One of the critical functions executed by the U.S. Army's Experimentation Division Cyber Battle Laboratory Facility is to provide “live” experiments and technology assessments using commercial SATCOM technologies in the tactical environment. This function supports the analysis and rapid fielding of validated, innovative, C4 solutions for the Warfighter.

This function involves the execution of two (2) goals. The first goal is to deploy advanced communication networks to support the tactical Warfighter as well as to support live force play in exercises and demonstrations. The second goal is to provide the U.S. Army's conduit for the rapid integration / fielding of advanced C4 technologies. As the U.S. Army expands its presence on battlefields around the world, the Warfighter's need for reliable strategic communications from the battlefield back to the Pentagon has become one of the U.S. Army's most important challenges. The Experimentation Division Cyber Battle Lab's Tactical SATCOM Enhancement function has evolved to meet this challenge”. The Experimentation Division Cyber Battle Lab is currently working towards the following objectives in this area:

• Assessing the ability of emerging Ku / Ka / X SATCOM and antenna developments to enable affordable, broadband Beyond Line Of Sight (BLOS) Battle Command On-The-Move capability in the current force
• The RHN-E (Regional Hub Node-Experimentation) emulates the design & full functional capabilities as the Army's Operational RHNs
• Tailors user connections to live GIG services (DSN, NIPR, SIPR, VoSIP)
• Provides persistent NIE support
• Performs experimentation and assessments with emerging network technologies and architectures
• Offers world-class technical help desk support during NIEs
• Support CDID/Cyber COE Capability Development
• Working the capability to connect tactical units to the Cyber Range
• Determining doctrine, employment options, Operations and maintenance (O&M) and training concepts required to deliver DOTMLPF solutions required to ensure successful technology insertion to the force

The Battle Lab Collaborative Simulation Environment (BLCSE) is a permanent, secure, scalable, complex, and distributed "toolbox" capable of supporting multiple models and constructive, virtual, and human in the loop simulations. It enables distributed experiment planning, execution and analysis essential to the Army Concepts Integration Center (ARCIC) work in Capabilities Integration, Force Design, Doctrine, Organizational Integration, Modularity, and SBCT/Current Integration.

• Minimizes travel and physical aggregation of participants and equipment
• WAN-based collaborative tool kit, secure video-teleconferencing, voice-over-IP (VOIP), and a tailorable suite of federated simulations
• Supports near-real-time analyses that underlies the basis of challenging decisions associated with the future path of Army and Joint warfighting capabilities
• Facilitates an integrated arms approach to experimentation
• Links TRADOC School's and Center's SMEs with Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), the TRADOC Analysis Command (TRAC), the Army Materiel Command's Research, Development and Engineering (RDE) Command and the FCS Lead Systems Integrator

BLCSE Cyber Enterprise Services Center (CESC) Functions

• Establish all connectivity between Army battle labs and other DOD networks as required
• Network Management; manage DREN network support, bandwidth, & connectivity between battle labs, support spokes, & industry partners
• Bridge as required DREN network, PRI network, deployable network nodes & establish VLANS, & network addressing / routing between battle labs as required
• Engineer & manage WAN backside Router / LAN connections as required at all sites
• Engineer & manage VoIP phone system across BLCSE
• Manage crypto / security plan / IATOs / accreditation process
• Manage VTC conference servers and VTC equipment at all sites
• Provide instrumentation to measure bandwidth utilization ( within test beds and across distributed network)
• Deploy mobile assets as required for the linkage of live forces and/or Joint experimentation
• Upgrade and maintain technological currency of deployable network assets

The Live Experimentation (LE) branch is the experimentation arm of the Cyber Center of Excellence. The Live Experimentation (LE) branch plans and executes live experiments, builds and integrates working prototypes, and provides risk mitigation for both the requirements and acquisition communities.

The branch conducts operationally focused technical experiments and provides assessments of innovative concepts and technologies that support the Warfighter and the requirements and acquisitions communities, focusing on Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6/7 (prototyping in a relevant / operational environment) and higher.

