Global Command and Control System - Maritime (GCCS-M)
AN/USQ-119E(V
The Global Command and Control System - Maritime (GCCS-M) AN/USQ-119E(V)
previously JMCIS, is the Navy's primary fielded Command and Control System. The nomenclature AN/USQ-119(V) and AN/USQ-119A through D refer to older versions of the Navy Tactical Command System Afloat (NTCS-A) and JMCIS.
The objective of the GCCS-M program is to
satisfy Fleet C4I requirements through the rapid and efficient development and fielding of C4I
capability. GCCS-M enhances the operational commander’s warfighting capability and aids
in the decision-making process by receiving, retrieving, and displaying information relative to
the current tactical situation. GCCS-M receives, processes, displays, and manages data on
the readiness of neutral, friendly, and hostile forces in order to execute the full range of Navy
missions (e.g., strategic deterrence, sea control, power projection, etc.) in near-real-time via
external communication channels, local area networks (LANs) and direct interfaces with
other systems.
The GCCS-M system is comprised of four main variants, Ashore, Afloat,
Tactical/Mobile and Multi-Level Security (MLS) that together provide command and control
information to warfighters in all naval environments.
GCCS-M provides centrally-managed C4I services to the Fleet allowing both
United States and allied maritime forces the ability to operate in network-centric warfare operations.
GCCS-M is organized to support three different force environments: Afloat, Ashore and Tactical/Mobile. Afloat configurations can be categorized as force-level and unit-level
configurations. Ashore configurations of GCCS-M are located in fixed site Fleet and Tactical command
centers as well as mobile rapid deploy command centers such as MICFACs, mobile command facilities
designed to provide the CJTF commander with similar C4I capabilities when forward-deployed ashore. In
order to allow for maximum interoperability among GCCS systems at all sites and activities (Afloat,
Ashore and Tactical/Mobile), GCCS-M utilizes common communications media to the maximum extent
possible. The Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNET), Non-Secure Internet Protocol Router
Network (NIPRNET) and the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communication System (JWICS) provide the
necessary Wide Area Network (WAN) connectivity. JMCOMS will provide the WAN connectivity for the
Afloat and Tactical/Mobile GCCS-M systems. Operating "system–high" at the Secret and SCI security
levels, both networks use the same protocols as the Internet. In addition to the SIPRNET operating at
Secret/SCI security levels, GCCS-T supports collaborative planning at the National Command Authority
level by providing Top Secret connectivity to a limited number of sites. OPLANS developed at NCA level
can then be downgraded to secret for dissemination using SIPRNET.
GCCS-M has been implemented traditionally on high-performance UNIX
workstations because, until recently, only these platforms were powerful enough to run GCCS-M
software. However, with the exponential increase in processing capability of the Intel PC processor family
and the maturity of the Windows NT and JAVA / Web multi-user operating systems, migrating GCCS-M to
the PC environment is a very practical and logical decision. Once designed for the PC environment,
GCCS-M becomes largely hardware independent, meaning that it uses almost all existing hardware
platforms: UNIX, Wintel, Macintosh, etc. GCCS-M intends to incrementally migrate GCCS-M segments to
both the Windows NT and JAVA / Web environments.
GCCS has already replaced the Honeywell computers and associated
peripheral equipment used by the Worldwide Military Command and Control System (WWMCCS) in
those major command centers that had WWMCCS installations. The full implementation of GCCS and
GCCS-M will include more sites than the former WWMCCS sites, and in general these installations will
include installation of new hardware to existing C4I systems or upgrading the hardware of existing
systems to meet IT-21 and DII COE requirements. The key to understanding GCCS and GCCS-M is that
they are principally sets of integrated software applications which will operate on DII COE hardware.
During the transition from UNIX servers to Windows NT servers these software applications replace older
versions and continue to run using most of the same hardware and network infrastructure already in
place, allowing for phased introduction of new hardware.
Sources and Resources
http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/weaps/gccs-m.htm
Maintained by Robert Sherman
Originally created by John Pike
Updated Sunday, January 03, 1999 7:15:03 PM