A Change and military Organization

John P. Kotter: ”People change what they do less because they are given analysis that shifts their thinking, than because they are shown a truth that influences their feelings.”

Some experiences on leading the change in military environment

“This is not a way to fight – let´s go over this little marsh!”¹

For a human being, a change is always grossing the boundaries of one´s comfort zone. Going over the edge is an individual experience. There are persons, who feel the edge is a challenge and others to whom it is a blockade. The leader of change must acknowledge this difference. The leader should give right direction to those willing to start the journey and offer the others a firm hand of support over the abyss of fear and uncertainty.

Since feeling is always individual and right, leader of change must walk the talk. All leaders should walk amongst their troops, tell narratives of better future, listen to fears of their subordinates and help them to manage their threats. Leaders are to tell about change with stories from troops reality, create feelings with facts and urge to change their behaviour.

“I dare not – I haven´t had any training for that!”²

The end state may be either improving the current tactics or introducing new weapon systems, but individual and organizational skill and competence are always cornerstones in capturing new capability. Human competence does not develop linearly but in a spiral. The new concept needs experience gained by practice and understanding with feelings to get to the level of competence. After individual and collective acceptance, the new way of doing things will change professional behaviour. Sometimes existing proficiency may be sufficient, but individual feels, that there is a need for training, certification, and authorization, before talks turn to deeds.

Organisational competence includes culture, guides, and operational procedures. A change of those requires, that members of the organisation understand the deeper structures of their unit, create an aligned interpretation of new rules and change their behaviour, interaction, and values in synchrony. The change of organisational competence requires most members to adopt new behaviour and pull others with them. This calls leader to award any positive change visibly, and without hesitation rotate all those sub-leaders that are not capable of changing their unit.

“Company – Attention! Right – turn! Forward – March!”

Change is continuous within every organisation – either planned and executed or unnoticed but gradually accepted. When an organisation is producing its value in monopoly without competition or increased demands, it tends to get fat. Everyone wants to do meaningful work, functions and roles do get narrower by time, nobody wants to give up legacy tasks, and new jobs require additional personnel. Typical public-sector organisation builds up extra controls and excessive bureaucracy. A lot more administration is needed to avoid mistakes, to utilise public funding according to paragraphs and to do things right but not necessarily right things.

Public sector organisations should improve their cost-efficiency about 5-7% annually to be able to compensate increasing expenses and fixed budgets. Organisations in open markets, or otherwise in a competitive environment, should continuously improve their cost-efficiency and be ready to make disruptive changes as needed to have annual 10% return on investment.

“Go on – I am supporting! (And having a smoke behind this boulder).”³

When an organisation is utilising relations with other organisations for adding value, a change in one part of the value chain will project need of a move to other parts. Even other entities within the same space of operation may have to change because one intertwined stakeholder amongst them is changing. The fluent interaction between organisations requires trust in all relations. A change must take care the confidence of relations, the value of one´s brand and be aware, that adversaries are not able to utilise capability caps opening during disruptive changes. 

Armed Forces usually operates in the following field of interrelations:

1. Defence is a projection of the state´s values and culture
2. Defence is always in relation to adversaries’ military force and willingness to utilise it
3. Defence is always in conjunction with states politics, structure, economy and operation network.

A need for change may appear from all these directions, and a change coming from one direction may affect the other relations as well. A Change of Military Organisation must maintain a balance between these directions of interaction. Otherwise, Military may be regarded as alien, not fulfilling its duty or as unnecessary cost.

“Let´s change organization to gain savings!”⁴

The organisational structure is a tool to arrange tasks and assets so that results may be produced with optimal cost-efficiency. A change should start from assets, tasks or results and then the new production is organised with optimised way taking into consideration the space of operation, interfaces with other stakeholders and intentions of the adversary. A form of organisation and basis of procedures do affect how people feel the change.

Matrix organisation, driven either by process or project, is easy to rearrange when assets, tasks, results or environment are changing. When specialised teams in a matrix remain almost untouched, goals and interrelations may be altered quickly. Higher the matrix maturity, faster the change of organisation.

Functional line-staff -organisation faces challenges in changing its rigid power structure, siloed functions, and non-existent inter-relations. In the worst case, one may only enlarge existing functional organisation or cut off its main parts. Iterative improvement is often blocked by almost autonomous administrative functions, which have seceded from core operations a long time ago. Rigid administrative processes may eat over half of productive time and create a mass of culture in which change is the most challenging.

Different units within same force may not be equally prepared for change. Some of the units may be in a state of “paralysis,” where all energy is spent in defending achieved status. Some may be in a state of “boiling” when the unit has lots of energy to change, but there is no unanimity of direction or method of change. Some units are in a state of “friction,” where vision and mission are clear, but natural energy or courage is lacking because of previous bad experiences. Best among the units are in a state of “mission command,” where the unit is prepared to change, and personnel is willing to accomplish as soon as the new mission is communicated.

“Could you find this document? Yes, Where it may be? Most probably in Archives of War Museum!”⁵

The organisation consists, besides people, material, and facilities, also immaterial assets of production. These assets include documents, contracts, royalties, brands, traditions, and trust. If the organisation is focusing mainly on changing of structure, it will lose the organisational memory, when documents are sent to Archives and trusted relations between people, when people are being rotated to new tasks. Also, information and understanding are valued assets, in some cases even multipliers to other assets. Thus they must be managed throughout the change.

“Everything will be better after the change!”⁶

When the change is almost over, quick-wins have been achieved; the new organisation is manned, new tools are available, leaders of change are being rotated, then people began drifting back to old habits, to old interactions, to old familiar culture. The change has not been cemented into competency and roles of people, procedures of organisation or culture of cooperation. End state must be bind to every level of structure and interfaces between units. The best method to stick change is to introduce new metrics, that will reward continuously new behaviour and makes it meaningful even to improve it. Control of change must extend beyond first sight of chance. Existing personnel should continue to be trained and certified to a new way of working; recruitment should support new procedures and skills, bases of old culture (key advocates, triggers of old habits) are recognised and removed. Leaders must walk persistently amongst subordinates to promote new methods and listen to people’s fears and other feelings. Social pressure must keep last opponents at bay and on track of change. Achieved peers should be brought amongst troops to tell stories of success with a new concept.

Narratives of change

Because our post-modern society still learns from stories, there is the following story of three little Organisations and their big Change.

Once upon a time in the far far land, three little Organisations were living in their big house in peace and complacency. Surely there were times of tightness, but on average, everything was going smoothly. Then one day the Patron of three little Organisations said that from now on, there is not going to be an annual increase in their allowance, but the same amount must suffice for next five years. Life went on with three little Organisations although their big house got more crowded every year because every member sub-optimised their work and many good members were recruited. The something happened in surrounding environment. Everybody wanted more, prices increased, the weather was colder, firewood was scarce, and aliens invaded parts of their house. After tedious complaints and pleads, the Patron of three little Organisations consented a temporary rise to their allowance but required all three to change each to the smaller house within next three years. Each little Organisation made grand plans for change utilising their sharpest members and most expensive consultants. However, no implementation was accomplished, when their Patron came to them one day and declared change to commence. However, there were all preparations to be done, members to be gathered, change the route to be reconnoitre and transportation to be ordered. The Patron was adamant and on top of all said that their allowance is to decrease within next four years of total 10% and after changing their compensation would be 10% smaller annually than today. The three little Organisations were paralysed with fear. The patron gave them three routes to be used for their change to a new house: 

1. short route through plains, but very very windy. 
2. direct route, but many floating rivers on the way. 
3. long, dark and winding but without wind or rain.

The Change of Organisation

The First of the three little Organisations established a bright project crew to plan very precisely how all members of little Organisation should walk along short but windy road to the new house. Every member had time to start the journey and timetable to proceed by milestone and to reach the goal. Along the route, The First Little Organisation arranged guards to control change and keep everybody strictly on planned time. It happened that just in time members of the First Little Organisation marched in line over the starting point, run over the windy road to first control and the second, until they reached the new house. The wind was strong and some members weak, so they were blown off and lost. However, the change was executed precisely according to plan as it was measured with precision. The First Little Organisation settled in their new tiny house, which felt already quite tight. Members returned to their old routines and tried to substitute those who were lost on the way. Then came the day than Patron cut the allowance by 10%. There was not money enough for firewood, so the First Little Organisation ripped his new house of all burning ingredients gradually. One day it happened that big bad Adversary walked by the house, noticed ripped building and the Little Organisation within. Big bad Adversary blew the house down, and the First Little Organisation runs away.

