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AFATDS: The Window to the 21st Century By STEVEN W. BOUTELLE and RONALD FILAK DOD Multiple rocket launch system.

he trend toward “third wave warfare” bombing, it is becoming more identified with ac- (namely, de-massing and customizing curate sensors, systems, and munitions. forces and weapons) and creation of a T digitized battlefield has been widely A Joint Resource discussed within the Army. And although doctri- Advances in weaponry and targeting have nal and organizational implications must be fi- increased the burden of managing fire support nalized, it is clear that smaller, more dispersed operations, always a complex and exacting forces as well as joint and combined capabilities process. This difficulty, however, is being lessened will be hallmarks of future operations. Further- greatly by automation. The Army advanced field more, command and control (C2) systems that tactical data system (AFATDS) is about to support JFCs must provide horizontal and vertical make its third wave warfare debut. This state-of- interoperability and be able to exchange situa- the-art system supports the need for horizontal tional awareness information across the force. and vertical interoperability, distribution of situa- This also is true of fire support—that is, can- tional awareness information, and automation in nons, rockets, missiles, mortars, naval , and the process of matching fire support weapons sys- bombs—which provide lethal, flexible, and deci- tems against high-payoff targets. sive assets to JFCs in prosecuting the battle. From the field artillery digital automated While fire support has long been characterized by computer of the 1960s to the tactical fire direction massed fires such as artillery barrages or carpet system (TACFIRE) of the 1980s and the initial fire support automated system of today, the field ar- tillery community has been in the forefront in au- tomated support for commanders in combat. Colonel Steven W. Boutelle, USA, is project manager for Field Artillery AFATDS developers have drawn on experience Tactical Data Systems and Lieutenant Colonel Ronald Filak, USA (Ret.), from earlier systems—coupled with requirements is a member of Computer Sciences Corporation.

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analysis and ongoing feedback from soldiers and as field artillery assets (, rockets, and mis- marines in the field and advanced warfighting ex- siles). This automated analysis process also en- periments—to develop a C2 system responsive to a ables a fire support commander to automatically commander’s needs by supporting: generate and digitally distribute fire support an- ■ the integration of all fire support assets into the nexes and plans. planning and execution of support for the maneuver Second, the exchange of situational aware- commander’s operation ness information allows AFATDS to constantly ■ the application of commander’s guidance to pri- provide up-to-date graphic depictions of battle- oritize targets, enabling fire support assets to be directed field information. This provides commanders at the most relevant and important enemy assets timely information with which to formulate or ■ the automated exchange of digitized target in- adjust guidance while eliminating the need to formation and situational awareness with other units transport and post (via grease pencils and tape) throughout the joint force. bulky situation maps. While AFATDS was originally an Army sys- tem, it is now joint and under development by Target Acquisition the Army for its own requirements and those of Since it is interoperable with a variety of C2 the Marine Corps. A major portion of version 2 systems, AFATDS provides commanders with development incorporates major advances in the ability to see the battlefield the Armed Forces are taking Marine-unique require- and plan future operations. Intelligence collec- ments. Furthermore, pre- tion systems can develop large amounts of data a quantum leap in conducting liminary discussions are un- on potential targets throughout a battlefield. fire support operations in aid derway on the applicability AFATDS provides commanders interoperability of the “core software en- of a single service or JFC with the all source analysis system (ASAS), an au- gine” of AFATDS to the fire tomated Army C2 system used by the intelli- support roles of the Air gence/electronic warfare community. ASAS, in Force and Navy. This article discusses operational, turn, provides access to targeting information via technical, and interoperability features of AFATDS Trojan Spirit and tactical intelligence collection that provide JFCs and fire support coordinators systems. Trojan Spirit offers a communications (FSCOORDs) with these capabilities. gateway to national intelligence databases and multiservice tactical intelligence systems includ- Operational ing material from the Central Intelligence With AFATDS, the Armed Forces and fire sup- Agency, Defense Intelligence Agency, and Na- port community are taking a quantum leap in the tional Security Agency, as well as tactical target ability to provide timely help for conducting fire data from systems such as the joint surveillance support operations in aid of a single service or JFC. target attack radar system (JSTARS), the Guardrail The operational capability of AFATDS is made up and Rivet Joint electronic intelligence collection of 27 major functional capabilities in five func- systems, and the Air Force tactical reconnaissance tional categories. The breadth of fire support func- aircraft (see figure on next page). tionality and horizontal interoperability of AFATDS make it the most comprehensive informa- Planning tion warfare combat system available. The fire sup- At the same time systems are be- port planning function provides FSCOORDs with coming more capable of attacking identified tar- several key capabilities. gets with pin-point accuracy. It may no longer be First, since the concepts of operation and necessary to launch a wave of bombers or mass guidance are entered into its database, AFATDS an attack by tube artillery to take out a critical can assist in performing course of action analysis target. Instead, planners—through the AFATDS– on alternative battle plans. Operators can adjust ASAS interoperability capability—can open the any combination of variables to identify the im- door to a storehouse of available targeting infor- pact of the changes on the ability of fire support mation and use automated target analysis and to sustain a commander’s plans. The same degree target attack capability from AFATDS to match of flexibility allows for the application of analysis weapons assets against selected targets. If a situa- against several options proposed by JFCs to deter- tion warrants—against tactical missiles such as mine which plan is most supportable from a fire Scuds—this can be done in seconds and without support perspective. AFATDS performs this analy- human intervention. sis using information on all types of available fire While providing access to this vast array of support: air attack (including attack helicopter information, AFATDS also uses distribution crite- and fixed-wing ), naval gunfire, ria and graphic overlay filters to ensure that users mortars and offensive electronic warfare, as well

