SEC. 804. IMPLEMENTATION OF MODULAR
OPEN SYSTEMS APPROACHES.
(a) Requirements for Interface Delivery.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in
coordination with the Joint All-Domain Command and Control
cross-functional team and the Director for Command, Control,
Communications, and Computers/Cyber, shall issue regulations
and guidance applicable to the military departments, Defense
Agencies, Department of Defense Field Activities (as such
terms are defined, respectively, in section 101 of title 10,
United States Code), and combatant commands, as appropriate,
to--
(A) facilitate the Department of
Defense's access to and utilization of modular system
interfaces;
(B) fully realize the intent of
chapter 144B of title 10, United States Code, by
facilitating the implementation of modular open system
approaches across major defense acquisition programs (as
defined in section 2430 of title 10, United States Code) and
other relevant acquisition programs, including in the
acquisition and sustainment of weapon systems, platforms,
and components for which no common interface standard has
been established, to enable communication between such
weapon systems, platforms, and components; and
(C) advance the efforts of the
Department to generate diverse and recomposable kill chains.
(2) Elements.--The regulations and
guidance required under paragraph (1) shall include
requirements that--
(A) the program officer for each
weapon system characterizes, in the acquisition strategy
required under section 2431a of title 10, United States Code
or in other documentation, the desired modularity of the
weapon system for which the program officer is responsible,
including--
(i) identification of--
(I) the modular systems that
comprise the weapon system;
(II) the information that should
be communicated between individual modular systems (such
as tracking and targeting data or command and control
instructions); and
(III) the desired function of
the communication between modular systems (such as fire
control functions); and
(ii) a default configuration
specifying which modular systems should communicate with
other modular systems, including modular systems of other
weapon systems;
(B) each relevant Department of
Defense contract entered into after the date on which the
regulations and guidance required under paragraph (1) are
implemented includes requirements for the delivery of
modular system interfaces for modular systems deemed
relevant in the acquisition strategy or documentation
referred to in subparagraph (A), including--
(i) software-defined interface
syntax and properties, specifically governing how values
are validly passed and received between major subsystems
and components, in machine-readable format;
(ii) a machine-readable definition
of the relationship between the delivered interface and
existing common standards or interfaces available in the
interface repositories established pursuant to subsection
(c); and
(iii) documentation with
functional descriptions of software-defined interfaces,
conveying semantic meaning of interface elements, such as
the function of a given interface field;
(C) the relevant program offices,
including those responsible for maintaining and upgrading
legacy systems--
(i) that have not characterized
the desired modularity of the systems nevertheless meet
the requirements of paragraph (2)(A), if the program
officers make an effort, to the extent practicable, to
update the acquisition strategies required under section
2431a of title 10, United States Code, or to develop or
update other relevant documentation; and
(ii) that have awarded contracts
that do not include the requirements specified in
subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) nevertheless acquire, to
the extent practicable, the items specified in clauses (i)
through
(iii) of such subparagraph, either
through contractual updates, separate negotiations or
contracts, or program management mechanisms; and
(D) the relevant program officers
deliver modular system interfaces and the associated
documentation to at least one of the repositories
established pursuant to subsection (c).
(3) Applicability of regulations and
guidance.--
(A) Applicability.--The regulations
and guidance required under paragraph (1) shall apply to any
program office responsible for the prototyping, acquisition,
or sustainment of a new or existing weapon system.
(B) Extension of scope.--Not earlier
than 1 year before, and not later than 2 years after the
regulations and guidance required under paragraph (1) are
issued for weapon systems, the Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition and Sustainment may extend such regulations
and guidance to apply to software-based non-weapon systems,
including business systems and cybersecurity systems.
(4) Inclusion of components.--For the
purposes of paragraph (2)(A), each component that meets the
following requirements shall be treated as a modular system:
(A) A component that is able to
execute without requiring coincident execution of other
weapon systems or components and can communicate across
component boundaries and through interfaces.
(B) A component that can be
separated from and recombined with other weapon systems or
components to achieve various effects, missions, or
capabilities.
(C) A component that is covered by a
unique contract line item.
(5) Machine-readable
definition.--Where appropriate and available, the requirement
in paragraph (2)(B)(ii) for a machine-readable definition may
be satisfied by using a covered technology.