The Change Organisation

The Second Little Organisation took the mission with diligence. A coalition of change was created along the advice by Kotter. Managers and leaders walked amongst members to explain the mission ahead. Nevertheless, members were not willing to change. They were better as is, the new place was told to be in dangerous condition, and furthermore, there is the rainy season, so they should wait for more information and better time to change. The Second Little Organisation was desperate. The patron did not yield up but threatened to lower the allowance even more. This made the Second Little Organisation angry. The change will be executed even it kills him. The Second Little Organisation organised change programs, change portfolios, change projects and change sub-projects in best practice way. Planning and plans filled the house, but members were informed only of decisions. Even the old Neighbours were invited to help in planning, but members were told to keep on living old way. There was nothing to worry because management will take care of things and tell members at the due time what is expected from them during the change. 

Because almost all time was spent in planning, there was not much time left for an actual change. With help from old Neighbours, the Second Little Organisation rotated leaders, left behind fattest or most reluctant members and started to march. Many were the obstacles on the way, a number of members were swept from the road by floats and even more turned back because of frustration and fear. Finally, the Second Little Organisation reached the new house, and a celebration was arranged. The New house was tiny, but since Organisation was smaller, everyone had room inside. It just happened that old “Doorkeepers” were not able to survive the change so nobody did know, how to close the new door and new neighbours were too busy to help. One day the Big bad Adversary happened to arrive in the area, noticed a tiny house with an open door and the Second Little Organisation inside. The Big bad Adversary blew the house down, and the Second Little Organisation runs away.

The Change

The Third Little Organisation did analyse the route, hardships on the way, size and position of the new house. The route was long and dark. The new house was tiny and allowance 10% smaller. The mission seemed unachievable. Reconnoitre patrol was sent to collect the experience of the route and new premises, members were categorised to those needed, those strong, those weak and those not needed. Patrol returned with some new neighbours. After analysing information, talking with new neighbours and planning with all members, The Third Little Organisation decided how to accomplish the change. The strong and fit members could start march as soon as possible. Those not needed but strong should also begin their journey, but with new neighbours, who promised to take them in their houses. Those needed but unfit started training to gain strength and lose weight. Both first units made the journey to a new village and began to create relations, learn new ways and settled into the new house. This was celebrated in both ends, and those remained in training got new motivation. Gradually, the Third Little Organisation sends units on the way as they become fit for the journey and the new tiny house. Finally, only those not needed and those unable to get fit remained in the old house. These members little Organisation left with his old neighbours supplied with gold coins. 

Finally, the Third Little Organisation was in a tiny new house surrounded by good new neighbours.  All members were busy doing new tasks, and they appear trained and united with their new neighbours. Even when Patron did cut down allowance, third little Organisation was able to loan some money to new neighbours for their house repairs. One day, the big bad Adversary happened to arrive in the area. Third Little Organisation noticed it, called neighbours to join and chased the big bad Adversary away. 

Main sources for this paper were:

John P. Kotter & Dan S. Cohen: The Heart of Change. Harvard Business School Press 2002

Pauli Juuti & Petri Virtanen: Organisaatiomuutos. Otava 2009 (only in Finnish)

Peter F. Drucker: Management Challenges for 21^st Century. 1999

This is a translation (19.06.2013) of the paper Juha Mattila prepared late 2011.

Remarks:

1 Detached from the movie: Unknown Soldier – Tuntematon sotilas by Edwin Laine

2 Heard from many functional experts that are shy to start behaving differently.

3 Heard and seen in infantry assault exercise

4 Primary goal and object of change in last three major changes of Finnish Defence Forces

5 Heard in aisles of one new organization after a change with non-existent immaterial management

6 Often heard in the talks of change managers, who have not succeed to create real change narratives

National security, cyber espionage and privacy

Current situation in the cyber space

There is more malevolent behaviour in the cyber space, we call Internet, than ever before:

• During so called Arab spring national telecommunications authorities did disconnect their citizens many times from international Internet and telecommunications services
• Kapersky Lab indicated 2012 that Russian systems are being attacked with “Red October” virus. President Putin ordered 15^th of January 2013 FSB to create a system that finds, prevents and destroys effects of cyber attacks directed towards Russian Federation.
• Internet service providers have just seen most the powerful distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack ordered by unorthodox service provider¹
• Mandiant report is claiming that China is very actively probing western networks and servers.²
• U.S. has started an information operation to have China to be labelled as most malevolent country in Internet
• U.S homeland is arguing over National Security Agency having access to citizens private information in Internet and major service providers customer information.³
• U.S. President has ordered to utilize existing and new cyber capabilities for Offensive Cyber Effects Operation (OCEO) in order to: “advance U.S. National objectives around the world with little or no warning to the adversary or target and with potential effects ranging from subtle to severely damaging”.⁴
• Check Point Software is reporting that 71 % of the malevolent sofware is coming from USA, 58% of botnet commands are coming from USA and most vulnerable products are coming from Apple, Microsoft and Mozilla.

Some media sources even say that these symptoms are a beginning of next confrontation like cold war between U.S.A and Soviet Union, but this time conflict is in the Internet⁵. Some organizations like Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) are telling that the freedom and private information of a citizen is in danger.⁶

Nothing new under the sun, but technology has been evolving

National security authorities have been spying their citizens while trying to identify foreign and domestic counter forces and criminals. Before Information and Telecommunications Technology break through, authorities in several countries were screening letters, censoring newspapers, restricting broadcasting licences and forbid public gatherings. Public opinion, information on events and images of events have been always targets of manipulation for both adversary and own authorities. Information is both an asset and vulnerability of national defence. When targeted information is stored or transmitted in analog or digital means, military espionage is called Signals Intelligence, SIGINT or Open Source Intelligence, OSINT, if executed by searching published information.

In USSR telephone network was being monitored constantly starting from Stalin´s era and academics were developing speech recognition applications to be able to identify speakers from distorted telephone discussions. ECHELON system was developed by USA first to monitor Soviet block countries telephone communications. With UKUSA agreement USA and UK authorities were able to bypass their existing legislation and spy each others citizens and trade information captured from calls. After “Cold War” era ECHELON was directed to monitor other communications, telefax and data connections. The system intercepted both satellite and land line communications. After the system was extended to Australia, New Zealand and Canada, it covered global communications hubs and was able to screen both civilian, governmental and military information that was transmitted without sufficient encryption.

As the volume of information increased, manual screening and content detection was replaced with automated information systems. Telefax, SMS and SMTP traffic specially was easy to tap with computers, categorised with key words and their combinations and further analysed using statistic tools. ECHELON and similar systems were improved with sophisticated technologies like datamining, speech recognition, business intelligence and automated translation. It is said that ECHELON system works by indiscriminately intercepting very large quantities of communications and then shiphoning out valuables using artificial intelligence aids to find key words.⁷ One of the most famous COTS products for this is MEMEX based Fusion Center IT provided by SAS. According to SAS it:

• provides a single platform that eliminates double-entry,
• provides a workflow from intake through vetting all the way to publishing intelligence products, while providing advanced search across all data sources.
• creates easy summary statistics on “requests for service” and other work
• is an end-to-end solution covering the entire intelligence lifecycle – from information collection to review, evaluation, development analysis and sharing
• is recognized for its pioneering, advanced search capabilities.
• has the strength of SAS predictive data analytics. ⁸

National Security Agency of USA (NSA) has created surveillance, capture and analyse system called PRISM. It is allegedly tapping directly on major US service operators (Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, YouTube, Skype, AOL and Apple) information on users and their service utilization. This information is more than metadata including for example email, video and voice chat, videos, photos, VOIP-calls, chats, file transfers and social networking details. Number of obtained communications is said to be increased in 2012 by 248% for Skype, 131% increase in requests for Facebook data and 63% for Google.⁹

This amount of information requires professional capacity and algorithms to process data. NSA is said to have BOUNDLESS INFORMANT -intelligence system¹⁰ that is utilizing high volume storages and “big data technology to query in the cloud to produce near real-time business intelligence”. System allegedly¹¹ can:

• collect almost 3 billion pieces of intelligence from US computer networks over a 30-day period
• collect 97 billion pieces of intelligence from computer networks worldwide
• answers to questions like:
• How many records are collected for an organizational unit or country?
• Are there any visible trends?
• What assets collect against a specific country? What type of collection?
• What is the field of view for a specific site? What type of collection?

These presented questions are not telling much of the systems real capabilities since they are more oriented on management of analysing process than actual intelligence questions, but even with 2-dimensional datamodel and fast processor one can fuse data very quickly. The problem is that this kind of automation can only answer questions of relations that programmers have been able to code into system.