Spring 1996 / JFQ 17 ■ FIRE SUPPORT WINDOW

AFATDS operators in a corps fire support element National, Strategic, and Tactical Sensors Linked to (FSE) normally observe status down to the battal- Fire Support Weapons Systems. ion level. However, the AFATDS database has in-

TIBS formation on firing platoons and batteries that constitute each battalion. This data is successively TR-1 “rolled up” to develop status on the battalion. NATIONAL ASSETS Corps FSE operators can institute a parameter JSTARS that tells the computer to distill the information on subordinate units and report status at battal- ion level. (Concurrently, counterparts at division FSE or division artillery level can establish para- meters, with the same database, at battery or fir- ing platoon level.) Corps FSE operators can change a parameter to allow insight into specific GROUND PROCESSING GROUND information that applies to any of the firing pla- FACILITY STATION MODULE toons within a given area. The fire support execution portion of

MLRS AFATDS implements many functions which have MLRS not been previously automated. In providing au- (ATACMS-Equipped) tomated target analysis—ensuring that the right TROJAN SPIRIT target is engaged at the right time by the right AFATDS ASAS weapon/ammunition mix—AFATDS offers major MLRS FIRE DIRECTION increases in speed fire mission processing. (Perfor- CENTER mance tests indicate that AFATDS processes mis- sions in 10 to 50 percent of the time for Army training standards.) Fire support execution fea- receive only needed information. Operator con- tures include: trolled distribution lists filter the information ■ elimination of “first in, first out” processing and which is conveyed by AFATDS to its subordinate engaging of targets: target management matrix and stations. For example, an AFATDS operator can high payoff target list tools provide for sensor inputs to establish distribution criteria for remote stations be matched against concept of the operation and fire that will provide only information of importance. support guidance to move important targets to the Although vast amounts of information reside front of the queue in the AFATDS computer, map, and overlay tools, ■ a database of unit information, extant battle- human interfaces have been designed so that op- field geometry, and fire support coordination measures erators can selectively screen to verify that target engagement complies with restric- tions and guidance criteria information. Examples in- AFATDS allows JFCs or their ■ software that automatically assesses the capabil- clude multiple tactical over- representatives to centrally ities of each available type of fire support weapon sys- lays with varying parameters tem: weapon status, ammunition effectiveness and control fires by approving as well as the ability to control availability, commander’s guidance (such as limits on each mission the area depicted by scrolling selected units to conserve ammunition), and factors and zooming to portray differ- which determine the optimal means of engaging a tar- ent information. Both opera- get and generating an “order to fire” for selected units tors and commanders can select the information to engage. and area they want to view. Moreover, potential AFATDS is designed to provide JFCs, FSCOORDs, targets can be portrayed graphically and, at an and system operators with flexibility in responding to operator’s discretion, additional information on emerging needs. Each of its features is directly con- targets can be viewed by clicking on an icon and trolled by operator inputs. In all cases, operators have reviewing database entries. the option of inputting parameters that identify the The AFATDS database contains data which is points and conditions at which human intervention relevant to all levels of command. However, the and decisions are required to continue the process. information routinely portrayed at a field artillery This allows JFCs or their representatives to centrally or maneuver battalion level likely differs from control fires by approving each mission or, con- that portrayed at division or corps level. AFATDS versely, to provide more decentralized execution by addresses this situation by providing operators enabling missions that meet certain criteria to auto- with the ability to establish parameters on the matically be forwarded without human intervention. scope (breadth of information) and granularity (depth of information) that is routinely pre- sented. By monitoring activities down two levels,