The LE branch also provides technology solutions for COCOM immediate operational needs.

• The CYBER branch plans, coordinates and executes exercises aimed at informing TCM CYBER requirements, modifying DOTMLP processes, and development of TTPs/CONOPS to support operational CYBER mission threads. Intent is to simulate operational environments to perform testing and evaluation of CYBER capabilities while helping to inform the CEMA construct.
• The EW branch plans, coordinates and executes exercises aimed at informing TCM EW requirements, modifying DOTMLP processes, and development of TTPs/CONOPS to support operational EW mission threads. Intent is to simulate operational environments to perform testing and evaluation of EW capabilities. Intent is to simulate operational environments to perform testing and evaluation of EW capabilities while helping to inform the CEMA construct.

Additionally, the LE branch provides technical support by providing technical expertise in support of rapid prototyping, near-term tech insertions, technical risk mitigation and large-scale technical integration.

Using its neutral position, the LE branch can act as the "Honest Broker" between government and commercial entities, by providing unbiased assessments of technologies under consideration for procurement.

Live Experimentation's Strategic Goals

• Tech Experimentation - Support operationally focused technical experimentation and integration efforts which contribute to establishing the Cyber CoE as the definitive authority on all Army Cyberspace Electromagnetic Warfare, communications and networking matters
• Tech Innovation - Act as the lead technical innovator for the Cyber CoE by keeping an eye on the technology development horizon to ensure that emerging communication technologies that show significant innovation are properly researched, tested and exposed to the relevant communities of interest
• Tech Analysis - Provide assessments and risk mitigation studies of technologies and their associated technical impact to the Army across the full spectrum of DOTMLPF domains through the use of experimentation and careful documentation of test results and the associated analytics
• Tech Research - Provide answers to challenging technical questions related to the Army Cyberspace Electromagnetic Warfare domains, the network and its associated hardware architecture through the use of experimentation and careful documentation of test results and the associated analytics
• Tech Integration - Act as the Lead Technical Integrator for experiments/exercises which require the technical integration and synchronization of multiple technologies into a single congruent network

One of the critical functions executed by the Cyber Battle Laboratory Facility is to provide Modeling and Simulation (M&S) support to validate current and future Command, Control, Communications and network related concepts, technologies and architectures. The Cyber Battle Lab is the TRADOC proponent for Communications Network Modeling and Simulation. The M&S functional area includes the execution of four (4) primary functions: traffic development, model development, network analysis, and Cyberspace and Electromagnetic Warfare Operations (CEWO) analysis.

The first function is to provide the U.S. Army network modeling and simulation analytical community with validated Network Traffic data to feed U.S. Army models and simulations. Traffic development is based upon doctrinal rules which govern the manner in which Warfighters will execute their mission. The Cyber Battle Lab is recognized as the expert for telecommunications traffic data development within the U.S. Army.

The second function is to provide technical expertise in the area of communications network model development, testing, configuration management and integration. Model development includes the development of individual waveform models, integration of individual waveform models to make network models, model testing, model verification and validation as well as overall configuration management of these models. Current high fidelity models developed at the Cyber Battle Lab include EPLRS, NTDR, WNW, SRW, KASAT and an FCS SOS model.

The third function is to conduct communications network performance analysis using the traffic and models described in the first two functions. Communications Network Analysis includes operational architecture analysis, experimentation/demonstration support and combat developments concept and requirements analysis. The Cyber Battle Lab is also the Network Proponent for the Battle Laboratory Collaborative Simulation Environment (BLCSE) and therefore charged to ensure that realistic communications and network effects are realized within the TRADOC simulation environment.

The fourth function is to conduct Cyberspace and Electromagnetic Warfare Operations (CEWO) capabilities performance analysis using the traffic and models described in the first three functions. CEWO Analysis includes Communications Network under threat analysis, operational architecture under threat analysis, experimentation/demonstration support and CEWO combat developments concept and requirements analysis.

A high level of preparation, detail and accuracy are the cornerstones of effective simulation based performance analysis tools and services provided and supported by the Cyber Battle Lab M&S.