Cross-Domain Voice and RoIP Solution for Electronic Warfare Tactics Range
Customer
Polygone Multinational Aircrew Electronic Warfare Tactics Facility (MAEWTF)
Related training sites:
- United States Air Force Europe (USAFE) Warrior Preparation Center (WPC) at the Einsiedlerhof Air Station in Germany
- Polygone at the Bann Alpha training site in Germany
- Polygone at the Bann Bravo/Polygone Coordination Center in Germany
Application
Personnel from the US, German, and French air forces jointly operate this collection of training sites, also known as the MAEWTF. Polygone is an extension of the WPC, which supports combat readiness training for USAFE, US Army Europe, and other US coalition forces. The center conducts distributed Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) training exercises using simulation technologies that model synthetic battle spaces.
ASTi has provided LVC solutions and support to the WPC since initial fielding for the 2006 Exercise Austere Challenge. In this effort, ASTi will deliver Voisus clients and digital radio-over-IP (RoIP) interfaces to the Bann Alpha and Bravo sites. We also collaborated with Forcepoint, a cybersecurity expert, to provide a cross-domain solution (CDS) for secure network transmission.
Polygone Coordination Center photo by Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski
Challenges
&
Solutions
The challenge requirements are listed in blue; ASTi's applicable components are
Polygone Coordination Center photo by Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski
Integration with LVC Training Assets
Join voice clients and digital RoIP interfaces into a cohesive communication domain.
Polygone’s training configuration requires virtual aircraft at the WPC to integrate with 721S radios at their Bann Alpha and Beta sites. Unfortunately, these multinational systems use incompatible standards and processes. The customer needs to bridge the gap between disparate technologies, enabling Polygone’s sites to communicate with the WPC.
ASTi is providing the Alpha and Beta sites with Voisus clients and digital RoIP interfaces using the ED-137 interoperability protocol, the golden standard for Air Traffic Management. This protocol allows Voisus to work with compatible radios over an IP network, eliminating the need for radio bridge hardware. The new Voisus system provides critical, live-to-virtual voice integration for joint forces and multinational military training exercises. It facilitates training across LVC domains, merging diverse systems into a seamless environment.
Secure Cross-Domain Solution
Enable two-way communication at different classification levels.
The WPC and Polygone’s Alpha and Beta sites exist on networks with different classification levels, creating a complex security problem. The customer needs a CDS that allows the two networks to communicate without compromising security. To solve this problem, they selected two best-in-class vendors: ASTi and Forcepoint, a leading security expert with a focus on LVC communications. ASTi is providing the voice comms component, while Forcepoint is providing a secure CDS.
Here’s how it works: Voisus streams radio comms as Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) traffic on both networks. Forcepoint’s SimShield product then audits and sanitizes two-way communications across segmented, air-gapped security domains. The process is controlled, reliable, and automatic, which makes it faster and easier to start an exercise.
Software Maintenance and Cybersecurity Accreditations
Maintain ongoing compliance with stringent cybersecurity certification and accreditation processes.
The customer subscribed to ASTi’s Software and Information Assurance (IA) maintenance program. ASTi is providing IA and Risk Management Framework (RMF) for DoD IT controls, conformance to DoD standards, and operating system patch management throughout the product’s life cycle. After deployment, the customer will receive quarterly updates, ensuring their IT systems meet the highest government accreditation standards. To learn more about ASTi’s Software and IA maintenance program, go to Information Assurance and Security.
Forcepoint’s SimShield product appears on the US National Cross Domain Strategy Management Office (NCDSMO) Baseline list for Secret and Below Interoperability (SABI) environments. It also meets current National Security Agency (NSA) Raise the Bar guidelines for an approved cross-domain transfer solution. Because SimShield is an operationally accredited system, the Assessment and Authorization (A&A) process is streamlined for individual installations. To learn more about Forcepoint’s security accreditations, go to Forcepoint Network Security Certifications.
Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products with IA, software maintenance, and cybersecurity accreditations cost less time and money compared to government-off-the-shelf (GOTS) solutions. Unlike GOTS products that quickly become vulnerable and obsolete, ASTi and Forcepoint shoulder the burden of sustainment. We continually maintain compliance as technology evolves, granting customers peace of mind for the future.