18 JFQ / Spring 1996 Boutelle and Filak

functions (such as operating system, graphical user interface, and communications manage- ment) as well as modules for common applica- tions (such as terrain evaluation). This support software is being upgraded to meet joint stan- dards for a common operating environment with automated information systems to increase inter- operability. This will help assure that comman- ders or their staffs can, from any terminal, access the common picture of the battlefield and com- municate with other operational facilities, regard- less of service. Fire support-specific software has been inte- grated with ATCCS hardware and software to form AFATDS. Fire support software is modular, user friendly, and can be tailored. In addition, it

U.S. Army includes an embedded training module. The Battle command whole package is integrated in wheeled and vehicle with ASAS. tracked shelters developed under the ATCCS stan- dard integrated command post system program. The remaining AFATDS functions are move- Shelters have one, two, or three AFATDS worksta- ment control, field artillery mission support, and tions, depending on mission requirements. field artillery fire direction operations. Movement Throughout the development process, the control provides the ability to request and coordi- hardware platform housing AFATDS has been nate convoy movements while the field artillery consistently upgraded to state of the art. Initial mission support furnishes logistical backing. Field fielding of AFATDS will be on a Hewlett-Packard artillery fire direction operations bolster the fire 735 reduced instruction set computing machine; support execution function by maintaining the sta- subsequent fielding will be on a Sun Sparc dual tus of weaponry, ammunition, and unit capability, processor terminal. These configurations offer a and by making technical fire direction calculations. tremendous computing potential for meeting the challenges of the dispersed Force XXI battlefield. Technical Concepts The operational fire support requirements AFATDS will ultimately become a part of the were thorough and accurate. The nature of the Army battle command system (ABCS), an over- threat, doctrine, force structure, missions, and arching scheme conceived as the keystone of a technology have dramatically changed since ini- digitized battlefield. When developed, it will fur- tial development in the mid-1980s. With these nish seamless connectivity from the tactical changes has come the need for AFATDS to evolve (squad/platoon) to strategic level (national com- to address future requirements. This has been mand authorities), ensuring an integrated digital done through involving AFATDS in training exer- information network to support warfighting sys- cises and advanced warfighting experiments. tems and C2 decision-cycle superiority. This sys- AFATDS was designed to operate with all tem will be realized by a migration of systems— standard Army tactical communications systems. including the current Army tactical command Within an operational facility, AFATDS terminals and control system (ATCCS)—using both an evo- share data using an internal local area network. lutionary and transitional process. In a maneuver command post, AFATDS ex- Today, AFATDS is one of five battlefield func- changes information with other components of tional area (BFA) control systems that make up ATCCS using local area network. For communica- ATCCS. As with all ATCCS BFA control systems, tions between command posts, AFATDS transmits AFATDS makes use of ATCCS common hardware and receives information on the single channel and software. Under this concept, a project man- ground and airborne radio system, enhanced po- ager provides the ATCCS component systems sition location reporting system, and mobile sub- with a suite of common computers and periph- scriber equipment packet network. Operating eral devices on which to host their respective with these systems gives AFATDS a high degree of BFA-specific applications software. The project flexibility in satisfying its communications needs. manager for common hardware and software also The challenge of minimizing bandwidth provides common support software for basic usage has also been met. For AFATDS–AFATDS communication, transfer syntax is employed to update the databases of remote stations. Under this technique, all data items are time-stamped

Spring 1996 / JFQ 19 ■ FIRE SUPPORT WINDOW DOD JSTARS aircraft.

and only those which have changed since the last JSTARS ground station module. With messages that update are sent. For communication with non- observe a four-nation common technical interface AFATDS stations, the variable message format design plan, AFATDS is interoperable with British, (VMF) is used in lieu of the U.S. message text for- French, and German automated fire support C2 sys- mat (USMTF). Studies indicate that VMF messages tems. The design plan was framed by these nations yield bandwidth utilization savings of 50 percent under the auspices of the artillery systems coopera- over the USMTF format. tion activities program. The basis of the technical The technical design of AFATDS meets Army interface is a common tactical concept document goals for commonality and interoperability and also developed under the program. The common fully promotes fire support mission requirements. tactical concept emphasizes a commitment to en- suring that all four nations are able to conduct fire Interoperability support operations on a combined basis. AFATDS is designed to be interoperable with Using messages conforming to the TACFIRE various systems and subsystems and to exchange and VMF message standards, AFATDS can ex- information with other ATCCS elements, namely, change information with emerging systems such the maneuver control system, as the combat vehicle command and control sys- AFATDS V2 will include combat service support control tem. In the future AFATDS will interoperate di- system, and forward area air de- rectly with overhead sensor systems via the com- automation processes fense command and control sys- manders’ tactical terminal (until that capability is related to requesting and tem, in addition to ASAS. This in- provided, AFATDS will get that information cludes utilizing messages that through ASAS). executing close air conform to USMTF and joint support missions VMF standards, and database Program Outline transfer processes which employ AFATDS development is a phased effort. The distributed computing environ- first phase will yield AFATDS version 1 software ment and data distribution services software. that automates half of the Army’s fire support op- Using messages that conform to the TACFIRE erational requirements. The next phase is divided or VMF standard, AFATDS can exchange informa- into subphases and will result in AFATDS version tion in the fire support community, including fire 2.0 and 2.1 software. Operationally, version 2.0 direction for the multiple launch rocket system software is focused on satisfying requirements es- (MLRS), battery computer system, and tablished by the Marine Corps while version 2.1 will automate additional Army requirements. While satisfying service-unique needs, this sec-

