at a national level. At the end we were able to establish, as recommendations, a set of requirements deemed essential to perfom, in the process of implementation of NNEC concept in Portugal

Planning the introduction of IPv6 in NATO, Journal of Telecommunications and Information Technology, 2006, nr 3

The NATO wide area network provides secure IP services to NATO commands and agencies, and offers information exchange gateways to nations and coalition operations. The IP services support the NATO-wide deployment of core automated information systems (AIS), and the placement of specific functional area services (e.g., intelligence, logistics, C2IS for the services, etc.) at commands. To maintain and improve interoperability within NATO and with partners, NATO will transition from version four of the Internet Protocol (IPv4) to version six (IPv6). The transition to IPv6 will involve the IP network, the information exchange gateways, the core AIS, the functional area services, and the supporting CIS infrastructure. The IPv6 naming and addressing plan being developed supports the NATO command structure and interoperability with NATO partners. The critical issue in the planning process is to support the incremental introduction of IPv6 whilst maintaining network security and reliable interworking with existing IPv4 systems and limiting increases in operations and maintenance costs. To minimise costs and maximise effectiveness NATO is planning the transition in a timescale that is commensurate with commercial adoption in NATO countries, the technology refreshment points for major systems, and the availability of IPv6 security components. New NATO projects will prepare for the transition by detailing their IPv6 upgrade path and procuring dual stack (IPv4 and IPv6) equipment. NATO will develop and adopt standardised approaches for IPv6 protocols and network design

The Provision of Security in an Age of Austerity: The Transformation of NATO, the Production of Trans-scalar Spaces of Intervention, and the Future of the West

This dissertation traces how NATO has evolved from a defensive alliance concerned with the collective defense of its members to a global security nexus engaged in preemptive crisis management interventions. In reaction to what I see as the limitations of traditional methodological approaches in the discipline of International Relations I develop an alternative research program that places the production of space and trans-scalar interactions at the heart of my analysis. I discuss how NATO reacted to the end of the Cold War and the emergence of a new geoeconomic order as neoliberalism spread across the planet and the United States became a global hegemon. Particular attention is paid to the effect of the 2007 Global Financial Crisis upon NATO. The new era of austerity, which followed, accelerated and deepened changes that had begun within NATO starting in the 1990s. NATO now sought to form partnerships with countries across the world and adopted a far broader understanding of security that saw it intervening far from its traditional European area of operations. The impact of austerity is also readily apparent in the two interventions NATO has carried out thus far in the 21st century in Afghanistan and Libya. NATO’s sustained peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan contrasts sharply with its aerial assault on Libya in 2011. I posit that the intervention in Libya can best be understood as a trans-scalar space of intervention, a concept I develop to analyze how and why NATO became embroiled in the country. I conclude the dissertation by examining Russia’s recent actions in Ukraine and hypothesize that they will lead to a renewed focus on collective defense within NATO

Freeing the Grid 2007

Provides a state-by-state analysis of interconnection standards and net-metering rules for citizens, utilities, and policymakers. Identifies best and worst practices of the top- and bottom-rated states

