The many challenges faced by the Department impact DISA directly. These include the increasing complexity of multiple simultaneous military operations around the globe, keeping pace with rapid technological advancement, asymmetric threats, and declining resources.
Over a 4-month period in FY11, the Agency has supported an unprecedented six simultaneous operations: Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan; Operation New Dawn in Iraq; Operation Odyssey Dawn and NATO Operation Unified Protector in Libya; Operation Tomodachi in support of Japan; and DISA’s global cyber operations in support of United States Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) Operation Gladiator Shield. Significant support was also provided beginning in January of 2010 to United States Southern Comand (USSOUTHCOM) Operation Unified Response to support the earthquake disaster and relief operations in Haiti. Each of these missions is unique, but all required capabilities provided across our Lines of Operation and Joint Enablers – from Enterprise Infrastructure, to C2 and Information Sharing, to how we operate around the world. All of these operations reinforce the need for a global protected enterprise infrastructure as the foundation to support the Department’s global missions. Although successful in responding to global operations and crises, lessons learned from recent operations have pointed to a major gap – the need for anintegrated strategic approach for information sharing that can rapidly support the range of operational needs across the Department.
We must find ways to better leverage and adapt the rapidly changing technologies that our military and civilians have grown accustomed to in their daily lives. We must continue to have the vision and speed to innovate and adopt new technology and integrate all types of user devices in this increasingly mobile environment. We must enable high-speed, high-volume information exchange and collaboration while maintaining interoperability and ensuring information assurance.
The Department of Defense is faced with an unprecedented asymmetric threat to national security – the cyber threat which can significantly disrupt or deny access to critical defense networks and information assets and capabilities. With our mission partners, we must enable a global infrastructure that is assured, reliable, diverse, high capacity, and protected against both physical and cyber threats.
Finally, these challenges come at a time of significant fiscal constraints, where the increasing need to deliver new capabilities is expected to outpace the availability of future resources. We must work with our mission partners to identify and eliminate redundant and overlapping investments. We must optimize existing resources through both creativity and efficiency.