Global allies and cybersecurity readiness strengthened through command and control execution

Patrick Corrado
Global Command and Control - Joint
July 25, 2022 

In a rapidly changing world, the Defense Information Systems Agency must defend the United States’ communication and information networks against threats on the battlefield and in cyberspace. But this can’t be done alone. Instead, it requires strengthening relationships with existing allies and building new partnerships.  

Global mission partner engagement and information sharing is integral to DISA Director and JFHQ-DODIN Commander Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert J. Skinner’s goals and DISA FY22-24 Strategic Plan’s first line of effort: Prioritize Command and Control.  

Over the past year, with encouragement from the Department of Defense, DISA has enhanced its readiness by increasing cybersecurity situational awareness unities of effort and cyber defense exercises focusing on information sharing and interoperability across cyber defense, information assurance, joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.   

To this end, DISA’s Global Command and Control - Joint program recently participated in the Coalition Warrior Interoperability eXploration eXperimentation eXamination eXercise, at the NATO Joint Force Training Centre in Bydgoszcz, Poland.  

Thirty-five nations participated, bringing 336 different systems to the annual NATO-led event to support interoperability testing conducted on the Combined Federated Battle Laboratories Network. 

This is nothing new. The DISA GCCS-J program participates regularly in CWIX, as it provides an excellent venue to test the ability for GCCS-J to exchange different types of Command and Control data with Command and Control systems from NATO as well as national Command and Control systems from NATO and non-NATO countries. 

Testing is conducted using the applicable NATO Standardization Agreements, Federated Mission Networking instructions and other applicable data formats.

DISA GCCS-J participated in the Friendly Force Tracking, Air, Maritime, Land, Multilateral Interoperability Programme, Tactical Data Link, Joint Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Operational Command, and Geographical Meteorological and Oceanographic focus areas. 

During CWIX 2022, DISA GCCS-J completed 299 test cases with 50 different systems from 19 different nations. This exercise, and others like it, helps to streamline DISA’s command and control operations and moves DISA closer to the Department’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control, JADC2, vision.  

For more information, email Patrick Corrado, GCCS-J chief engineer, or call 301-225-5104.