20 JFQ / Spring 1996 Boutelle and Filak ond phase will also incorporate major additional through force development test and experimenta- software modules to enhance the ability of tion, field and command post exercises, and rota- AFATDS to participate in joint operations. tions at the National Training Center. Moreover, The inclusion of unified-build software—the the division used AFATDS in Kuwait from August heart of the joint global command and control to October 1995 during Exercise Intrinsic Action. system—provides software compatibility at the Feedback has led to improved human interface joint level for 19 fundamental computer proc- and selected operational characteristics. esses ranging from network administration to In Germany, V Corps headquarters employed database management. Aided by the further use AFATDS during Atlantic Resolve in 1994. As a di- of a standard application program, this will help rect result, implementation of a deep strike sup- to direct AFATDS towards the ultimate goal of full port capability, first scheduled for version 3, was interoperability with the automated systems of all accelerated, and AFATDS currently can support services. emerging operational requirements such as attack As a result of ongoing work by the Naval Re- on hostile tactical missile launchers. search and Development Center in San Diego, AFATDS is the fire support command, con- AFATDS V2 capabilities will include automation trol, and coordination system of choice for the of processes related to requesting and executing following advanced warfighting experiments: close air support (CAS) and battlefield air inter- Prairie Warrior (Fort Leavenworth), Warrior Focus diction (BAI) missions. This capability will ease (a Joint Readiness Training Center experiment at the daily coordination and planning of fires with Fort Polk with the 10th Mountain Division), and a the facility to electronically transmit preplanned theater missile defense experiment at Fort Bliss and immediate air support requests to the Air during Roving Sands. Each advanced warfighting Force contingency tactical automated planning experiment allowed AFTADS developers to refine system (CTAPS). AFATDS will also be able to re- functional and interoperability capabilities. ceive confirmation of preplanned CAS missions More recently, AFTADS was used during CJTF via the CTAPS-produced air tasking order (ATO). Exercise (CJTFEX) ’96 which involved more than The operator can parse, store, and display ATO 53,000 British and U.S. personnel in the southeast- data by sortie type (such as CAS, BAI, or search ern United States and along the eastern seaboard. and rescue) and incorporate sortie data for ATOs The Task Force XXI advanced warfighting ex- in the process of deconflicting air attack missions periment slated for February 1997 will be the first from cannon, rocket, and missile activity. event designed to survey the Army digitization The final phase (version 3) will lead to the concept on a wide scale. A brigade-plus of the production of the AFATDS objective system. This 4th Division will be outfitted with com- phase will automate remaining operational fire puters and force management software. AFATDS support requirements and incorporate technical will be fielded to two dozen operational facilities fire direction functionality currently resident in that deploy with the maneuver forces (including the battery computer system (for cannon opera- FSEs, officer vehicles, and combat observation- tions) and the fire direction system (for rocket liaision teams) and ten operational facilities that and missile operations). are designated to support field artillery operations AFATDS version 1 software underwent initial (including battalion and platoon fire direction operational testing and evaluation in August centers and field artillery battalion commanders, 1995 and a Milestone III production decision was S–2s, and S–3s). The software delivered has been made by the Army System Acquisition Review modified for the VMF message set designed for Council (ASARC) in December 1995. The 1st Cav- Task Force XXI operations. alry Division, as an operational test unit, has AFATDS Beta software and will become the first AFATDS is an automated tool that will assist organization in the field to receive version 1. both JFCs and FSCOORDs in managing and as- After ASARC III, it was fielded to elements of the sessing large amounts of available information 4th Infantry Division comprising the EXFOR (Task and making effective use of forces and weapons. Force XXI). In meeting the operational needs of today, AFATDS offers the flexibility to support the evolv- Employment ing requirements of Force XXI doctrine and third To ensure that the design meets the require- wave warfare. JFQ ments of warfighters, AFATDS has been placed with units and taken part in advanced warfight- ing experiments. The 1st Division re- ceived the system in July 1993 and has taken it

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