Better level of analyse is easily achieved by utilizing modern business intelligence tools like IBM´s GOGNOS¹², which can analyse a structured datawarehouse or unstructured data with good metadata providing:

• Answers to business questions fast with guided report analysis, dashboards and navigable reports.
• Ability to track business developments.
• Reorganizing, reshaping and recalculating data enabling to identify the optimal solutions to business problems.
• Uncovering patterns in business and apply algorithms to business intelligence data to predict outcomes.

Virtual database and easy structuring of information is giving everyone ability to create understanding from large quantities of data without long programming or super computers.

3^rd generation web-technology is providing even more effective tools for intelligence. Semantic web allows to retrieve information from web and other systems overriding current problems of system and data model boundaries. Semantic structuring of data¹³ is giving authorities ability to create knowledge models for special needs and depict new relations and trends from existing public and private information. Semantic web, resource description framework (RDF) and advanced ontologies are being utilized today in retail business and intelligence agencies globally. All information, structured or unstructured, from Internet or Intranets, public or private sectors, content or communications header data may be categorised, attached with metadata and fused with different knowledge models to answer questions like:

• What has been subjects social network past 10 years and nature of each contact?
• What is current the cyber threat level of our state and what is the forecast for next weeks? Which groups are most hostile in their wording?
• When society is reaching a degree of unrest that uprising of crowd is to be happening?
• What is the possibility that subject will in future be manipulated to act against ones current society?

How national security is utilizing public and system information in cyber space

Screening citizens and their information has been normal task for national security authorities. The legislation of each nation is defining different procedures to be able to focus surveillance to a certain individual or society. Normally in Europe and U.S. there is first need to have a court order (i.e. proof of illegal activities is strong) and then communications operators are obliqued to give metadata of communications to authorities. This may be extended to recording actual content of communications.

In USA president Bush signed a U.S. Surveillance law in the aftermath of 911 event. That law allows NSA to target any customers of participating firms, who live outside the US, those Americans ,whose communications include people outside the US and it opens also a possibility to collect communications made entirely within the US. As it seems to be, NSA and US general attorney have been guided to collect information, when there is a reasonable suspicion that one of the parties was outside the country at the time of recording.

Sweden approved 2009 the law that Armed Foces signal intelligence (SIGINT) unit, Försvarets Radioanstalt (FRA), is authorised to monitor real-time all voice and data transmissions going over Swedish borders without any special orders by court. So all tele- and datacommunications coming, leaving or going through Swedish borders is being monitored.¹⁴

Russian part of Internet, Runet, has 70 million active Internet users – Internet use penetration is 57% in Russia. Social media has especially won clients from government controlled broadcasting companies. Thus Duma, Russian Parliament passed a law 2011, that established a single registry of domain names, sites and web pages that contain objectionable material. The Federal Service for the Protection of Consumers` Rights and Human Welfare, the Federal Drug control Service and the Federal Surveillance Service for Mass Media and Communications were empowered to blacklist sites without a court order.¹⁵

Russian SIGINT agency, FAPSI was established 1993 around parts of former KGB body. FAPSI is responsible for communications security and signals intelligence. FAPSI operates under the 1996 Law on Foreign Intelligence and collects information pertaining to "political, economic, military, science and technology through use of electronic means." FAPSI has both the authority and capability to penetrate all government and private information services in Russia. It also has reportedly been successful in collecting intelligence on foreign business ventures, including confidential bank transactions. According to FAPSI General Director Colonel General Aleksandr Starovoytov, FAPSI is very valuable intelligence source:

"We are engaged in global electronic intelligence ... The main feature distinguishing our reports from those that come via the covert agent network of other special services is that ours is documented. We have access to a vast number of sources. We have a round-the-clock flow of decoded information which can produce fundamentally diverse viewpoints. "

With 500 million Internet users China is biggest network domain, greatest market with over CNY 900 Billion annual revenue and hosting worlds largest online community QQ with 583 million active accounts. China Telecom was the first Internet Service Provider and still has a monopoly of “local loop provider”. First legislation authorizing monitoring and filtering Internet was established on 2000. China build up the “Great Fire Wall” around 2009 to filter out overseas Internet services and monitor all datatransmission over Chinese borders. The Government is able to monitor websites, e-mail and keywords. Certain search words are blocked, e-mail with banned words is trashed and certain websites are blocked (for example western social media sites). Besides filtering action Chinese government is applying tens of thousands agents, who are patrolling on the Chinese Internet network. They scan communications and websites and order illegal sites to be shut down. They raid Internet cafes, monitor identified dissidents and infiltrate suspected activist groups.¹⁶

States belonging to European Union have signed human rights agreement and its 8 chapter allows individual privacy to be lowered in protecting national security only if policy is stated in national legislation, it is public and process is well defined. European Parliament has recommended that every member state should establish a parliamentary board to supervise its national intelligence agencies. On the other hand European Parliament is recognizing, that SIGNÌNT is being executed globally beyond any national legislation or control and thus recommending corporates and individuals to encrypt all important and sensitive information transmitted through telecommunications or Internet.¹⁷

Google reports that government requests for user data has risen 70 % since 2009. During 2012 most frequent requesters have been USA, India, France and Brazil. In USA about 68% of requests were under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act since they don´t typically involve judges.¹⁸

What does this mean to privacy

There is no global integrity for privacy of individuals or corporates within Internet or telecommunications services. Therefore everyone should understand that sending e-mail to known receiver, chatting with your friend or speaking on phone with definite individual is as public as sending same content on postcard with international postal service or post it into one´s blog.

Every search from web is being stored by search engine operator in order to be able to focus advertisements better to meet your needs. Every page you visit in Internet is being identified (at least country of origin, type of browser and operating system) and recorded by advertising or statistics operators. Every tweet, like or status update you make in social media is being stored in your profile. Your friends, ex-friends, relatives, total strangers, employers, sport clubs, church and community publish information related to you and your closest into Web. You don´t even have right to that material, since it is the property of some stranger, who had Google glasses and took photos of you in an awkward situation.

Today, this information is being utilized by SIGINT authorities, retail chains, news agencies, advertising companies and communities. They are able to use your basic information like name, age, hobby, address, telephone number, property or partnerships in companies and fuse these with all other data mined from Internet to create a personal profile. With this profile they are able to foretell things you may buy, deeds that you may fall into, day you may die in heart attack or just to fulfil the curiousness of some of their employees.

This information gathering is not only online in Internet, but is happening in real world and public places. A good example of this was Boston Marathon 2013 incident and authorities ability to scan through vast quantity of video material and to identify possible suspects within a couple of days.

References:

1 Prolexic Quarterly Global DDoS attack report, Q1 2013

2 Mandiant APT1: Exposing one of China´s Cyber Espionage Units

3 Guardian 8.6.2013: Barack Obama and Xi Jinping meet as cyber-scandals swirl http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/08/obama-xi-jinping-meet-cyberscandals

4 guardian.co.uk, Friday 7 June 2013 20.07: Obama tells intelligence chiefs to draw up cyber target list – full document text. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2013/jun/07/obama-cyber-directive-full-text

5 Russia Today 25.2.2013: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxHUM-vPvHs

6 EFF: NSA spying on Americans. https://www.eff.org/nsa-spying

7 A non-authorized source: http://whatreallyhappened.com/RANCHO/POLITICS/ECHELON/echelon.html

8 SAS MEMEX home page, http://www.memex.com/industry/fusion-center

9 Guardian Friday 7 June 2013: NSA Prism program taps in to user data of Apple, Google and others by Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data

10 Guardian Saturday 8 June 2013: Boundless Informant NSA data-mining tool – four key slides. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/interactive/2013/jun/08/nsa-boundless-informant-data-mining-slides

11 Guardian Sunday 9 June 2013: Boundless Informant: the NSA´s secret tool to track global surveillance data. By Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/08/nsa-boundless-informant-global-datamining

12 IBM home page, GOGNOS sotfware. http://www-01.ibm.com/software/analytics/cognos/solutions.html

13 Semantic Web home pages: http://semanticweb.org/wiki/Main_Page

14 FRA home page: http://www.fra.se/

15 Potomac Institute for Policy Studies: Squeezing internet freedom in the name of safety. 2012

16 Robin Garabedian: Internet in China: The Great Digital Wall 2010. http://www.slideshare.net/Robin.G/internet-in-china-the-great-digital-wall

17 European Parliament report on the existence of a global system for the interception of private and commercial communications 11 July 2001. http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=-//EP//TEXT+REPORT+A5-2001-0264+0+DOC+XML+V0//en

18 Google Transparency Report. http://www.google.com/transparencyreport/userdatarequests/?hl=en_US

How to maintain and support the capability of programmable electronics in post-modern armed forces?