(b) Extension of Modular Open Systems
Approach and Rights in Interface Software.--
(1) Requirement for modular open
system approach.--Section 2446a of title 10, United States
Code, is amended--
(A) in subsection (a), by adding at
the end the following: ``Other defense acquisition programs
shall also be designed and developed, to the maximum extent
practicable, with a modular open system approach to enable
incremental development and enhance competition, innovation,
and interoperability.'';
(B) in subsection (b)--
(i) in paragraph (1)--
(I) in subparagraph (A), by
striking ``major system interfaces'' and all that
follows and inserting ``modular system interfaces
between major systems, major system components and
modular systems;'';
(II) in subparagraph (B), by
striking ``major system interfaces'' and all that
follows and inserting the following: ``that relevant
modular system interfaces--
``(i) comply with, if available
and suitable, widely supported and consensus-based
standards; or
``(ii) are delivered pursuant to
the requirements established in subsection (a)(2)(B) of
section 804 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021,
including the delivery of--
``(I) software-defined
interface syntax and
properties, specifically
governing how values are
validly passed and received
between major subsystems and
components, in machine-readable format;
``(II) a machine-readable
definition of the relationship between the delivered
interface and existing common standards or interfaces
available in Department interface repositories; and
``(III) documentation with
functional descriptions of software-defined
interfaces, conveying semantic meaning of interface
elements, such as the function of a given interface
field;''; and
(III) in subparagraph (C), by
inserting ``and modular systems'' after ``severable
major system components'';
(ii) in paragraph (3)(A), by
striking ``well-defined major system interfaces'' and
inserting ``modular system interfaces'';
(iii) by amending paragraph (4) to
read as follows:
``(4) The term `modular system
interface' means a shared boundary between major systems,
major system components, or modular systems, defined by
various physical, logical, and functional characteristics,
such as electrical, mechanical, fluidic, optical, radio
frequency, data, networking, or software elements.'';
(iv) by redesignating paragraphs
(5) through (8) as paragraphs (6) through (9),
respectively; and
(v) by inserting after paragraph
(4) the following new paragraph:
``(5) The term `modular system'
refers to a weapon system or weapon system component that--
``(A) is able to execute without
requiring coincident execution of other specific weapon
systems or components;
``(B) can communicate across
component boundaries and through interfaces; and
``(C) functions as a module that can
be separated, recombined, and connected with other weapon
systems or weapon system components in order to achieve
various effects, missions, or capabilities.''.
(2) Rights in technical data.--
(A) In general.--Section 2320 of
title 10, United States Code, is amended--
(i) in subsection (a)(2), by
amending subparagraph (G) to read as follows:
``(G) Modular system interfaces
developed exclusively at private expense or with mixed
funding.--Notwithstanding subparagraphs (B) and (E), the
United States shall have government purpose rights in
technical data pertaining to a modular system interface
developed exclusively at private expense or in part
with Federal funds and in part at private expense and used in
a modular open system approach pursuant to section 2446a of
this title, except in any case in which the Secretary of
Defense determines that negotiation of different rights in
such technical data would be in the best interest of the
United States. Such modular system interface shall be
identified in the contract solicitation and the contract. For
technical data pertaining to a modular system interface
developed exclusively at private expense for which the United
States asserts government purpose rights, the Secretary of
Defense shall negotiate with the
contractor the appropriate and reasonable compensation for
such technical data.''; and
(ii) in subsection (h), by
striking ``, `major system interface''' and inserting ``,
`modular system interface'''.
(B) Regulations.--Not later than 180
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Defense shall update the regulations required
by section 2320(a)(1) of title 10, United States Code, to
reflect the amendments made by this paragraph.
(c) Interface Repositories.--
(1) Establishment.--Not later than 90
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under
Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment shall--
(A) direct the Secretaries concerned
and the heads of other appropriate Department of Defense
components to establish and maintain repositories for
interfaces, syntax and properties, documentation, and
communication implementations delivered pursuant to the
requirements established under subsection (a)(2)(B);
(B) establish and maintain a
comprehensive index of interfaces, syntax and properties,
documentation, and communication implementations delivered
pursuant to the requirements established under subsection
(a)(2)(B) and maintained in the repositories required under
subparagraph (A); and
(C) if practicable, establish and
maintain an alternate reference repository of interfaces,
syntax and properties, documentation, and communication
implementations delivered pursuant to the requirements
established under subsection (a)(2)(B).
(2) Distribution of interfaces.--
(A) In general.--Consistent with the
requirements of section 2320 of title 10, United States
Code, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and
Sustainment shall, in coordination with the Director of the
Defense Standardization Program Office, use the index and
repositories established pursuant to paragraph (1) to
provide access to interfaces and relevant documentation to
authorized Federal Government and non-Governmental entities.
