DOD eyes problem systems

The military has targeted 19 command and control systems that create most

of the problems for the regional commanders in chief.

Protoype fixes for at least two of the systems were to be tested at

Combined Endeavor 2000, an exercise held in Europe to test the interoperability

of NATO nations' communications equipment.

Jacques Gansler, undersecretary of Defense for acquisition and technology,

approved the list in the fall and will be briefed on remedies June 19, an

Army official said. If he approves the recommendations, it will be up to

program managers and agencies to implement fixes.

The list has been dubbed the 20/80 list because it includes the "20

percent of systems that cause 80 percent of the problems" for the CINCs,

Army officials say.

"We found a variety of problems. Some were technical, some were policy

problems, and some were procedural problems," said Army Col. Winthrop Cooper,

director of the Army-hosted CINC Interoperability Program Office (CIPO)

at Fort Monmouth, N.J.

The latter two problems do not support an interface with the

European-based Integrated Services Digital Network standard and thus are

not interoperable with NATO and Partnership for Peace nations, Cooper said.

The CIPOs have a prototype fix for the problem and will be demonstrating

it during Combined Endeavor.