Improving the survivability of the Nation's military command, control, and communications systems, under the spectrum of threats foreseen for the future, is one of the most important goals of the WWMCCS Information System (WIS) Joint Program Management Office. Critical to the survivability of the modernized WIS will be the connectivity it will provide its operational users. The closer user connectivity approaches full connectivity the greater will be the probability of survival under stress--stress being caused by destruction of nodes, electronic warfare and/or increased traffic. The proliferation of packet-switched networks has great potential for offering the WIS a high degree of user connectivity because of the ability of packet-switching to asynchronously time-share communication links and to Alternate-route traffic around failed links or nodes and to bypass congested nodes. The objective of this report is to provide guidance to the developers of the WIS architecture in achieving an acceptable level of survivable user connectivity utilizing, as much as possible, existing packet-switched networks. Particular emphasis is given to security, an important aspect of any DoD command and control system.

The Worldwide Military Command and Control System (WWMCCS) has served as the principal vehicle for communication between the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) and the Operational Commands of the U.S. Armed Forces since the 1970's. In its original form WWMCCS was a large network of mainframe computers that facilitated centralized control of the widely dispersed U.S. force structure. The System was managed as a joint asset by the Defense Communication Agency (DCA) and functioned as on online open channel for the large volume of routine communications (i.e. unit readiness reports, logistics and support inventories, local conditions) that are the foundation of day-to-day and contingency planning.

This Directive (a) defines responsibilities and functions for system engineering of the Worldwide Military Command and Control System (WWMCCS), (b) establishes the WWMCC System Engineering Organization (WSEO), (c) prescribes the missions and functions of the WWMCC System Engineer (WSE), and (d) defines relationships among the Director. WWMCC System Engineering (DWSE), the WSE, and the DoD Components.