How to maintain and support the capability of programmable electronics in post-modern armed forces?

1 Introduction

Programmable electronics proliferate the space of military operations. In post-modern operations information is an asset like men, material, will and competence. With right information processing one can multiply the effect of other assets. Within some current weapon systems over 60 % of their capability and price is based on programming and applications. IC -technology is spreading through out the post-modern force many times more than assault rifle did after the end of WW II. Consumer electronic industry and mass markets have made even military electronics and devices disposable or short lived, but programs are being updated, reconfigured, integrated and repaired with life-cycle extending ten´s of years.



In this writing programmable electronics means any type of processor or circuit that is executing an application in order to process information. Programmable electronics may be networked or standalone, within ICT -systems or embedded, COTS, GOTS or MOTS products. Any program may include errors or circuits in executing an application may end up in illogical status and start behaving in an unintended way. Programs and applications are reconfigurable and reprogrammable either as bigger structure or as small object or service.



Programmable electronics can be found for example in war heads, small arms sights, positioning and surveillance equipment, vehicles on ground, in water or in air, containers, all weapon platforms, fire control systems, intelligence technology, ICT -technology, automated systems, soldiers protective clothing, etc. With system of systems concept all these subsystems integrate into one coherent system that can yield bigger force than the sum of its parts.

2 Capability of system of systems is in information and programs

A modern combat system consists of sub-systems like weapons, sensors, soldiers, procedures, logistics, management and leadership. All these components are programmed and trained to create an effective fighting team – a system of systems with emergence of new capabilities. There is a greater trend of evolution where organism or society is more capable to adjust and survive in change with collaboration, specialization and creating bigger entities from smaller units. At some level of integration an emergence of totally new kind of capabilities is observed.¹ This is to be seen, if one studies evolution of military armament from system approach.²



Information and its sharing is one important enabler for system integration. Civilian sector has evolved and improved its productivity from early industrialization times with information sharing and processing. Paper mills and steel factories of today with extended chains of subcontractors are live example of integrated systems with new capabilities. Similar ecosystems can be found in finance (with surprising interdependencies between hubs), retail chains and production facilities (WallMart being one of the most famous) and global logistics networks (1-4 levels of different value adding roles in global supply chain).



Information and programming is enabling combat system also at subsystem level to new capabilities. U.S. Army is planning to utilize new capabilities of XM25 (target sensing detonator), XM2010 sniper rifle with 1 200 m range, Squad Mission Support System with autopiloted ATV, HULC (lower-body, electro-hydraulically-powered exoskeleton) or flying hummer.³ These component capabilities may enable unforeseeable capabilities after integration to larger systems. Those new capabilities may be strategical or operational advantage over other forces. In commercial world these are called disruptive innovations.

3 Programmability enables new capabilities but require special maintenance and development

Complexity is increasing in one component or subsystem, when specialized hardware (HW) and layers of software (SW) elements are integrated for better capability. Most often new military systems include mass products from other mainstreams like consumer electronics (game graphics, GPS -circuits, 3D -graphic accelerators), automation technology (sensors and buses), automobile industry (Vehicle Area Network or CAN), ICT -industry (operating systems, databases, general applications), health industry (pulse and body monitoring, telemedicine), logistics (intelligent packaging and transportation robots) or information queried from other public agencies (geography, weather, population, civil events). These features are combined with military components and configured for military purposes. Having a military system constructed with these subcomponents that have different lifecycles, update rates and vulnerabilities is challenging for maintenance and development organisations. When these complicated subsystems are networked to create first weapon systems and further combat system of systems, both their strength and weaknesses are combined. Maintenance must keep weaknesses at bay not to be exploited by opponent and strengths interoperable with other systems to maintain the leverage and emergence.

A network is different to maintain than a monolithic system

One can find following challenges in maintaining such interdependent system of myriad subcomponents⁴:

• commercial software requires daily testing and updating of virus fingerprint files to be able to resist possible malware coming with imported files or information from Internet
• commercial operating systems like Microsoft Windows requires monthly repair or update to patch discovered malfunctions and weaknesses
• generally used applications require quarterly updates to get rid of discovered malfunctions
• military applications may require annual update but they must be adapted to other changes of their platform and environment
• consumer electronic products are produced and marketed within weeks or months, so after the purchase, similar supplements are hard to find within the rest 5 years of capability lifecycle
• enterprise ICT -hardware products are produced within maximum of 18 months period so one has to procure substitutive devices following manufacturing cycles
• military hardware includes many civilian components so their sustaining features requires provider to buy a stock of components which inclines unit prices although total cost of ownership may be more efficient.
• Users may be rotated every 6 months in operation and conscript training where as professional soldiers may serve many years in same role
• Changes of Man-Machine-Interface is to be trained to users otherwise readiness is degrading. Standing armies do not have major problems but reserve armies continuation training or rotation cycle is shortened unless MMI is mimicking generally used interface
• Standing armies are using equipment all the time so wear and harsh environment will create losses between 4 – 7% of fleet annually
• Training new soldiers is even more consuming due mishandling and ignorance. Losses may reach up to 15% annually.
• Reserve troops programmable system of systems cannot be stored like piece of artillery, but in warm storage and online to be able to update stored systems and maintain compatibility with used systems
• post-modern battlefield or space of operation is more lethal than before so 20 – 40 % weekly losses may be anticipated in intensive combat. This requires combat service support to supply hardware with continuous flow and compatible with other parts of system.
• Within digitalized and programmable battalion task force combat system of systems at least one subcomponent is chancing weekly thus requiring either reconfiguration or integration of whole system.

To manage thousands of changes during an year, to distribute files or parts of programs daily, to configure and maintain availability weekly and to supplement hardware losses monthly, requires different maintenance and supply system than previous forces. Changes, born from variety of sources, must be integrated and tested:

1. technically at system level,
2. technically and operationally at system of system level and
3. again system of systems must be tested with vigorous field testing to minimize risks for safety.

Military logistics and service support must adapt best practices of civilian service production

This requires military force to adapt Information Technology Service Management (ITSM), which is ICT -industry⁵ best practice for supply chain management (SCM) and enterprise resource management (ERP).⁶ With evolving ITSM maturity, organisation can adapt ITIL, COBIT, SPSPR or eTOM processes or business frameworks.



With maturing ITIL -processes and COBIT -practices within eTOM -business framework, a military service provider can build supply chain management i.e. logistics, that enable specialization, networking and cost-effective service production while maintaining agility and sustainability during crises situations. Operational agility is gained by clustering providers as nodes, by having parallel options for production and by coaching providers to learn faster from chains experiences. This requires Lean⁷ -production in which customer, user or supported is driving the value of entire chain and optimizing the support with continuous improvements.



Understanding the complex and continuously changing combat system of systems, requires system engineering view with architectural framework. In this understanding combat capabilities and procedures are combined with information and technical structures and human users forming intertwined structure and sometimes non-linear system. Architecture should be followed with modelling and simulation as far as possible to understand major interdependencies and to find possible non-linearities before commencing the production. Modelling and simulation is a definite requirement to understand software defined systems (like Software Defined Radio, Software Defined Network and Virtualized infrastructures) operation and integration requirements.



Component level production and testing may follow traditional Waterfall development and testing defined by CMMI, but as software development gets more agile, more test-driven programming is deployed and changes are better managed within programming sprints. System of systems change approval requires small world Alpha and Beta testing. Alpha -testing should be carried out in a separate miniature combat system of systems, where partly in laboratory and partly semi-field conditions each component is presented. This may be called as integration or reference tests for system of systems. Beta -testing is following a successful Alpha -test with pilot unit of real world users, maintenance and administrators. This is again a small world test, but together with simulation testing and Alpha -testing they assure that a manageable level of risk may be approached before Change Advisory Board makes decision to field a change or increment of new capability following the ITIL -service support processes. Lean -development should be utilized with every feedback. Even previously fielded increments of capability should be retested again in Alpha-environment, monitored in big world and user feedback should be collected to further improve the entity of combat system of systems.

4 If programmable electronics require continuous maintenance and testing procedures, why not use those also for development of combat system of systems

As previous chapter did describe, an agile maintenance and sustaining system for delivering changes of configuration, updates of software, supplements of hardware or bytes of new information, one may harness these procedures also to deliver new capabilities by investment programs. Since post-modern combat system of systems is not to be purchased readily from any shelf, but sub-systems may be both COTS, GOTS and MOTS⁸ products. There may be hard to find a single company that can be burdened with integration responsibility. This requires a new methodology for Military system providers to manage development programs as supply- or ITSM -chain. eTOM -telecommunication industry business model offers usable framework for this kind of methodology. ITSM -model includes customer driven capability development and eTOM -defines a structure for more strategic development with both shareholder and stakeholder views. This development is not only product or service oriented, but considers also the development of the capability of entire supply chain. Thus Military is having a status of network hub for military capabilities development and sustainment.

