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1 1 (January 9, 2006)

handle is hein.crs/crsaign0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Order Code RS21590 Updated January 9, 2006 CRS Report for Congress Received through the CRS Web Defense Program Issue: Global Information Grid, Bandwidth Expansion (GIG-BE) Clay Wilson Specialist in Technology and National Security Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Summary The Global Information Grid (GIG) is the enabling infrastructure for Network Centric Warfare (NCW), a concept that relies on communications technology to link together U.S. military personnel, ground vehicles, aircraft, and naval vessels through integrated wide and local area networks to provide improved battle space awareness for joint military forces.1 The GIG Bandwidth Expansion program (GIG-BE) is a component of the overall GIG which upgrades the transmission pathways composing the central portion of the GIG. The GIG-BE program achieved full operational capability as of December 20, 2005, however, some question whether the GIG-BE design will support military requirements for transmitting the expected future high volume of encrypted network traffic. Also, because each service is developing a separate network architecture that will tie into the GIG, some observers question whether these differences will limit interoperability of the overall GIG, and thus reduce its usefulness to warfighters. This report will be updated as events warrant. Background Global Information Grid. The DOD Global Information Grid (GIG) provides a secure networking capability for managing information on demand for warfighters, policy makers, and support personnel. The GIG is a single network that enables communications and sharing of sensor information among personnel at multiple levels of security in all services, in the intelligence community, and with U.S. coalition partners. The functionality of many sophisticated weapons systems may be critically dependent on the capabilities and reliability of the GIG. Status of the GIG-Bandwidth Expansion Program (GIG-BE). The GIG network design includes linkages through radio, satellite, and land lines. The GIG-BE program enhances the high-speed land lines which form a central core of the GIG by using optical network technology. Congressional Research Service 400 The Library of Congress 1 For more information about Network Centric Warfare, see CRS Report RS20557, Navy Network- Centric Warfare Concept: Key Programs and Iss ues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke.