Enhancing Collective C2 in the International Environment: Leveraging the Unclassified Information Sharing Enterprise Service

Presented at the International Command and Control Research and Technology Symposium (ICCRTS 2011) (16th) held in Quebec City, Canada on 21-23 June 2011. Published in the Proceedings of the International Command and Control Research and Technology Symposium (ICCRTS 2011) (16th), 2011.

The Indian Ocean Basin Tsunami in December 2004 underscored the requirement for a collaborative environment amongst military and civilian actors from across the international environment. United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) had been hosting the Asia Pacific Area Network (APAN) to support the Multinational Planning Augmentation Team (MPAT). At first it was less a network than a nominal Website and it evolved into a portal where, upon conclusion of Operation Unified Assistance, it had become evident that the Department needed to invest in Web-based portal technologies to foster collaboration through social networking and to improve information sharing. The Transnational Information Sharing Cooperation (TISC) Joint Concept and Technology Demonstration (JCTD) accomplished that by September 2009 where it concluded with a resultant portal called the All Partner Access Network ? a new APAN. The new APAN was given a trial by fire as it underwent user acceptance in conjunction with Operation Unified Response ? the USSOUTHCOM HA/DR operation responding to the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti. This paper examines how APAN, the basis for the Department?s Unclassified Information Sharing (UIS) Enterprise Service, is emerging as the bridge between the US military and non-traditional mission partners as well as the bridge between the present and the future Unclassified Information Sharing (UIS) capability.