(B) Non-government recipient use
limits.--A non-Governmental entity that receives access
under subparagraph (A) may not further release, disclose, or
use such data except as authorized.
(d) System of Systems Integration
Technology and Experimentation.--
(1) Demonstration and assessment.--
(A) In general.--Not later than one
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Director for Command, Control, Communications, and
Computers/Cyber and the Chief Information Officer of the
Department of Defense, acting through the Joint All-Domain
Command and Control cross-functional team, shall conduct
demonstrations and complete an assessment of the
technologies developed under the System of Systems
Integration Technology and Experimentation program of the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, including a
covered technology, and the applicability of any such
technologies to the Joint All-Domain Command and Control
architecture.
(B) Coverage.--The demonstrations
and assessment required under subparagraph (A) shall
include--
(i) at least three demonstrations
of the use of a covered technology to create, under
constrained schedules and budgets, novel kill chains
involving previously incompatible weapon systems, sensors,
and command, control, and communication systems from
multiple military services in cooperation with United
States Indo-Pacific Command or United States European
Command;
(ii) an evaluation as to whether
the communications enabled via a covered technology are
sufficient for military missions and whether such
technology results in any substantial performance loss in
communication between systems, major subsystems, and major
components;
(iii) an evaluation as to whether
a covered technology obviates the need to develop, impose,
and maintain strict adherence to common communication and
interface standards for weapon systems;
(iv) the appropriate roles and
responsibilities of the Chief Information Officer of the
Department of Defense, the Under Secretary of Defense for
Acquisition and Sustainment, the heads of the combatant
commands, the Secretaries concerned, the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency, and the defense industrial base
in using and maintaining a covered technology to generate
diverse and recomposable kill chains as part of the Joint
All-Domain Command and Control architecture;
(v) for at least one of the
demonstrations conducted under clause (i), demonstration
of the use of technology developed under the
High-Assurance Cyber Military Systems program of the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to secure legacy
weapon systems and command and control capabilities while
facilitating interoperability;
(vi) an evaluation of how the
technology referred to in clause (v) and covered
technology should be used
to improve cybersecurity and interoperability across
critical weapon systems and command and control
capabilities across the joint forces; and
(vii) coordination with the
program manager for the Time Sensitive Targeting Defeat
program under the Under Secretary of Defense for Research
and Engineering and the Under Secretary of Defense for
Intelligence and Security.
(2) Chief information officer
assessment.--
(A) In general.--The Chief
Information Officer for the Department of Defense, in
coordination with the Principal Cyber Advisor to the
Secretary of Defense and the Director of the Cybersecurity
Directorate of the National Security Agency, shall assess
the technologies developed under the System of Systems
Integration Technology and Experimentation program of the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, including the
covered technology, and applicability of such technology to
the business systems and cybersecurity tools of the
Department.
(B) Coverage.--The assessment
required under subparagraph (A) shall include--
(i) an evaluation as to how the
technologies referred to in such subparagraph could be
used in conjunction with or instead of existing
cybersecurity standards, frameworks, and technologies
designed to enable communication between, and coordination
of, cybersecurity tools;
(ii) as appropriate,
demonstrations by the Chief Information Office of the use
of such technologies in enabling communication between,
and coordination
of, previously incompatible cybersecurity tools; and
(iii) as appropriate,
demonstrations of the use of such technologies in enabling
communication between previously incompatible business
systems.
(3) Sustainment of certain engineering
resources and capabilities.--During the period the
demonstrations and assessments required under this subsection
are conducted, and thereafter to the extent required to
execute the activities directed by the Joint All-Domain
Command and Control cross-functional team, the Joint
All-Domain Command and Control cross-functional team shall
sustain the System of Systems Technology Integration Tool
Chain for Heterogeneous Electronic Systems engineering
resources and capabilities developed by the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency.
(4) Transfer of responsibility.--Not
earlier than 1 year before, and not later than 2 years after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Defense may transfer responsibility for maintaining the
engineering resources and capabilities described in paragraph
(3) to a different organization within the
Department.
(e) Open Standards.--Nothing in this
section shall be construed as requiring, preventing, or
interfering with the use or application of any given
communication standard or interface. The communication described
in subsection (a)(2)(A) may be accomplished by using existing
open standards, by the creation and use of new open standards,
or through other
approaches, provided that such standards meet the requirements
of subsection (a)(2)(B).
