With the harmonization of command information systems (HaFIS), the existing command information systems of the armed forces have been harmonized and made service-oriented. The quantitative and qualitative expansion with the German Mission Network (GMN) aims, among other things, at interoperability in international missions. The GMN is intended to provide – in Germany and worldwide – capabilities for national and multinational deployment and operation management on a joint platform for the armed forces in a mission-related and sustainable manner.
The GMN is fully compatible with the NATO Federated Mission Networking (FMN) and brings together the previously spatially separated operational IT systems and services into a physically and logically interoperable and integrated multinational system-of-systems.
After the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr made the selection decision (AWE) according to CPM in February 2019, the Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has now initiated the participation competition for the first implementation phase.
For the German Mission Network Block 1, six large and 26 small deployable data centers (vRZ) as well as five Air Force command posts (GefSDLw) are to be realized. In a first step (so-called solution complement (LK)), a model for vRZ and GefStaatLw is to be developed and delivered.
In this first step, a GefSDLw and three variants of the vRz are to be designed and the construction plans are to be created. It is required to define a service-oriented manufacturing process in which the individual tasks/measures, their sequence/sequence, the assignment of responsibility/implementation and the requirements/framework conditions are described. To set up the system, it must be determined which services and modules should be shared with the other systems running under HaFIS.
The effectiveness of the conceptual approaches is to be demonstrated using a model system. The evidence also includes checking the defined service-oriented manufacturing process.
After receiving applications to participate by July 8, 2019, the BAAINBw plans to issue invitations to submit offers by July 31, 2019.
A period of 35 months starting from January 1, 2020 is planned for the development of the concepts, the process descriptions and finally the production of the model systems.
The BAAINBw has named Cologne, Rheinbach, Grafschaft, Euskirchen, Potsdam and Fürstenfeldbruck as the main locations for delivery and service provision, thereby pointing out the necessary close cooperation with users.
From November 30, 2022, the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Bundeswehr, together with users and industry, will examine the performance of the systems delivered. An important part of the test is the service-oriented manufacturing process, in which consistently market-available technical components or services from the HaFIS program are to be used. As a result of the examination, the prerequisites for the series production of the various parts of the GMN should be met, which is to be commissioned in a separate contract. Dates for the further implementation of the GMN are not mentioned.
Gerhard Heiming