Downloading a new application or updating software on a smart phone is typically as easy as going to the app store, but what if you are a deployed U.S. Navy sailor in need of the latest warfighting applications or immediate updates to your ship’s software?
Cue the Application Arsenal, a digital environment where approved applications and application updates will be stored and ready for rapid deployment to the fleet. This tool provides system administrators and operators with the ability to remotely search, discover, download, install and manage select platform applications at the speed of relevance. Because automation speeds up the software installation process, it also reduces the risk of obsolescence, a frequent side effect of slow manual installation techniques.
The Application Arsenal has initially been delivered to PRNOC to service the Pacific Theater. Navy ships receiving the newest version of the Consolidated Afloat Network Enterprise Services (CANES) will be able to take advantage of this capability to remotely and automatically update application software hosted on CANES.
CANES is the Navy’s next generation tactical afloat network, representing the consolidation and enhancement of five shipboard legacy network programs to provide the common computing environment for more than 40 command, control, intelligence and logistics applications.
The Application Arsenal is also a component of the CANES Agile Core Services (ACS), automating the deployment of mission applications for Platform as a Service (PaaS), a data analytics framework and application transport for afloat platforms.
“This is a huge paradigm shift to move away from legacy manual processes that involve software install teams walking onboard ships,” said Capt. Katy Boehme, Tactical Afloat Networks Program Office (PMW 160) program manager. “The Application Arsenal allows application software containers to be downloaded remotely and automatically either over the air or over the wire.”
Additionally, the Application Arsenal is part of the overarching Overmatch Software Armory, a cloud-enabled development, security and operations (DevSecOps) pipeline designed to automate the integration of security at every phase of the software development lifecycle, from initial design through integration, testing, deployment and software delivery.
“In order to have the ‘Ops’ in DevSecOps, we had to make sure we had automated software distribution to our U.S. Navy ships”, said Brian Miller, PMW 160’s Platform Application Services principle assistant program manager.
NAVWAR recently tested the Application Arsenal, as part of the Overmatch Software Armory, onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). During the test, the team was able to successfully download a containerized application from the Application Arsenal ashore to the CANES application hosting environment afloat. This proved the value of the automated pull down and installation of software using the Application Arsenal software distribution capability.
“This tool is a new, modernized way to automate the deployment of software and is a departure from the manual, human intensive way we install software onboard ships today,” said Capt. Boehme. “This is a big step in implementing DevSecOps for the Navy.”
The Application Arsenal is a prime example of digital transformation, effectively leveraging modern digital and information technologies for streamlined legacy processes, improving fleet readiness worldwide.
“We really could not have done true DevSecOps without having the Application Arsenal there to distribute software to the afloat platforms,” said Rick Jack, the DevSecOps lead for Project Overmatch. “This is a tremendous enabler for the Overmatch Software Armory and for rapidly fielding software capability.”
Moving forward, in today’s increasingly technological environment, the Application Arsenal will enable the Navy to keep pace, delivering the right naval power, at the right place, at the right time for a more lethal, better connected fleet of the future.
About NAVWAR:
NAVWAR identifies, develops, delivers and sustains information warfighting capabilities and services that enable naval, joint, coalition and other national missions operating in warfighting domains from seabed to space and through cyberspace. NAVWAR consists of more than 11,000 civilian, active duty and reserve professionals located around the world.