Spiralling is the method to develop intertwined system and seek for emerging capabilities
The combat system of systems is an organism that is improved with increments and seldom all by once. Thus investing development suites to agile maintenance procedures and gains from its vigorous testing and configuration management process. Development programs must include all lines of operation of combat capability (Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leadership and Learning, Personnel, Facilities, Information and Integration) because of their intertwined nature in military force. The spiral development method has proved to be most effective way to develop capability increments and field them through series of tests followed by adjustments that are driven by feedback from each phase of testing. The spiral development and DOTMLPFII -capability building is elaborated further in an other article.⁹



Combining maintenance improvements by Lean -development and capability investments by spiral development, organization is coping better with continuous changes and is able to try and learn new ways of executing their tasks. This strategical agility supports the sustainment of emergence and keeps one ahead of his adversaries. There is a major advantage, if one party can improve his force twice a year, when other party is able to update force only every 5-10 years. This advantage is found also in post-modern industry or customer driven commerce.

5 If one can update a combat system of systems once a day for maintenance reasons, what can be achieved if frequent reprogramming or reconfiguration is introduced in operations

As the space of operation is widening into new spheres like cyberspace, there are:

• fewer soldiers to monitor events,
• numerous automatic sensors and unmanned platforms that are substituting human beings,
• more surprises since “clean fighting” is rare and most of the operations are conducted amongst people
• more stake holders to be taken into account. ¹⁰

In a more complex space of operations fighting following only one kind of tactics may end up with unintended results. A Force, that is projecting power, must be agile to be fitted into an operation, to be able to identify lessons and learn to adjust standard operational procedures according to needs of situations. When soldiers have to change or adjust their Rules of Engagement (RoE) or Standard Operational Procedures (SOP) so should their whole combat system of systems. In order to do this machines of war must understand human information and ontology. They must adapt to changes of battle field with reprogramming and distribution of altered applications.¹¹

Reprogrammable system of system can be educated to new procedures or understanding during operation, if maintenance structure is enabling the following functions:

• All configurable items (sub systems) are connected to delivery system within reasonable window of upgrade. This is to maintain interoperability within system and to enable agility for troop establishment during fighting.
• There is a change management that is aware of situation to balance requirements for change with requirements for availability.
• There is test procedures and A – B -test environments to verify each iteration in small world conditions and interoperability requirements.
• There is a structured way to develop capability of the system of systems with small iterations and not only by monolithic update procedures.

The combat system of system can learn new things overnight, if:

• programming is following the basic principles of Resource Description Framework (RDF) and information is modelled utilizing Knowledge Models with many layers of Ontology abstraction,
• managing applications and information like services calling them on demand with Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP),
• constructing of user interfaces is following the portable method of HTML 5,
• all applications are using virtual structures to run on. Not on particular Operating System, which is tailored to a defined hardware,
• development is orchestrated using Scrum -method to enable iterative programming within short time frames.

Men and Machines can learn new things and procedures over night

This ability of troops and their combat system of systems to learn new things enables them together achieve something that Napoleon utilized when riding through his troop in the night before main engagement to give last advice and changes of his plan of operations. Now the whole force (men and machines) is able to embrace new things over night. This opens new possibilities to more initiative commanders since continuing emergency also introduces more possibilities to utilize own capabilities (like German general staff officers did in last phases of II WW). To be able to commence synchronized changes is one approach of capability development. Another approach is troops ability to team up with each other and develop a particular way of fighting most suitable for them. This supports human ability to improve team work with training, interaction and proximity, which is a strategic advantage for most team sports.

6 Programmable capabilities create new possibilities for tactical and strategical advantage

The new way of maintaining programmable capabilities in a force consisting of systems and men is building tactical advantage on the basis of learning. If both men and machines can learn new things over night, apply force tailored to situation or in a surprising way, there is tactical possibility to have an advantage over adversary.



The ability to change capabilities of the whole fleet of systems with both Lean improvements by users and Strategic improvements by investment programs is creating an strategical advantage. Programmable capabilities of the force creates cost-effective method to be continuously ahead of adversaries updates. Since this capability is not purchasable but creatable, it is hard to copy thus a good base for sound strategy.



With more agile and iterative change process one is able to detach people and assets from monolithic upgrades to do more productive work in operations and training. Which again enforces combat system of system to evolve, specialise and fit differently to each situation or operation. The end state is more cost-effective force and force projection.

Referencies:

1 Joseph Needham:Integrative levels: a revaluation of the idea of progress. Oxford: Clarendon Press 1937

2 See article Juha Mattila: How to enhance capabilities of a complex military battle system by C4I development. http://c4isys.blogspot.ae/ 2013

3 http://nextbigfuture.com/2010/12/new-technology-for-us-army-from-2011-to.html

4 Experiences gained during Finnish Army Battle System 2^nd and 3^rd generation digitalization programs

5 Defined by OECD in September, 1998

6 ITSM is developed and promoted internationally and in some countries by interest societies called itSMF.

7  "Lean," is a production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. Working from the perspective of the customer who consumes a product or service, "value" is defined as any action or process that a customer would be willing to pay for. By John Krafcik 1988

8 Commercial, Governmental or Military Of The Shelf

9 Juha Mattila: How to enhance capabilities of a complex military battle system by C4I development. http://c4isys.blogspot.ae/ 2013

10 Juha Mattila: Post-modern confrontations, conflicts and their management 2013.

11 G. Scott Taylor: Beyond the Battlefield: Institutional Army Transformation Following Victory in Iraq 2012. “Change is achieved through a continuous cycle of adaptive innovation, experimentation, and experience. In Iraq, out of necessity while in contact with a dynamic enemy, the Army transformed on the battlefield with radical changes in doctrine, organization, training, and materiel, which significantly enabled battlefield success.”

Taistelujärjestelmän spiraalikehittäminen ja ohjelmoitavan elektroniikan ylläpito mahdollistavat strategisen edun ja turvaavat taktisen ketteryyden

Taistelujärjestelmän spiraalikehittäminen ja ohjelmoitavan elektroniikan ylläpito mahdollistavat strategisen edun ja turvaavat taktisen ketteryyden

KTM Harri Haavikko kehittää viestiaselajin toimintatapoja Maavoimien Esikunnassa

Eversti (evp) Juha Mattila toimii konsulttina yksityisellä sektorilla

Tässä kahden artikkelin sarjassa kirjoittajat käsittelevät taistelujärjestelmän kehittymistä yhdessä tekniikan ja taktiikan kanssa. Ensimmäisessä osassa kuvataan 5.sukupolven taistelujärjestelmän kompleksisuuden edellyttämää rakentamistavan muutosta ja toisessa osassa kuvataan 5.sukupolven ohjelmoitavaan elektroniikkaan perustuvan suorituskyvyn ylläpitotoiminnan muutosta.

OSA I: Ohjelmoitavaan elektroniikkaan perustuvan taistelujärjestelmän kokonaissuorituskyvyn kehittäminen

Taisteluosaston suorituskyvyn osatekijät (taisteluvälineet, ajoneuvot, sotilaat, materiaali, tukivälineet, tieto, johtajat, kokemus ja suunnitelmat) muodostavat yhteentoimivan taistelujärjestelmän, jonka komentajan tahto, johtajien aloitteellinen toiminta sekä esimerkki ja johtamisjärjestelmän tarjoamat tiedot pitävät tavoitteellisessa toiminnassa. Taistelujärjestelmän osana ohjelmoitava elektroniikka mahdollistaa uudistetun taistelun, joukko- ja välineresurssien joustavan hyödyntämisen sekä yhteensovittamisen muuttuvien suorituskykykerrosten (DOTMLPFII = doktriini, organisaatio ja toimintamallit, harjoittelu, materiaali, henkilöstö, johtaminen ja koulutus, tilat, informaatio ja yhteensopivuus) kesken.

Taistelujärjestelmän kompleksisuuden lyhyt historia ja kehittymisnäkymä

Kuvassa 1 esitetään karkeasti taistelujärjestelmän kompleksisuuden lisääntyminen sekä taistelutaktiikan ja elinjakson ylläpidon muutos.

