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Network Centric Collaborative Targeting (NCCT)

Overview

The Network Centric Collaborative Targeting Program patch depicting the Constellation Orion the Hunter ready to attack his target. The Latin phrase, "The whole is greater than the parts." highlights the power of the network.

Network Centric Collaborative Targeting (NCCT) is the Air Force program of record responsible for developing core technologies supporting the horizontal and/or vertical integration of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensor systems. The result of such integration is a multi-intelligence (multi-INT) sensor network. Operationally, NCCT core technologies provide a tactical collaborative multi-INT geolocation capability employed against high-value targets. NCCT software supports Machine-to-Machine (M2M) cross-cueing and Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity to coordinate collection activities across the NCCT network. NCCT correlation and fusion software ingests collection data to produce a single, composite track (geolocation and identification) in near real-time for high-value targets.

NCCT Core Technology includes, but is not limited to, network management software, a network messaging standard, correlation and fusion software, software supporting tactical-to-national Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Concept of Operations (CONOPS), NCCT multi-level security hardware and software items and operator interfaces. Development funds support software modifications required for technology modernization specific to network and fusion architecture design, data fusion algorithms and cyber security, while keeping pace with evolving adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).

FY 2020 funding will be dedicated to transitioning software development from Core Technology to a cloud architecture (v6.0) and fielding follow-on Core Technology Software versions as necessary to expand NCCT capabilities to ingest emergent national and tactical level multi-INT sensor data such as expanded Airborne Overhead Cooperative Operations (AOCO) standards and platform sensor data that will enrich and improve current fusion and dissemination of data to the tactical edge.

Short Introduction to NCCT

What NCCT DOES:

NCCT participates in a Globally integrated ISR enterprise that enables use of multiple assets from multiple geographic commands and leverages national capabilities in support of Service-specific requirements to collect data across all domains to satisfy strategic, operational and tactical requirements.

What NCCT IS:

NCCT is an example of the synergy realized by establishing M2M interfaces across multiple warfighting domains and security levels to produce a fused product in near-real-time. Assuming the capabilities of our weapon system capabilities relatively unchanged in the near term, networking them will enable increased effectiveness and efficiency in the following ways.

1. More targets can be engaged and expanded engagement envelope
2. Reduced friendly exposure to enemy attacks and reduced risk profile
3. Increased speed of command and rate of engagement (tempo)
4. Increased responsiveness of forces or support units
5. Increased lethality or probability of kill
6. Increased ability to synchronize activities.

NCCT integrates many different air-land-sea sensory and processing nodes to support real-time collaborative operations. Like humans use our brains to integrate each of our five senses to detect obstacles, respond to opportunity and avoid danger, NCCT implements rules of interaction (ROI) through machine-to-machine sensor cross-cues and automated re-tasking, synchronized collection, pre-reportable multi-INT data exchanges for correlation/fusion, to produce near real-time “actionable” composite tracks. In this way, NCCT significantly decreases the timelines and increases geolocation accuracy to prosecute Time Sensitive Targets (TSTs) and other High-Value Targets (HVTs) in Highly Contested Environments (HCE).

NCCT is an accredited Multi-Level Security network operating currently supporting six active security enclaves including NSANet, JWICS, SIPRNet with FVEY, and KOR releasability environments. NCCT is operationally fielded at eight Air and Space Operations Centers (AOCs) and eight Distributed Ground Stations (DGS) in support of 24/7 operational missions worldwide.

NCCT is inherently Joint and Coalition. A common misnomer is that NCCT is an Air Force centric capability. Throughout its history, beginning with the earliest NCCT Advanced Concept Technology Development (ACTD) lifecycle plan the intent has been to use NCCT to horizontally and vertically integrate AWACS, Rivet Joint, JSTARS, Guardrail, Space assets, U-2 and the Distributed Common Ground System, MoD UK NIMROD, and Air Operations Centers. Today’s NCCT capabilities are directly mapped to Multi-Domain Command and Control (Air Force, Joint), Joint All-Domain C2, Multi-Domain Operations (Army), Maritime Domain Operations (Navy), the joint Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), and national-to-tactical integration.

NCCT is Multi-Domain: An excellent developmental example of Multi-Domain (Air-Land-Sea) NCCT service integration can be found in the U.S. Navy’s Netted Sensors 2017 (NS17) fleet experiment in August 2017 when Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler crews showed off the capabilities of the Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) data-link to enable entire new capabilities. These included a Common Tactical Picture (CTP), Multi-Ship Electronic Surveillance (ESM), Growler Manned-Unmanned Teaming with the DASH-X/REMEDY unmanned system, and Network-Centric Collaborative Targeting (NCCT) technologies. The author’s banner point was, “The Navy’s long-term plan is for every ship, submarine and the aircraft to network to be part of a coherent whole.”

Example of NCCT Cross Cueing:

NCCT Cross Cueing Example

On the right is an example of a publicly available image presented at a U.S. Air Force Industry Day in September 2017. In this Headquarters, U.S. Air Force presentation, networked platforms provide distinct advantages over stand alone ISR systems in areas of detection, identification and location.

What NCCT is NOT:

NCCT is not a sensor. The platform sensor(s) are NCCT’s sensors and NCCT correlates, tasks, and fuses their outputs. NCCT integrates common software applications on all sensor platforms to change the way they gather, process and report information, with the goal of providing a common, correlated picture to all network participants. All the participating platforms and ground stations can exchange data as well as cue other participants to coherently collect and reveal information otherwise unreported by individual stove-piped platforms. By efficiently networking and synchronizing sensors in real-time and combining multiple types of sensor detections, NCCT increases the probability of detection and identification of fixed, stationary or moving surface targets.

NCCT is not just another User Interface (UI). Many of NCCT’s users interact with NCCT through their native system’s UI, or present fusion and collection results on their system without realizing their reliance on NCCT. NCCT also has a web-based UI should a user want to utilize it directly to conduct an operation or just garner the plethora of threat data available in the system.

NCCT does not provide communications equipment, but it is communications agnostic, leveraging whatever IP-based communications pathways are available.

NCCT Evolution and Feedback

Background:

NCCT emerged from a successful Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) whose purpose was to network operational intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors in order to significantly improve detection, identification and location of time-critical targets within their cycle times. Platforms consisted of multi-service (Army, Navy, Air Force), multi-national systems.

Results:

The NCCT ACTD demonstrated the value of multi-Int, multi-security level and multi-platform collaborative operations to shorten the TST timelines, improve the quality and identification confidence of tracks and to generate tracks that may have previously not been reported. Platforms exchanged machine-to-machine (M2M) data, enabling action against emitting targets.

NCCT at U.S. Air Force Red Flag

During Red Flag, 17-1, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance warriors employed the newly operational Net-Centric Collaborative Targeting system to coordinate multiple sources of intelligence for situational awareness or to take action. According to Garland Henderson, operational integration branch chief, 25th Air Force “The realistic warfare challenges at Red Flag create an ideal environment for capabilities, like NCCT, to prove their worth in a time-sensitive, task saturated scenario involving the integration of multiple ISR assets”.