Si los datos son la munici\u00f3n de la guerra futura, la estructura de datos es lo que los guiar\u00e1 hacia el objetivo.\u00a0“Sin datos, no estamos en la lucha”, dijo el teniente general Jim Richardson, subcomandante general del Comando de Futuros del Ej\u00e9rcito (AFC), que administra el Proyecto Convergencia.\u00a0“Las plataformas comunes, las aplicaciones compartidas y la estructura de datos brindan al comandante de la fuerza conjunta opciones [y respaldan] el dominio de decisi\u00f3n necesario para que la fuerza conjunta logre la superaci\u00f3n”.<\/p>\n
YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz. (October 27, 2021) \u2013 If data is the ammunition of future warfare, data fabric is what will guide it to the target.<\/p>\n
As the Army and Joint services experiment with more than 100 different technologies during the Project Convergence 21 capstone experiment this fall, data fabric capabilities are playing a key role by bringing together multiple sources of data to enable better decision-making on the battlefield.<\/p>\n
Faster, more informed decisions \u2013 made by commanders who can leverage data from multiple services, echelons and weapon systems platforms to choose the right effects \u2013 provide a competitive advantage over adversaries, Army leaders said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithout data, we\u2019re not in the fight,\u201d said Lt. Gen. Jim Richardson, Deputy Commanding General for Army Futures Command (AFC), which manages Project Convergence. \u201cCommon platforms, shared applications and data fabric give the Joint force commander options [and support] the decision dominance necessary for the Joint force to achieve overmatch.\u201d<\/p>\n
The term \u201cdata fabric\u201d refers to technology that weaves together numerous information sources and data formats from different systems, providing a common layer in order to improve interoperability and quickly route the right data to the operator who needs it. For the Army, a major focus of data fabric is to reduce digital barriers between warfighting functional systems such as fires, maneuver, air defense, or sustainment.<\/p>\n
By overlaying these systems with common interfaces and standards, the data fabric mediates different file types and enables new messaging flows between systems to provide a better common operating picture and enable more detailed targeting. It also aggregates and enriches the pool of data available for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities to aid in decision-making.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe \u2018swivel chair\u2019 approach that we have today has to stop, and we need the data to train AI and ML to render better information to the commander,\u201d said Brig. Gen. Jeth Rey, Director of the Army Network Cross-Functional Team, which is part of AFC. \u201cData fabric is critical to getting us there.\u201d<\/p>\n
At PC21, the Army is experimenting with several data fabric technologies in realistic operational scenarios to better understand their maturity and potential. They include an open architecture data fabric capability developed by the Army science and technology community that focuses on improving data discovery, synchronization, and security, as well as variations developed by industry and Army Cyber Command.<\/p>\n
The ongoing experimentation with these and other technologies will continue to inform and optimize the data fabric that the Army will field to operational units. The Army is planning an incremental data fabric fielding strategy as part of its network Capability Sets, which deliver integrated packages of network and mission command equipment with upgrades on a two-year cycle. The focal point for data fabric delivery \u2013 as part of the Army\u2019s Command Post Computing Environment, the service\u2019s primary computing environment under the common operating environment \u2013 is Capability Set 23, which begins fielding in Fiscal Year 2023. More advanced analytics and greater capacity will be added to the data fabric for Capability Set 25.<\/p>\n
Looking beyond the Army, data management and sharing across the military services is a critical component of Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2), the initiative to modernize technologies and procedures to process information, make decisions and direct actions of the Joint force across all warfighting domains, faster than the adversary. As a Joint experiment, Project Convergence 21 gives the services an opportunity to better understand the multiple data standards and architectures involved in current mission command and network transport systems, and how to evolve Joint communications for the future utilizing new technologies like data fabric, while maintaining backward compatibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cBridging the gap between all the Joint systems is a lot of what the technology that\u2019s out here [at Project Convergence] is doing, as everybody has developed mission command systems that fit their niche,\u201d said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Michael Reyes, information series technician with the 82nd Airborne Division, who is supporting network operations at PC21. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be an iterative process \u2013 it\u2019s not going to be a transformation \u2013 but the fact that the Joint force is putting in the effort and muscle and resources into making this happen is in itself a critical and transformative step.\u201d<\/p>\n