Next Gen Army Mission Command Computers Features Edge-Assured™ Protection

Protecting the Network that supports those who protect us is critical. Cybersecurity is one the U.S. Army and the Department of Defense’s (DOD) top priorities. DRS Land Electronics is committed to making these technologies resilient, to keep the machines prepared and safeguarded ensuring Soldier safety, which in turn, ensures civilian safety.

As the U.S. Army presses forward with modernization efforts, a combination of new and legacy platforms will remain in the fleet – all of them with mission critical network requirements. The Mounted Family of Computer Systems (MFoCS II) is the foundation of the Army’s Mounted Computing Environment (MCE), an interoperable common suite of mission critical hardware capable of meeting tactical computing needs including situational awareness, sensor integration, networking, logistics applications, and vehicle system management. This family of computers and displays represents the most advanced generation of COTS-based mission computing solutions ever engineered for tactical platform use. MFoCS II is the enabling hardware for Joint Battle Command-Platform (JBC-P) and JBC-P Log, from PM Mission Command. MFOCS II family of systems embodies the knowledge and experience gained through nearly 20 years of Mission Command and Battle Management Combat Experience with the U.S. Army Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2), Blue Force Tracking (BFT), and Movement Tracking System (MTS). MFoCS II improves Situational Awareness (SA), Command and Control (C2), maneuverability and logistics on a range of platforms and weapons systems across the joint services using next-generation computing and display hardware. And the capabilities don’t end there.

The purpose of the MFoCS II family is to provide an ultra-reliable On-The-Move computing capability with the latest COTS technologies for truly mission-critical applications. Mission critical reliability means delivering a system that can be counted upon to work in any extreme environment – heat, cold, vibration, AND contested Cyber. Just as it is critical for the Network to remain resilient AND for our Position, Navigation and Timing to be Assured (A-PNT), it is similarly imperative that the Network End-Point located in each platform be ultra-reliable and secure from the effects of a hostile environment, including Cyber. MFoCS II computers have the facility to host these capabilities while operating in hostile environments and while also protecting the hardware from a cyber-attack. MFoCS II’s Processor Unit (PU) and Tablet can host multiple mission command applications and cyber protection. The applications include Joint Capabilities Release (JCR), Joint Battle Command-Platform (JBC-P), JBC-P Logistics, Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below/Blue Force Tracking programs (FBCB2/BFT) and Forward Observer System (FOS). It also has the capacity and compute power to easily host Mission Command’s future Mounted Computing Environment (MCEv3) applications. MFoCS II was initially designed with JCR, JBC-P and FOS in mind. JCR equipped Soldiers with a satellite network, better maps, secure data encryption, and joint force support. JBC-P, the Army’s next-generation friendly force tracking system, equips Soldiers with a faster satellite network, secure data encryption and advanced logistics in order to increase situational awareness. These applications provide commanders the capability to track friendly and hostile forces on the battlefield, plan and execute missions, communicate beyond line-of-site, manage vehicle subsystems, monitor platform sensors, and maintain information dominance over the enemy. As future Army technologies mature, sensor analytics, artificial intelligence, and vehicle autonomy will certainly be added capabilities. If these mission-critical capabilities are left vulnerable and exploited, it could be extremely detrimental to the mission and to the Soldiers completing it. Edge-Assured^TM CyberSecurity is able to provide that protection, keeping the mission the focus.

The development of Edge-Assured^TM CyberSecurity on MFoCS II provides the foundation for this protection, by fortifying and securing down to the hardware level with no Soldier effort required. Edge-Assured^TM CyberSecurity, designed specifically for the tactical environment and runs in the background to ensure ease of use and minimal burden for the Soldier. The commercially available cybersecurity solutions and technologies are intended for use on enterprise networks that have reliable internet connectivity. Tactical computing fleets have limited network connectivity with limited access to patches and updates. The Edge-Assured^TM CyberSecurity within MFoCS II closes this gap by providing multiple layers of cybersecurity protection and resiliency for the harsh tactical environment. Although all computers are susceptible to cyber-attacks, Edge-Assured is the way to mitigate the tactical-level cyber attacks by making the MFoCS computers resistant to these attacks in the first place and at the same time adding layered components of resiliency. Resiliency at the tactical level means that computers are resistant to cyber-attacks, integrity changes are immediately detected, countermeasures are deployed, and auto-recovery technologies ensure MFoCS II remains mission ready.

Cybersecurity resiliency for MFoCS II remains a top priority, ensuring mission readiness and Soldier safety. Edge-Assured^TM CyberSecurity is a top priority for all Leonardo DRS products, leading innovation and forging next generation embedded cybersecurity to enable reliable mission command today and tomorrow.