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Because of the efforts of all participating nations, interoperability and C4I connectivity made RIMPAC 2004an unprecedented success …By Rear Adm. D.C. Curtis and Cmdr. Dawn M. MaskellBackgroundCommand and Control, Communications,Computers, and Intelligence (C4I) connectivityhas always been important to militaryplanners and our coalition partners, butRim of the Pacific 2004 (RIMPAC) made ita priority. Every other year, Commander,Pacific Fleet (CPF) conducts this multinationalnaval exercise in the Hawaiian areaof responsibility (AOR).This year, RIMPAC 2004, run by CommanderThird Fleet (C3F), as CPF’s executive agent,was conducted 29 June - 26 July 2004, with40 ships, 8 submarines, 125 aircraft and17,900 personnel from Australia, Canada,Chile, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdomand the United States participating.Because of the efforts of all involved, interoperabilityand C4I connectivity madeRIMPAC 2004 an unprecedented success.C3F stressed C4I reliability across allspectrums during the RIMPAC planningprocess and made the number one C4Igoal to develop the Combined EnterpriseRegional Information Exchange System(CENTRIXS) in order to “strive for seamless,uninterrupted connectivity for allRIMPAC participants at sea and ashore.”Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group FIVE(CCDG-5) was chosen as the Commander,Combined Forces Air Component Commander(CFACC) to run the Coalition AirOperations Center (CAOC).CFACC staff and CAOC watchstanders includedmembers of the C3F and CCDG-5staffs, U.S. reservists and coalition partnersfrom the British Royal Navy and Canadianand Australian Air Forces. To ensure thatour coalition partners, who filled roughlyone-third of the CFACC and CAOC billets,would be able to fully participate in theplanning and execution of the CAOC dutiesand support C3F’s C4I goals, it wasdecided that CENTRIXS would be theCAOC’s primary secure network. SIPRNETuse was allowed by U.S. CAOC personnelif no other network was available. Thiscommitment to CENTRIXS was a first for aRIMPAC exercise.The challenges faced by the CFACC staffincluded location of the CAOC, how toestablish connectivity across four networksin a multinational environment, how toprovide interoperability between all warfarecommanders, and how to manage thevast amounts of information (knowledgemanagement) on the networks.Location. The CAOC, the operational armof the CFACC, was established using theU. S. Pacific Command’s (PACOM) ContingencyC4I Package (CCP). The CCP isan initial entry mobile command centerfacility, consisting of inter-connected tents,electrical generators and portable C4Iequipment, from which the Commander,Joint Task Force (CJTF) exercises commandand control over assigned forces.The RIMPAC 2004 CAOC design was thelargest footprint ever established by theCCP. The CCP is converting to the DeployableJoint Command and Control (DJC2)after RIMPAC 2004, bringing even morecapability to the warfighter.DJC2 will be tailorable to address JointForce Commanders’ command and controlneeds for air-, land- and sea-based operations,leveraging the Global Command andControl System (GCCS), other C2 programs,and communications and informationsystems consistent with the Global InformationGrid (GIG) architecture.C4I Capability. The CCP inventory providedall of the communications capabilityrequired, except CENTRIXS and the TheaterBattle Management Core System (TBMCS).CENTRIXS was a new capability for theCCP. Although it was obtained for the firsttime by the CCP specifically in support ofRIMPAC, it will be a core capability of thefollow-on DJC2 system. The TBMCS serverand client machines were provided by C3Fand the Space and Naval Warfare SystemsCommand (SPAWAR).CAOC connectivity included wireless NI-PRNET and SIPRNET using National SecurityAgency (NSA) approved network interfacecards (NIC), CENTRIXS 4-EYES, CommonOperational Picture (COP) Feed/Commandand Control PC, TBMCS, Defense Red SwitchNetwork (DRSN), telephone switch, SAT-COM, Ultra High Frequency-Line-of-Sight(UHF LOS), EHF, SHF and video conferencing.Of these capabilities, there were twothat were a first for RIMPAC: wireless LANand TBMCS on a CENTRIXS backbone.Wireless NIPRNET and SIPRNET, not justfor RIMPAC, but for all participating forces,were the perfect solutions for a confinedspace populated with lots of people. Therewere fewer wires strewn across the tent forlocal area network (LAN) connectivity, andthus, less trip hazards and broken laptops.Also since there was no cable to run, itwas easier to add more computers to thewireless network and move computers betweentents as the exercise progressed.TBMCS machines were installed in theCAOC using CENTRIXS as the backbone toallow coalition interoperability. TBMCS wascritical to air tasking order (ATO) development,the major product produced by theCAOC. Coalition partners were able — forthe first time during RIMPAC — to have adirect, real-time impact on ATO development.Interoperability. There were four enclaveswith different coalition releasability thatwere used during RIMPAC 2004. The enclaveswere: CENTRIXS 4-EYES (Australia,26CHIPS Dedicated to Sharing Information - Technology - Experience