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JOINT TESTING REQUIREMENT

All Information Technology (IT) systems, including National Security Systems (NSS), with external interfaces (i.e., top-level information exchange requirements or equivalent interoperability requirements) must be evaluated and certified by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC). All systems – Acquisition Category (ACAT), non-ACAT, and fielded systems – must be evaluated and certified prior to (initial or updated) fielding, and periodically during their entire life – as a minimum, every four years. Interoperability is evaluated against Joint Staff J-6 certified Net Ready-Key Performance Parameters (NR-KPPs) and other approved interoperability requirements. The system Program Executive Offices/Program Managers are responsible for defining and developing the NR-KPPs for each service system. Testing associated with Joint Interoperability evaluations may be performed in conjunction with other testing (e.g., Developmental Test & Evaluation (DT&E), Operational TE (OT&E)) to conserve resources. Information interoperability is a continuous process that must be managed and resourced throughout the system lifecycle.

COMBINED TESTING REQUIREMENT

The JITC Plan 3014 is the "Combined Interoperability Test Plan (CITP) for Tactical Data Links (TDL) and United States Message Text Format (USMTF)." This plan provides overarching testing guidance for JITC and U.S. Pacific Command partner countries with systems that employ TDLs (Link 11, Link 11B, Link 16, and Variable Message Format) and USMTF.

TDL/USMTF TESTING MISSION

In its capacity as the testing arm of DISA, JITC's Tactical Data Link (TDL) Branch is responsible for ensuring systems that implement TDLs (Link 11/11B/16 and Variable Message Format (VMF)) and United States Message Text Formatting (USMTF) are interoperable and in compliance with the applicable joint standards.

This is accomplished by conducting the following types of tests:

• Joint / Combined Interoperability


• Performance Assessment in Operational Environments


• Standards Validation


• Standards Conformance

The diverse nature of IT/NSS, each with a wide range of capabilities, presents many challenges to today's requirements for interoperability. The demand for interoperability between US and international systems establishes the need for a testbed that verifies interoperability, operational performance, standards validation, and standards conformance. JITC employs a variety of tools that provide its analysts the ability to evaluate TDL and USMTF system performance in both the lab and live environments.

TDL/USMTF WEBSITE ACCESS REQUIREMENTS

Please note that some of the links on this site require access to the Joint Interoperability Tool (JIT), as indicated by an asterisk *. To learn more about the unclassified and classified JIT, please visit JIT Basic Information.

TDL POINTS OF CONTACT