Enabling technologies and cyber-physical systems for mission-critical scenarios

Programa Oficial de Doutoramento en Tecnoloxías da Información e Comunicacións en Redes Móbiles . 5029P01[Abstract] Reliable transport systems, defense, public safety and quality assurance in the Industry 4.0 are essential in a modern society. In a mission-critical scenario, a mission failure would jeopardize human lives and put at risk some other assets whose impairment or loss would significantly harm society or business results. Even small degradations of the communications supporting the mission could have large and possibly dire consequences. On the one hand, mission-critical organizations wish to utilize the most modern, disruptive and innovative communication systems and technologies, and yet, on the other hand, need to comply with strict requirements, which are very different to those of non critical scenarios. The aim of this thesis is to assess the feasibility of applying emerging technologies like Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) and 4G broadband communications in mission-critical scenarios along three key critical infrastructure sectors: transportation, defense and public safety, and shipbuilding. Regarding the transport sector, this thesis provides an understanding of the progress of communications technologies used for railways since the implantation of Global System for Mobile communications-Railways (GSM-R). The aim of this work is to envision the potential contribution of Long Term Evolution (LTE) to provide additional features that GSM-R would never support. Furthermore, the ability of Industrial IoT for revolutionizing the railway industry and confront today's challenges is presented. Moreover, a detailed review of the most common flaws found in Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) based IoT systems is presented, including the latest attacks described in the literature. As a result, a novel methodology for auditing security and reverse engineering RFID communications in transport applications is introduced. The second sector selected is driven by new operational needs and the challenges that arise from modern military deployments. The strategic advantages of 4G broadband technologies massively deployed in civil scenarios are examined. Furthermore, this thesis analyzes the great potential for applying IoT technologies to revolutionize modern warfare and provide benefits similar to those in industry. It identifies scenarios where defense and public safety could leverage better commercial IoT capabilities to deliver greater survivability to the warfighter or first responders, while reducing costs and increasing operation efficiency and effectiveness. The last part is devoted to the shipbuilding industry. After defining the novel concept of Shipyard 4.0, how a shipyard pipe workshop works and what are the requirements for building a smart pipe system are described in detail. Furthermore, the foundations for enabling an affordable CPS for Shipyards 4.0 are presented. The CPS proposed consists of a network of beacons that continuously collect information about the location of the pipes. Its design allows shipyards to obtain more information on the pipes and to make better use of it. Moreover, it is indicated how to build a positioning system from scratch in an environment as harsh in terms of communications as a shipyard, showing an example of its architecture and implementation.[Resumen] En la sociedad moderna, los sistemas de transporte fiables, la defensa, la seguridad pública y el control de la calidad en la Industria 4.0 son esenciales. En un escenario de misión crítica, el fracaso de una misión pone en peligro vidas humanas y en riesgo otros activos cuyo deterioro o pérdida perjudicaría significativamente a la sociedad o a los resultados de una empresa. Incluso pequeñas degradaciones en las comunicaciones que apoyan la misión podrían tener importantes y posiblemente terribles consecuencias. Por un lado, las organizaciones de misión crítica desean utilizar los sistemas y tecnologías de comunicación más modernos, disruptivos e innovadores y, sin embargo, deben cumplir requisitos estrictos que son muy diferentes a los relativos a escenarios no críticos. El objetivo principal de esta tesis es evaluar la viabilidad de aplicar tecnologías emergentes como Internet of Things (IoT), Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) y comunicaciones de banda ancha 4G en escenarios de misión crítica en tres sectores clave de infraestructura crítica: transporte, defensa y seguridad pública, y construcción naval. Respecto al sector del transporte, esta tesis permite comprender el progreso de las tecnologías de comunicación en el ámbito ferroviario desde la implantación de Global System for Mobile communications-Railway (GSM-R). El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la contribución potencial de Long Term Evolution (LTE) para proporcionar características adicionales que GSM-R nunca podría soportar. Además, se presenta la capacidad de la IoT industrial para revolucionar la industria ferroviaria y afrontar los retos actuales. Asimismo, se estudian con detalle las vulnerabilidades más comunes de los sistemas IoT basados en Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID), incluyendo los últimos ataques descritos en la literatura. Como resultado, se presenta una metodología innovadora para realizar auditorías de seguridad e ingeniería inversa de las comunicaciones RFID en aplicaciones de transporte. El segundo sector elegido viene impulsado por las nuevas necesidades operacionales y los desafíos que surgen de los despliegues militares modernos. Para afrontarlos, se analizan las ventajas estratégicas de las tecnologías de banda ancha 4G masivamente desplegadas en escenarios civiles. Asimismo, esta tesis analiza el gran potencial de aplicación de las tecnologías IoT para revolucionar la guerra moderna y proporcionar beneficios similares a los alcanzados por la industria. Se identifican escenarios en los que la defensa y la seguridad pública podrían aprovechar mejor las capacidades comerciales de IoT para ofrecer una mayor capacidad de supervivencia al combatiente o a los servicios de emergencias, a la vez que reduce los costes y aumenta la eficiencia y efectividad de las operaciones. La última parte se dedica a la industria de construcción naval. Después de definir el novedoso concepto de Astillero 4.0, se describe en detalle cómo funciona el taller de tubería de astillero y cuáles son los requisitos para construir un sistema de tuberías inteligentes. Además, se presentan los fundamentos para posibilitar un CPS asequible para Astilleros 4.0. El CPS propuesto consiste en una red de balizas que continuamente recogen información sobre la ubicación de las tuberías. Su diseño permite a los astilleros obtener más información sobre las tuberías y hacer un mejor uso de las mismas. Asimismo, se indica cómo construir un sistema de posicionamiento desde cero en un entorno tan hostil en términos de comunicaciones, mostrando un ejemplo de su arquitectura e implementación

Sociomatérialité et Systèmes d'Information Le cas de la numérisation de l'Aviation Légère de l'Armée de Terre

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the French Army Light Aviation (ALAT) has been concerned with the process of digitalization of the battlefield. In the meantime, only very few scholars had addressed this issue although the consequences of such studies could lead to a paradigm shift in the aerocombat. This Ph.D. thesis aims to outline a series of new outcomes in terms of evolutions of the Information System understood from the perspective of emerging uses developed by the ALAT pilots dealing with Helicopter Mission Planning. This research studies the emerging uses apprehended as “bricolages” in Ciborra’s sense and in the sociomateriality theoretical framework. However, the operationalization of the results is subject to the epistemological framework of critical realism, on the one hand, and to the implementation of new methods in terms of experience feedbacks (Lessons Learned), on the other hand.L’Aviation Légère de l’Armée de Terre (ALAT) s’est engagée depuis le début des années 2000 dans la Numérisation de l’Espace de Bataille. Peu de travaux académiques ont abordé ce thème alors que ses implications pourraient mener à un changement de paradigme dans l’aérocombat. L’objet de cette thèse est de mettre en évidence de nouvelles possibilités d’évolutions du Système d’Information par la prise en compte des usages émergents développés par les pilotes de l’ALAT au contact du Module de Préparation de Mission des Équipages. Notre recherche étudie ces usages émergents, compris comme des bricolages au sens de Ciborra, par le prisme théorique de la sociomatérialité. Nous démontrons toutefois que son opérationnalisation est subordonnée d’une part au cadre épistémologique du Réalisme Critique et d’autre part à la mise en place d’une nouvelle méthode de Retour d’Expérience