Kuva 1: Esimerkki taistelujärjestelmän rakenteen muuttumisesta teknologian kehittyessä

1200 -luvun mongoliarmeijassa ratsukko muodosti yksittäisen asejärjestelmän, jossa hevonen tarjosi vastustajaa paremman liikkuvuuden, jousi pidemmän ulottuvuuden tulelle ja ihminen sensorin sekä kyvyn toimia osana suurempaa kokonaisuutta. Teollisen yhteiskunnan taistelujärjestelmien 1. sukupolvessa ryhmä muodosti aseen kanssa järjestelmän, kuten raskas konekivääriryhmä I MS:ssa. Aseet valmistettiin teollisesti massatuotantona ja ihmiset koulutettiin taisteluteknisesti käyttämään aseita ryhmänä.

2. sukupolvessa ase liitettiin lavettiin, jossa voitiin tehostaa toimintaa. Lavetti paransi järjestelmän liikettä, patruunatäydennystä ja tähtäystä koneistamalla osan manuaalisista tehtävistä. Panssarivaunun toimitti ensin yksi tehdas, mutta standardoinnin kehittyessä alihankkijat kykenivät valmistamaan vaunun osajärjestelmiä tai komponentteja.

Järjestelmälavetit liitettiin 3. sukupolvessa toisiinsa ihmisten ja viestijärjestelmien avulla, jolloin lavettijärjestelmät saivat tietoa toistensa tekemisistä. 1930-luvulla saksalaiset Guderianin vision mukaisesti yhdistivät panssarivaunut ja syöksypommittajat toisiinsa radioilla, jolloin laveteista muodostui suurempia järjestelmäkokonaisuuksia (yhtymiä ja panssariarmeijoita).

4. sukupolven taistelujärjestelmissä aselavettiin liitettiin myös sensoreita, jotka kytkettiin ammunnanhallintaan ja sitä kautta aseen toimintaan. Suuret aseteollisuusyritykset tai konsortiot kykenevät toimittamaan monimutkaisia integroituja asejärjestelmiä, jotka ovat pääosin automatisoituja ihmisen ollessa mukana tulitusprosessissa vain ratkaisevalla hetkellä.

5.sukupolven taistelujärjestelmässä usean eri valmistajan aselavetit, sensorijärjestelmät, huolto- ja tukijärjestelmät sekä sotilaat, ajoneuvot, johtajat ja heidän suunnitelmansa liitetään toisiinsa siten, että yhteinen operatiivinen sekä taktinen havainnointi, suunnittelu ja vaikuttaminen toimivat nopeammin ja joustavammin. Koneet ja ihmiset keskustelevat keskenään täydentäen informaatiota ymmärrykseksi ja käyttäen sitä edun saamiseksi vastustajasta. Tätä kutsutaan integroiduksi järjestelmien järjestelmäksi tai koneiden ja ihmisten verkoksi.

Tällaisen taistelujärjestelmän - uudistetun taistelun - rakentamiselle ja ylläpidolle on kaksi päävaihtoehtoa:

1. Yksi valmistaja rakentaa sensorit, johtamisjärjestelmän ja ammunnanhallinnan kaikkien asekomponenttien käyttöön.

2. Johtamisjärjestelmä rakennetaan ymmärtämään kaikkien valmistajien kieltä ja kaikki alijärjestelmät integroidaan johtamisjärjestelmään.

Miten Suomi voi rakentaa strategisen edun suurten massojen ja kalliin puolustusteknologian keskellä?

Suomessa rakenteilla olevaa 5. sukupolven taistelujärjestelmän suorituskykyä ei voi ostaa puolustusteollisuuden hyllystä eikä sitä voi rakentaa kerralla kuntoon. Taistelujärjestelmä käyttää olemassa olevia komponentteja (aseita, sensoreita, tietoja, osaamista), ottaa käyttöön uusia sotilas-, viranomais- että siviilikomponentteja, sopeutuu olemassa oleviin ja uusiin alijärjestelmiin ja on taisteluteknisellä tasolla koulutettavissa asevelvollisille. Johtamisjärjestelmä kyetään uudelleen opettamaan operaation aikana vuorokausissa ja järjestelmäsuorituskykyjen osalta elinkaarensa aikana puolivuosittain. 5. sukupolven taistelujärjestelmälle on luonteenomaista dynaaminen, verkostomainen toimintatapa ja jaettu ontologia sekä tiedon käyttö järjestelmävaikutuksen moninkertaistajana.

Kuvattua taistelujärjestelmää ei voida jäädyttää edellisten taistelujärjestelmäsukupolvien tapaan. Pelkkä olevan suorituskyvyn ylläpitäminen edellyttää muutosten tekemistä ohjelmistojen ja elektroniikkamateriaalien osalta. Uudistettu taistelujärjestelmä on kiinteä osa tukiverkoston muita järjestelmiä, joiden muutoksia ja kehitystä ei voida Maavoimien tahdolla ohjata. Toimivan järjestelmän ylläpitämiseksi ja tavoiteltavien suorituskykyjen saavuttamiseksi on Maavoimissa muututtava teollisen maailman mukana. Toisaalta Maavoimien organisaatiossa taistelujärjestelmän suorituskykyjen kehittäminen ja ylläpitäminen limittyvät matriisissa toisiinsa kaikissa järjestelmäarkkitehtuurin osa-alueissa (DOTMLPFII). Näiden ulkoisten ja sisäisten muutosten koordinointi hallitusti mahdollistaa 5. sukupolven taistelujärjestelmän kehittämisen ja ylläpitämisen.

Koordinointi mahdollistetaan yhtenäistämällä kehityksen ja ylläpidon prosessit siten, että kehitysohjelma käyttää olemassa olevaa taistelu- sekä ylläpitojärjestelmää. Prosesseja ohjataan suorituskyvyn käyttäjän tarpeiden mukaan yhdessä muiden yhteisvaikutteisten suorituskykyjen kanssa. Prosessi sisältää kaikki taistelujärjestelmän osien kehittämisen ja ylläpidon. Prosessi pienentää kerralla tehtäviä muutoksia, tiivistää muutosten toteuttamisen tahtia, mutta parantaa yhteentoimivuutta ja poistaa vikoja. Toimintamalli, organisaatiot ja prosessit toimivat lähes identtisesti normaali- ja poikkeusoloissa. Kehittämistä, joka toteutetaan limittäisillä pienillä askelilla kehityksestä kentälle ottaen opiksi joka askelella, kutsutaan spiraalikehittämiseksi.

Kuva 2: Ohjelmoitavan elektroniikan tuotannon, ylläpidon ja kehittämisen dynaaminen malli

Kuvassa 2 on esitetty taistelujärjestelmän tuotannon, ylläpidon ja kehittämisen yhteenliittyminen niin, että samoilla prosesseilla kyetään optimoimaan tuotantokäytön käytettävyys, käytöstä tulevan palautteen mukainen kehitys sekä strategisten kehitystavoitteiden mukainen muutoksen hallinta.

Taistelujärjestelmästä rakennetaan kolme kehityksessä ja ylläpidossa tarvittavaa kokonaisuutta:

1.  Kentällä ja koulutuskäytössä oleva tuotantoversio.
2. Kenttätesteissä käytettävä prototyyppiversio, jota käytetään pilottijoukossa ja koordinoidaan kaikki DOTMLPFII -alueiden muutokset.
3. Järjestelmätesteissä ja ylläpidossa käytettävä referenssiversio, jota ylläpitävät Materiaalilaitos, kehitys- ja kunnossapito toimittajat sekä aselajikoulut.

Strateginen etu saavutetaan taistelujärjestelmän kehityksen ja ylläpidon toimintaprosessien hallinnalla, jossa ylläpitojärjestelmä luo perustan myös kehitykselle. Prosessien hallinta mahdollistaa ulkoisen maailman muutoksista ja sisäisestä kehityksestä aiheutuvien riskien ennakoimisen. Kehityksen notkeus ja ylläpidon tiheys luovat perustan ylivertaiselle taistelujärjestelmän kyvykkyydelle. Ohjelmoitavuuteen pohjautuva suorituskyky kykenee oppimaan lähes samassa tahdissa kuin ihminenkin, jolloin rauhanaikainen kokemusten soveltaminen voi jatkua myös poikkeusoloissa.

Miten spiraalikehityksen periaatetta on sovellettu tähän asti?

Uudistettavan maapuolustuksen ytimessä taisteluosaston taistelujärjestelmää kehitetään pienin askelin varmistaen koordinoidut muutokset tarvittavilla DOTMLPFII -alueilla, jotta suorituskyky on ylläpidettävissä, koulutettavissa ja muutettavissa myös tulevaisuudessa. Kuvassa 3 esitetään esimerkki siitä, miten maavoimien taistelujohtojärjestelmää on kehitetty osana taisteluosaston taistelujärjestelmää spiraalikehittämisen avulla edeten tutusta tuntemattomaan ja testien avulla oppien.

