Allowing the advantaged user in a network centric system to get through the disadvantaged interface

Abstract

Networks and network centric systems are a technology and industry that is growing and evolving daily. These systems play an integral part in most companies, industries, organizations, and governments. The United States Navy uses networks and network centric systems in multiple facets of their daily and long term operations. Whether on ships, submarines, aircraft, or land based facilities, the Navy has implemented network centric systems to take advantage of their processing abilities, organizational structure, information sharing and other benefits. Among these complex network centric systems exist interfaces. These interfaces often present complications and challenges that prevent key personnel from participating in information sharing and data transmissions, and that often hinder mission success. By taking a systems engineering approach to finding, isolating and categorizing the factors that create these interface complications, a solution or work around to these factors can be readily implemented. This study uses a systems engineering approach to identify those factors that cause disadvantaged interfaces within network centric systems and provides recommendations to these challenges so that advantaged users, those with real-time mission critical information, of network centric systems can maintain adequate use of their respective network centric systems for continued mission success.