DISA Pacific Works to Close Indo-Pacific Network Gaps and Unify Allied Communications

HONOLULU—Communication delays could compromise even the most sophisticated technology, the deputy commander of Indo-Pacific Command warned Thursday.

“If we deploy cutting-edge compute power and advanced software, yet cling to rigid, multi-layered bureaucracies that take hours to approve time-sensitive engagements, we effectively erase our technological advantage,” Lt. Gen. George Rowell, deputy commander of INDOPACOM, told attendees at TechNet Indo-Pacific. “No competitor on Earth can match America’s network of capable allies and partners. That network is our greatest advantage and our strategic center of gravity. However, legacy methods of partner connectivity are no longer sufficient.”

Modernizing Pacific military networks to enable rapid sharing of battlefield information with allies has remained a key priority in recent years. The command recently deployed the Pacific Mission Partner Network, a unified platform consolidating previously bespoke networks for individual allied and partner nations. Throughout the year, the network has been tested during military exercises, demonstrating progress and improving coordination while reducing the number of devices operators must manage.

Nevertheless, gaps remain that must be addressed to strengthen communications with allies and partners.

“We are in the midst of a transition,” said Col. Michael Hlad, who leads the Defense Information Systems Agency’s regional field command in the Pacific. “We are migrating to a data-centric environment and helping our partners understand what zero trust entails. What key items must we agree on—from identity management to data standardization?”

While some nations, such as the Five Eyes partners, are more technologically aligned, the goal is to create a flexible data-sharing environment capable of incorporating additional nations.

“I don’t know what the coalition of the future will look like,” Hlad said. “So how is DISA building a coalition environment that is agile and common enough to bring in those partners, rather than something brittle—limited to bilateral or multilateral arrangements? We must deliver that agility to INDOPACOM and our partners alike, enabling integration for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief scenarios as well as high-end conflict scenarios.”

Reaching that common digital foundation requires agreement on the tools and methods to be used.

“There must be clear standardization of what that common architecture looks like,” Hlad said. “This only works if we get the data right. Right now, we remain siloed.”

Beyond improving communication with allies and partners, a top priority for DISA Pacific is enhancing data transfer speeds and security across the region.

“How do we achieve better transport resiliency in the Pacific to ensure critical feeds and data are where they need to be? How do we deliver that data to warfighters in the Pacific so it is closer to the operational need?” Hlad said.

The field command recently unveiled the Regional Network Operations Security Center Pacific, designed to enhance network support for INDOPACOM headquarters.

“It is an enhanced network operations center, an enhanced security operations center, a regional service support desk, and data fusion capabilities that were previously unavailable in this theater to synchronize,” Hlad said.

The center is intended to respond to connectivity challenges, including undersea cable outages and electromagnetic spectrum or application disruptions.

The center has resulted in a 20 percent personnel increase to help solve those connectivity problems, Hlad said.

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