Kuva 3: Spiraalikehittämisen askelia maavoimissa vuosina 2009–2013 4. sukupolven (M05) 5. sukupolven taistelujärjestelmään (M18)

Muutoksen edellytys on henkilöstön osaamisen kehittäminen, organisaation toimintatapojen muutoksen jalkauttaminen sekä uuden suorituskyvyn käytettävyyden takaaminen ylläpito- ja tukirakenteella. Seuraavassa julkaisussa tarkastellaan syvemmin ohjelmoitavan elektroniikan ylläpito- ja tukijärjestelmän toimintaa.

OSA II: Ohjelmoitavan elektroniikkaan perustuvan taistelujärjestelmän suorituskykyjen jatkuva kehittäminen, elinkaarihallinta ja ylläpito

Tässä artikkelisarjan toisessa osassa kirjoittajat käsittelevät 5. sukupolven taistelujärjestelmän ohjelmoitavaan elektroniikkaan perustuvan suorituskyvyn kunnossapitotoiminnan muutosta.

Miksi ylläpidosta tarvitsee puhua erikseen ohjelmoitavien suorituskykyjen kohdalla?

Ohjelmoitavaan elektroniikkaan perustuvien suorituskykyjen tukiorganisaatioiden ja käyttäjien näkökulmasta kehitys ja ylläpito näkyvät samana ilmiönä. Ylläpidon prosessit ja toimenpiteet on määritetty vakiomuotoisiksi ja ne tukevat niin kehityksen kuin tuotannon tarpeita. Kehityksen ja ylläpidon välinen ero ohjelmoitavan elektroniikan kohdalla on haastavaa havaita, ja on puhtaudessaan byrokraattisen hallinnon tuotetta. Konkreettisimmillaan kahtiajako näkyy, kun kehityksestä ovat vastanneet hankkeet ja ylläpidosta huollon toimijat tukenaan strategiset kumppanit. Heikoimmillaan näiden kahden toimijan intressit eivät ole kohdanneet ja kentälle tulevat tuotteet ovat olleet kauhu sekä ylläpidolle että käytölle. Ylläpidon ja kehityksen tulee henkilö-, prosessi- ja organisaatiotasolla limittyä, jotta suorituskyvyn kunkin hetkinen käytettävyys, toiminnan edellyttämä parantaminen ja strategian haluama kehitys voidaan optimoida.

Vanhat organisaatiokäytännöt ohjaavat kehityshankkeet toimimaan vesiputousmallin tapaisesti. Tämä on ollut aiempien kehityshankkeiden riskinhallinnan kannalta usein helpoin tapa saavuttaa osaoptimoidut vaatimukset. Haasteena on eriytyminen olevasta tuotantojärjestelmästä ja DOTMLPFII -kokonaisuudesta, joka on edellytys 5. taistelujärjestelmäsukupolven kehitykselle ja tuotannolle. Hankkeiden tuotteita on otettu tuotantokäyttöön ja ylläpitoon kentällä ilman hankkeiden tai projektien varsinaista panosta ylläpidon suunnitteluun, vaikka vastuu asian suunnittelemiseksi ja toteuttamiseksi on määritetty.

Kehitys ja ylläpito ovat kohdanneet kentällä, jolloin hankkeen rakentama ylläpito ja poikkeusoloihin tarkoitettu ylläpito eivät ole sopineet yhteen. Toimintamallina ylläpidon tuottamisessa on perinteisesti pidetty varaosien ja huoltotarpeiston hankkimista suorituskykyjen koko elinkaaren ajalle. Periaate on ollut 3. taistelujärjestelmäsukupolven kohdalla toimiva, mutta esimerkiksi 4. sukupolven immateriaalisia omaisuuseriä ei voida hankkia varastoon ja ne menettävät suorituskykyään ajan kuluessa. Uudistettu taistelu ja sen mukana tuleva 5. sukupolven taistelujärjestelmä pakottaa korjaamaan tilanteen. Kehityksen ja ylläpidon tulee toimia yhdessä ja ne ovat jatkuvia prosesseja. Projektijohtoinen suorituskykyjen rakentaminen voidaan kyseenalaistaa ja rakentaa linjaorganisaatioon kyky kehittää suorituskykyä jatkuvalla tahdilla säilyttäen etu mahdollisiin vastustajiin nähden.

Sovellukset ja muut ohjelmat ovat ohjelmoitavan elektroniikan tuoretuotteita. Ohjelmistomuutoksilla toteutetaan teknisten järjestelmien syvimmät suorituskykymuutokset. Ohjelmistomuutokset aiheuttavat kerrannaisvaikutuksia sekä alempiin että ylempiin järjestelmäkerroksiin. Osaamisen muutosten kerrannaisvaikutuksena voi olla että ylläpidon kustannukset nousevat liian korkeiksi. Ilmiötä voidaan havainnollistaa taulukon 1 vertailulla.

Rakenne- ja ylläpitovertailua	Rynnäkkökivääri, 762 RK	Taistelujohtojärjestelmä, TSTJJ
Käyttäjä	Asevelvollinen, joka ei pääsääntöisesti ole harrastanut ammuntaa	Asevelvollinen, joka pääsääntöisesti on käyttänyt sovelluksia
Käyttötapa	Taistelutekniikka	Taktiikka
Suorituskyvyn perusta	Teollisesti valmistettu ase 20-30 vuotta	Koodattu ohjelmisto 15-30 vuotta
Kuluvat osat	Piippu ja patruunat ammuttaessa	Päätelaitteet ja oheisohjelmat 2-5 vuodessa
Ylläpito	Standardit varaosat, jotka säilyvät varastossa	Ohjelmistopäivitykset, joita julkaistaan päivittäin, kuukausittain ja neljännesvuosittain

Taulukko 1: Esimerkkivertailu 2. ja 5.sukupolven järjestelmien kesken

Ohjelmoitavien suorituskykyjen kustannukset muodostuvat kolmesta tekijästä. Ensimmäinen on ohjelmoitavan elektroniikan materiaaliset ja immateriaaliset tarpeet. Toisena on ylläpitojärjestelmä eli ylläpito-organisaatio, järjestelmät ja verkostotuki. Kolmas kustannuskomponentti on eri alijärjestelmien suorituskykyjen yhteensovittamisesta syntyvät kustannuserät. Nykyisin on olemassa myös neljäs kustannustekijä, joka johtuu organisaation siilomaisesta toiminnasta. Suorituskykyjä hankitaan aselajikohtaisesti ilman teknistä yhteensovittamista, muiden DOTMLPFII -osatekijöiden muutostarvetta huomioon ottamatta tai ylläpitojärjestelmään sovittamatta. Tulevaisuudessa kustannusten tulisi muodostua lähinnä vain kahdesta ensimmäisestä tekijästä.

Ohjelmoitava elektroniikka ja sen tuleminen merkittävään rooliin perinteisen linjaorganisaation aselajikohtaisten rajojen rikkojana uudistetun taistelun myötä pakottaa Puolustusvoimat yhdistämään kehityksen ja ylläpidon prosessit. 5. sukupolven johtamisjärjestelmien rakentaminen lähtee organisaation sisällä liikkeelle matriisissa, joka sitoo mukaan käyttäjät, tuotannon ohjaajat, materiaalin ja aineettoman materiaalin kunnossapitäjät sekä kehittäjät kuvan 4 esittämänä toimintaketjuna.

KUVA 4 PUUTTUU

Kuva 4: Ohjelmoitavan elektroniikan kehittämis- ja kunnossapitoverkoston

toimintamalli

Materiaalisten sekä immateriaalisten järjestelmäkomponenttien ylläpito- ja kehitysketjun hallinta

Teollinen massatuotanto- ja kulutuselektroniikkamateriaali

Materiaalinen ohjelmoitavien suorituskykyjen ylläpito toteutetaan kolmella periaatteella. Ensimmäinen periaate on rakentaa hyllytuotteille (sekä siviili-, viranomais- että sotilastuotteet) massahankintarakenne. Periaatteen tarkoituksena on ylläpitää jatkuvaa hankintavalmiutta yllä puitesopimuksin ja tarkennetuin vuosisopimuksin. Toimintamalli poistaa värikkäät tuotevalikoimat ja selkeyttää materiaalihankintoja sekä järjestelmien ylläpitoa. Toimintamalli rajoittaa myös tuoteyksilöiden elinkaaren suunnittelematonta jatkamista, jolloin piilevät ylläpitokustannukset eivät kasva kohtuuttomasti ostokustannusten varjolla.

