Interoperability Exercise

Many information technology and communications systems received
joint interoperability certification at the recent Department of
Defense Interoperability Certification Exercise (DICE).

By Noreen Costello

The screen crackled to life, the room filled with the sound of rushing air, and an image of Denya Tapia—the wind whipping her hair across her face—appeared. As the government lead for the Army North Mobile Command Program, Tapia simultaneously demonstrated the capabilities of and shared information about the equipment she and her team were testing at Fort Sam Houston, Texas—tactical video-teleconference equipment hooked up to a mobile command platform called a “Sentinel”—with an audience of senior officials at the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) in Fort Huachuca, Ariz.

The Sentinel is one of many information technology and communications systems that received joint interoperability certification at the recent Department of Defense Interoperability Certification Exercise (DICE).

DICE supports the warfighter and ongoing real-world operations—including disaster preparedness and emergency response—by conducting realistic test and evaluation on systems that are currently in use, as well as those scheduled for field deployment. The primary focus of this exercise is certifying systems for joint interoperability.

Joint interoperability certification is an official DoD certification denoting that an information technology or national security system (NSS) is able to “provide and accept data, information, materiel and services.”

Interoperability “includes both the technical exchange of information and the end-to-end operational effectiveness of that exchange, as required for mission accomplishment.” In other words, joint interoperability certification denotes that a system is able to communicate not only within a specific branch of the military, but with other services, agencies and coalition partners.

The purpose of joint certification—required for all IT and NSS systems by DoD Directives 4630 and 5000—is to provide our warfighters with information superiority. Joint interoperability allows warfighters to maintain situational awareness, collaborate among services and with coalition partners, and ultimately, achieve their missions in the most effective manner.

Testing Process

In order to obtain joint interoperability certification—which can only be granted by JITC, a field command of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)—systems undergo a thorough testing process. While individual services, agencies or vendors may perform their own interoperability testing, many prefer to participate in DICE. The two main benefits of participating in DICE are to provide the warfighter with the ability to acquire, certify and deploy systems rapidly and to reduce testing costs.

Through DICE, JITC provides a live, geographically distributed joint environment. Multiple users, representing all of the armed services, send and receive data from locations across the United States and, in some instances, around the world. With a primary focus on testing and certification, systems are evaluated on their ability to function and communicate effectively. The network usage and test-bed costs for DICE are shared among participants, thus significantly reducing the expense to individual services, COCOMs and agencies.

Many systems, like the aforementioned Sentinel, receive certifications during or shortly after participating in DICE. The progress of any systems joint interoperability status can be reviewed by using the System Tracking Program (STP) located at https://stp.fhu.disa.mil.

STP is available from .mil and .gov domains only. Registration for a username and password is required.

Systems that are not yet in the field and that are not completely interoperable receive a non-certification letter, which outlines the interoperability problems identified during testing. Engineers can use this information to address test findings before continuing with the certification process. A fielded system—one that is already in use by warfighters—that demonstrates some interoperability issues receives an assessment letter detailing the test findings.

Warfighters, program managers and acquisition authorities can access these letters using the Joint Interoperability Tool (http://jit.fhu.disa.mil) - a repository of interoperability documents and references, including JITC lessons learned reports, JITC test reports, the NATO Interface Guide, and joint interoperability certification letters. Understanding the interoperability challenges of fielded equipment provides greater situational awareness.

The next DICE will take place June 2 through June 20, and the first DICE of fiscal year 2009 will take place in October and November 2008. To learn more or to get involved, visit http://jitc.fhu.disa.mil/dice or contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Interoperability testing and certification of the IT systems and equipment is a critical component of ensuring warfighter success. JITC’s experienced testing personnel can help you to obtain joint interoperability certification and to ensure the men and women of our armed services have the best possible situational awareness and mission achievement tools. The interoperability certification status of a system should be verified prior to acquiring and fielding, and the end user should be informed of any inherent risks when using a non-certified technology in the field. Our warfighters’ safety is paramount: the battleground should not be the testing ground. ♦