(f) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``covered technology''
means the domain-specific programming language for interface
field transformations and its associated compilation toolchain
(commonly known as the ``System of Systems Technology
Integration ToolChain for Heterogeneous Electronic Systems'')
developed under the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
System of Systems Integration Technology and Experimentation
program, or any other technology that is functionally
equivalent.
(2) The term ``desired modularity''
means the desired degree to which weapon systems, components
within a weapon system, and components across weapon systems
can function as modules that can communicate across component
boundaries and through interfaces and can be separated and
recombined to achieve various effects, missions, or
capabilities, as determined by the program officer for such
weapon system.
(3) The term ``machine-readable
format'' means a format that can be easily processed by a
computer without human intervention.
(4) The terms ``major system'',
``major system component'', ``modular open system approach'',
``modular system'', ``modular system interface'', and ``weapon
system'' have the meanings given such terms, respectively, in
section 2446a of title 10, United States Code.
|
Implementation of modular open
systems approaches (sec. 804)
The Senate amendment contained a provision
(sec. 861) that would require that not later than 1 year after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, in coordination with
the Joint All Domain Command and Control Cross Functional Team
under the supervision of the Department of Defense (DOD) Chief
Information Officer and the Joint Staff Director for Command,
Control, Communications, and Computer/Cyber, shall prescribe
regulations and issue guidance to the military services, Defense
agencies and field activities, and combatant commands,
as appropriate. The required regulations and guidance would
(1) Facilitate the Department of
Defense's access to and utilization of modular system
interfaces;
(2) Fully realize the intent of
chapter 144B of title 10, United States Code, by facilitating
the implementation of modular open system approaches across
major defense and other relevant acquisition programs,
including in the acquisition and sustainment of weapon
systems, platforms, and components for which no common
interface standard has been established to enable
communication; and
(3) Advance the Department's efforts
to generate diverse and recomposable kill chains.
The House bill contained no similar
provision.
The House recedes with a clarifying
amendment.
The conferees' intent is to expand the
use of modularity in the design of weapons systems, as well as
business systems and cybersecurity systems, to more easily
enable competition for upgrades as well as sustainment
throughout a product's lifecycle, while protecting the
proprietary intellectual property embodied within the modules of
modular systems. Modularity is especially important to enhance
interoperability and to support combining and recombining
systems in novel and surprising ways to achieve the vision of
joint all-domain warfare and the emerging joint warfighting
concept. To achieve these objectives, Government use rights for
interfaces are indispensable. Modular systems with interfaces
designed to common standards improve interoperability. The
conferees are also highly encouraged by serious, sustained
initiatives by the military departments to develop standards,
through public-private consortia, such as the Air Force Open
Mission Systems and the Navy's Future Airborne Capability
Environment. The enthusiastic embrace of the Joint All Domain
Command and Control initiative by all of the military
departments and senior DOD civilian leadership demonstrates a
welcome and unprecedented commitment to joint warfare.
The conferees note, however, that prior
efforts to adopt universal standards both within and across the
military services have failed to achieve comprehensive
interoperability. Adoption rates of standards invariably lag,
and technology advances require changes in standards that result
in backwards incompatibilities. Even if the new initiatives
proposed within the DOD research and engineering community
overcome these problems, incompatible interfaces will remain
numerous for many years to come, hampering joint, multi-domain
operations. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
developed, rigorously tested, and repeatedly demonstrated
technology to auto-generate code to enable full interoperability
across interfaces not built to any standard once they have been
appropriately defined and characterized in machine-readable
formats. DARPA has executed more than a dozen real-world
demonstrations (called ``gauntlets'') of this technology that
appear to show that the cost is minimal and that the time
required to achieve interoperability between previously
incompatible systems is measured in hours and days, not months
and years. These demonstrations further indicate that
interoperability between systems can be engineered in the field
by Government personnel. DARPA's tests and field demonstrations
to date indicate that this technology does not introduce
latencies or otherwise constrain performance, in contrast to so
called ``translation'' approaches to interface interoperability.
The conferees are interested in further examination of the DARPA
interoperability technology and the provision requires the
Department to conduct additional
demonstrations.
Finally, the conferees emphasize that
the provision does not mandate the operational deployment and
use of DARPA technology, nor does it in any way limit or
constrain the development, use, or adoption of interface
standards.
Senate Committee Report 116-236 to Accompanying S. 4049
Implementation of
Modular Open Systems Architecture requirements (sec. 861)
The committee recommends a provision that would facilitate and
establish requirements for the open systems architecture for
Joint All-Domain Command and Control to ensure compatibility
across new and legacy systems in the Department of Defense. |