Toinen periaate on irrottaa ohjelmoitavien suorituskykyjen rakentaminen ja ylläpito laitetason tuotteista, joiden saatavuus, yhteensopivuus ja kirjo vaihtelevat merkittävästi kulutus- ja sotilaselektroniikan välillä. Hankintasopimuksia ei sidota tuotteisiin vaan laitetason suorituskykyihin. Valittu toimittaja hakee markkinoiden tuotekirjosta sopivan ratkaisun, testaa sen referenssiympäristössä ja tarvittaessa pilottiympäristössä ja toteuttaa ostotilausvalmiuden kattamaan vuosittaisen 4% laitehävikin, 20% uusimistarpeen sekä lisävarustustarpeet.

Kolmas periaate on ylläpidon porrastaminen materiaalihallinnassa kuvassa 5 esitetyllä tavalla. Materiaalin varastointiperiaatetta on muutettava siten, että kertahankittavan sotilasmateriaalin varastoinnin lisäksi MILLOG Oy kykenee hallitsemaan läpivirtausvarastointia kustannukset ja kriisiajan täydennystarvevaatimukset tasapainottaen. MILLOG pitää vaihtolaitevarastoinnin joukko-osastoissa käytettävyyden edellyttämällä tasolla. Hajautettuja varastoja täydennetään keskitetymmillä varastoilla, joista kyetään reagoimaan harjoituksiin tai valmiuden kohottamisen vaatimuksiin nopeasti. Näiden lisäksi materiaalia virtaa jatkuvasti täydennysketjun läpi lisäarvoa keräten. Lisäarvottomat logistiikkaketjut karsitaan pois ja merkittävä osa materiaalin saatavuudesta hallitaan maahantuojien sekä laitetoimittajien globaaleissa varastoissa. MILLOG:n ja sen päätoimittajien on kyettävä hallitsemaan omien varastojensa lisäksi myös toimitusketjussa oleva materiaali yhteensopivuusyksityiskohtien tarkkuudella. Laiteriippumattomuuden saavuttaminen edellyttää sekä arkkitehtuurilta että järjestelmärakenteilta uudenlaista kerroksellisuutta sekä käyttöjärjestelmän että käyttöliittymän suuntaan. Virtuaalinen alustarakenne ja HTML 5 mahdollistavat tavoitellun laiteriippuvuuden, mutta lisäävät monimutkaisuutta ohjelmistotasolla.

Kuva 5 ohjelmoitavan elektroniikan materiaalisten ja immateriaalisten osien

ylläpidon järjestäminen

Aineettoman materiaalin eli ohjelmistojen ja tiedon elinkaarihallinta

Aineettoman materiaalisen elinkaarihallinnan tavoitteena on käytettävyys maksimoiden säilyttää tasapaino tietoturvallisuus-, käyttötarve-, tuote- ja kehitysmuutosten ristitulessa. Tämä edellyttää horisontaalisten prosessien tehokasta toimintaa niin, että palvelutuotannon prosessit (Information Technology Service Management, ITSM) limittyvät riidattomasti logistiikan toimitusketjuhallinnan (Supply Chain Management) sekä sotilasjohtamisen linja-esikuntaprosessien (Command and Control, C²) kanssa. Kokonaisuutta voidaan kutsua palveluhallinnaksi. Palveluhallinnalla on kahden tason ”taistelujohtokeskuksia”. Joukoissa toimivat operatiiviset järjestelmäryhmät (OJR) sekä keskitetysti maavoimien kokonaisuutta ohjaava Operatiivinen järjestelmäkeskus (OJK). Keskukset ohjaavat ja valvovat matriisiprosessien toimintaa. Ensimmäinen tehtävä on muutoksen hallinta. Toinen tehtävä on tuotannossa olevien palveluiden valvonta ja käyttäjien tukeminen. Näissä tehtävissä tarvitaan sekä menneen, nykyisen että tulevaisuuden hallintaa kompleksissa järjestelmäverkostossa, jonka yksi osa voi olla kymmeniä vuosia vanha ja toinen muutaman tunnin takainen päivitys.

Kolmantena tehtävänä on pitää toimijaverkosto tietoisena tarpeista ja antaa lisäarvoa ketjussa tuottaville palveluille. Tuloksellisen toiminnan edellytyksenä on tuntea ja ylläpitää yhteys asiakkaaseen, toimittajiin sekä kehityksen ja ylläpidon toimijoihin näiden välissä. Yhdistämällä aika- ja toimintakenttäulottuvuus saadaan yksinkertaistetussakin tapauksessa 9-ulotteinen kuvaus taistelujärjestelmästä ja sen toimintaympäristössä vaikuttavista asioista. Järjestelmän ulottuvuuksia auttaa hallitsemaan arkkitehtuuri ja muutosdokumentaatio. Neljäntenä tehtävänä on osallistua arkkitehtuurityöhön ja ohjata arkkitehtuurilla verkoston muita toimijoita ylläpitämään ja kehittämään yhteensopivia suorituskyvyn osia taistelujärjestelmän kokonaisuuteen.

Aineettoman materiaalin ylläpito edellyttää kolmea välinettä: 1) taistelujärjestelmän referenssi- ja testiympäristöä, 2) muutoksen hallintaa sekä 3) sovellusten jakelujärjestelmää verkkovarastoitujen järjestelmäosien päivittämiseksi. Referenssi- ja testiympäristöt ovat samoja sekä ylläpidon että kehityksen tarpeille. Jokainen immateriaalimuutos testataan referenssiympäristössä teknisesti ja toiminnallisesti yleisimmillä käyttötapauksilla. Tarvittaessa testaus ulotetaan pilottiympäristöön, jossa kirjavampi käyttäjäjoukko kenttäolosuhteissa saattaa aiheuttaa ennakoimattomia tilanteita. Muutoksenhallinnassa varmistetaan muutososan yhteen toimivuus koko DOTMPLFII rakenteen läpi ja lopulta ajoitetaan käyttöönotto muutosriskit ja käyttökatkot minimoiden. Sovellusten jakelujärjestelmällä muuttuneet ohjelmat ja konfiguraatiotiedostot jaetaan nopeasti ja automatisoidusti kaikkiin verkkovarastoituihin konfiguraatioyksiköihin, jolloin varmistuu koko järjestelmäpopulaation toimivuus ja yhteensopivuus. Yksiköitä on jatkuvasti käytössä, joten päivitykselle määritetään muutosikkuna, jonka aikana laitteet automaattisesti päivittyvät käyttäjälle otollisena ajanhetkenä.

Maataistelujärjestelmän taktinen etu rakentuu järjestelmävaikutuksen ja oppivuuden varaan.

Taistelujärjestelmän toimintarakenteiden muuttaminen tiedolla ja ohjelmistoilla sellaiseksi, että eri sukupolvien ase- ja sensorijärjestelmät toimivat yhdessä siviili- ja viranomaiselektroniikalla täydennettyjen osien kanssa, mahdollistaa järjestelmän kokonaisvaikutuksen kohdistamisen maaleihin. Ohjelmoinnin nopeus ja sovellusten jakelujärjestelmä mahdollistavat koneiden oppimisen samaan tahtiin kuin ihmistenkin, jolloin taistelujärjestelmä voi muuttaa taistelutekniikkaansa tai taktiikkaansa operaation aikana. Tätä etua ei voi ostaa kaupan hyllystä, vaan se on rakennettava organisaation osaamiseksi ja mahdollistettava prosesseilla sekä arkkitehtuurilla.

Maataistelujärjestelmän strateginen etu rakentuu ohjelmoitavan elektroniikan ja sen ylläpitojärjestelmän varaan.

Taistelujärjestelmän normaaliaikainen ylläpito edellyttää päivittäistä, kuukausittaista ja puolivuosittaista muutosta sekä käyttäjäpalautteen, tekniikan että strategian edellyttämään suuntaan. Taistelujärjestelmän suorituskyvyn tärkein osa - ohjelma on uudelleen ohjelmoitavissa ja päivitettävissä suorituskyvyn elinjakson aikana useaan kertaan. Suorituskyky ei ole enää ostohetkeen jäädytetty tai suurten elinaikamuutosten (Mid Life Update) rajaama, vaan toteuttaa notkeasti niin jatkuvan kehittämisen periaatteita (Lean) kuin strategisen kehittämisen tarpeita. Tällä toteutuksella kirjavasta puolustus- ja siviilimateriaalista saadaan enemmän suorituskykyä koko elinjaksonsa ajan, eikä vaaranneta suorituskyvyn ylläpitoa hallitsemattomilla ylläpitokustannuksilla.