A Call to Action from Industry: Accelerate Open Standard Adoption to Drive Warfighter and

Weapon System Effectiveness

By: David Jedynak, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions

Warfighter and Weapon System effectiveness is critical for the defense of the nation. The DoD’s
Third Offset Strategy makes it clear that the continuous deployment and refresh of advanced
technologies to the front line is essential in enabling combat platforms to rapidly adapt to
changing threats. The Tri-Service Memo of January 2019 directs the use of open standards “…to
rapidly share information across domains.” Both the strategy and commander’s intent are clear;
however, we’ve observed that accelerating the adoption of open standard technologies is often
slowed by traditional practices, hard-to-quantify benefits, and perceived risks. We believe the
best approach is to address these hurdles head-on.

The existing acquisition approach for platform technology is well understood: a singular focus
on providing a specific capability (e.g., battle command software running on a physical bolt-on
appliqué). This single purpose approach provides a self-contained materiel solution consisting of
a Line Replaceable Unit (LRU), platform Installation Kit (IK), training, spares, etc. These
recurring lifecycle costs are relatively fixed at the LRU-level and generally well--understood. In
some cases, the IK costs as much or more than the LRU itself. The combination of the LRU and
IK results in size, weight, and power plus cost (SWaP-C) allocated to the platform.

Is this efficient? From a discrete acquisition program complexity and scope standpoint, most
likely the answer has been yes. This model has worked in the past to bring relatively small sets
of capabilities to existing weapons systems without much integration complexity. Clean lines of
separation and limited interaction between each capability are unintended consequences of
separate and uncoordinated materiel acquisition solutions. However, with the drive toward
accelerated technology refresh and the convergence of enterprise-wide multi-domain services
and systems, it’s now critical to streamline how we bring new capabilities to the fight to achieve
overmatch. The question today should be how to make the overall delivery of new capabilities
to platforms more efficient, and what adjustments to the acquisition approach are needed to
ensure the right enabling infrastructure is prepositioned throughout the enterprise.

Open standards provide clean interfaces. Embracing modular open standards enables rapidly
upgradeable systems with the agile flexibility to bring the right capabilities needed to see,
understand, and act in order to achieve overmatch. That’s a qualitative statement that demands
quantitative details. The simplest of these details are size, weight, and quantity of IKs, as shown
in the table below, which compares multiple LRUs versus a single chassis LRU containing
multiple LRMs. For this analysis, assume the single chassis is intended to be a Common
Mounted Chassis (CMC) for multiple platforms, sized to fit on a relatively standard radio
equipment shelf typical in ground vehicles (15.9” x 12.2” x ~8”).
 Size
Weight Quantity of IKs
(cubic
(pounds) (includes harnesses & mounts)
feet)
Single Capability LRU 0.15 10 1
Total for 10
1.5 100 10
Capabilities

CMC LRU for 10

0.9 30 1
LRMs
LRM per Capability fits inside 1 None / interfaces to slot
Total for 10
0.9 40 1
Capabilities
Versus 10x LRUs 60% 40% 10%

From just these three parameters, the benefits of the CMC + LRMs approach is clear: significant
size, weight, and IK reductions. The elimination of individual duplicative physical parts
(housings, rugged connectors, thermal management, power supplies, etc.) and IKs for each
capability drives a significant return of size and weight back to the platform. Reduction of IKs
also results in simplification of the platform wire harnessing and commensurate reduction in
associated size, cable runs, and weight. Further efficiencies on the order of 10-20% are gained
with regard to power via consolidation of power supplies.

Cost is a critical parameter for savings. If each IK is estimated at an average of 25% the cost of a
capability – a lower estimate given that some IKs are 200% or more the cost of the LRU – then
an interesting model can be constructed. Assume the CMC LRU plus IK cost is anywhere from
4x to 6x the cost of an average IK (25% of LRU). Assume also that each LRM cost is about
75% to 80% of an equivalent LRU due to the elimination of LRU-level connectors, housing, and
discrete power supplies. The graph below shows the overall benefit to the acquisition enterprise
in the context of recurring cost. The results are compelling. With a single filled 8-slot CMC, up
to 30% aggregate recurring cost is saved.
Of course, realizing all of these SWaP-C benefits requires the CMC LRU to actually serve the
technical needs of the environments and anticipate unknown future requirements. From an
environmental standpoint, standards provide significant mitigation. The modular form factor at
the heart of the US Army C4ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) and the Tri-
Service backed Sensor Open Standard Architecture (SOSA) Technical Standard is OpenVPX,
which is managed by industry organization VITA and ratified as an ANSI Standard. OpenVPX
has well-defined electrical, mechanical, and thermal interfaces. This Technology Readiness
Level (TRL) 9 modular open standard form factor provides low risk provisions for the most
demanding environments typical across the services.

Anticipating future requirements, the OpenVPX ecosystem has sets of well-defined module
interface definitions called profiles, which make interchangeability and upgradeability
straightforward, while simplifying drop-in replacement or technology refresh. The module
profiles and corresponding backplane slot profiles within a CMC LRU are interconnected with
well-defined backplane topologies and capabilities. A subset of these have been captured in the
CMOSS and SOSA standards, providing even tighter interface definition for technology refresh
and reconfiguration. An example refresh and migration within an 8-slot CMC is shown below.
 Slot Slot Type Current Configuration Future Configuration
Central 40 Gigabit Ethernet
1 100 Gigabit Ethernet Switch
Switch Switch
Assured PNT Module
Central APNT Module with M-Code GPS receiver +
2 with M-Code GPS
Timing additional signal receivers and algorithms
receiver
Next Generation Processor with enhanced AI
Processor with Mission
Engines and Augmented Reality Graphics
Processin Command Software
3 Processing and headset interfaces for next
g & I/O and interfaces to
generation Mission Enhanced Situational
platform displays
Awareness Software
Processor running
Next Generation Processor running tactical
4 Payload tactical intelligence
intelligence and targeting software
software
Processor running Next Generation AI Accelerator supporting slot
5 Payload
targeting software 4
Graphics Processing
Mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) transceiver
Unit providing AI
6 Payload with built-in CSfC-based Data-in-Transit
acceleration for slots 4
encryption
and 5
Software Defined Radio Software Defined Radio simultaneously
7 Payload rehosting existing DoD rehosting existing DoD waveforms, 4G/5G,
waveforms WiFi, and commercial SATCOM
Multi-channel SIGINT Multi-channel SIGINT and Passive Radar
8 Payload
Receiver receiver for Active Protection Systems

We believe the technical, cost, and risk reduction benefits are clear. More detailed program and
technology-specific examples can always be provided and discussed. The real challenge is that
the leading acquisition program for a single new capability will always be at some cost
disadvantage if it is also required to deploy the open standard enterprise infrastructure (e.g.,
CMC) for the collective benefit it provides to other contemporary and emerging requirements.
Nevertheless, this strategic bridgehead infrastructure is essential for swiftly deploying new
technologies to the field. An optimized investment on a leading program for the greater good of
the warfighting enterprise will enable the technology breakout and multi-domain convergence
essential to increase Warfighter and Weapon System effectiveness for our collective national
defense.