Photo By Master Sgt. Alexandre Montes | Dr. Danielle Cummings, Computer Systems Researcher, Capt. Charles Howell, and Capt....... read more read more
Today’s warfighters receive coded messages through an array of communication systems and, under stress and in darkness, might have only minutes to decode the instructions. Until recently, Air Force and Naval Nuclear operators used and trained with printed codebooks on a daily basis to decrypt messages from as high up as the President of the United States. Government intelligence entities recognized there was an issue with the amount of time being spent creating and using the paper books, in addition to the funding required, and updating the process became a key mission.
In early 2016, United States Strategic Command, along with Air Force Global Strike Command, initiated a call to increase the timeliness and efficiency of codebooks. The Special Mission Flight assigned to the 707th Communications Squadron banded with I-Corp professionals to enhance the future of cyber warfighter capabilities and bring the codebooks into the 21st century.
I-Corp, a program created by the National Science Foundation, helps create partnerships between organizations to develop innovative research. Because of I-Corp, the 707th Communications Squadron was able to collaborate with outside agencies to meet a common goal.
“Our office, Nuclear Command and Control operations, not only supports the NC2 mission by delivering day-to-day operationally used Intercontinental Ballistic Missile codes and NC2 products to USSTRATCOM, but also by leading modernization of the weapons and platforms vital to safeguarding the NC2 mission,” said Capt. Charles Howell, Special Missions Flight, 707th Communications Squadron. “This was our opportunity to create something that can positively impact the mission and help bring a vital and long overdue piece of the NC2 message process to the 21st century, so we submitted our team to the I-Corp program.”
Howell, along with a team of military, human-interface professionals and government intelligence employees, began to create an E-Codebook, or Assisted Messaging Processing Tool. In the spring of 2016, the team dedicated seven weeks to a course on using business models to create new products.
“This gave us the opportunity to create a model and go directly to the NC2 codebook users for feedback,” Howell said. “That includes not just ICBM operators but all NC2 codebook users, to include the bomber pilots, submariners and national command center operators.”
Howell said the team asked the experts what they would like to see in the redesigned codebook. Different environments and constraints were discussed, as well as the specific features warfighters would like to see incorporated into the device.
With the information the team obtained, they were able to craft an unclassified AMPT that gives users a hands-on application, which is currently in the testing phase.
During the development of new programs and processes, there can be hurdles and bridges that must be crossed to achieve the desired outcome, Howell said. The creation of the interface was one step in completing the task, but the program will need to be more user-friendly and compact. Dr. Danielle Cummings, Computer Systems Researcher, was brought onto the team to help with this process.
“The confined space was a design challenge I hadn't yet encountered,” Cummings said. “Most of my research involved providing usability and functionality in wide-open terrain, so this was a fun change of pace.”
When the E-Codebook is fully implemented, the smaller, electronic device, will enable faster performance, creating space and better mobility for America’s warfighters.
| Date Taken: | 09.22.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 09.22.2016 13:14 |
| Story ID: | 210279 |
| Location: | FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 145 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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