• Home
• About Us
  • Services
  • Case Studies
  • Clients
  • Framework Agreements
  • Certifications and Accreditations
  • Memberships
  • History
  • Contact Us
• In Focus
  • Improving Data Handling
  • UK National Security Strategy
  • UK Cyber Security Strategy
  • Information Superiority
  • Information Sharing
  • Information Exploitation
  • London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Safety and Security Strategy
  • Managing Efficiency
  • Connecting to Secure Government Networks
  • Acquisition Reform
  • Through Life Capability Management (TLCM)
  • Business Continuity Planning and Management
  • Addressing Sustainability
• Services
  • Understanding the Enterprise
  • Exploiting Technology
  • Securing Cyberspace
  • Assuring Programme Delivery
• Markets
  • Defence
  • Security
  • Civil Government
  • Transport
• Newsroom
  • Press Releases
  • Events
  • Media Contacts
• Publications
  • White Papers
  • Case Studies
  • Brochures
• Careers
  • Opportunities and Development
  • Our value to clients
  • VEGA People
  • Consultants
  • Career Events
  • Vacancies
  • Cyber Security Job Opportunities
  • Careers Contacts
• Contact Us

Joint Operations Command System (JOCS)

VEGA provides a broad range of expertise to the Joint Operations Command System (JOCS), a key element of the UK’s military Command and Control capability. Our consultants support the introduction into service of system upgrades and ensure their compliance with current Information Assurance requirements.

The Challenge

The JOCS test, trials and acceptance procedures used by the manufacturer for system upgrades were almost exclusively centred on contractual acceptance, with the processes required to deliver a proven capability to the user community in an immature state. The MOD client was concerned that the project, manufacturer and users were not working to an agreed set of processes and had different expectations of what the upgrade process would deliver.

How VEGA Helped

Working on behalf of the MOD client, VEGA initially conducted a Project Review, with a particular focus on the test, trials and acceptance processes. This highlighted specific concerns, including:

• A lack of an integrated test, evaluation and acceptance regime within the manufacturer’s development programme
• Limited user involvement in the factory test and trials regime
• Security Enforcing Functionality and Penetration Testing did not form an integrated part of acceptance testing

Working closely with the manufacturer as the project’s representative, VEGA highlighted significant shortcomings in their internal test recording regime.

VEGA actively liaised with project, manufacturer and users to establish a clear and agreed set of test, trials and acceptance processes, and emphasised the requirement to fully integrate the Security Enforcing Functionality and penetration testing with all other tests and trials in order to maintain the current security accreditation status. The wide range of experience within VEGA allowed the consultants to talk with authority to military and civilian organisations, and gain a consensus on the way ahead.

Value Delivered

As a result of VEGA’s involvement, all concerned organisations now actively participate in the whole test and trials process. Communications are open and honest, with all parties able to raise issues early to enable any delays to the programme to be minimised. Early user involvement greatly assists in the building of early experience of upcoming upgrades amongst the military community, and brings a large degree of realism and credibility to the entire test and trials process.

The number of failed trials has fallen considerably, with fewer faults found late in the upgrade rollout process. This has resulted in less adverse impact to the frontline due to less downtime and fewer defects. The early and continuing involvement of security testing has increased the level of confidence in the Information Assurance aspects of JOCS, allowing timely exposure of potential issues to security accreditors, and mitigation measures to be agreed and implemented early in the programme.

Testimonial

JOCS Project Manager, Kevin Pullen, said: “To summarise, through advice and guidance, evidence collection and robust support in the difficult meetings between users, test staff and manufacturer project managers, the VEGA support was paramount to the MOD achieving the right solution, forcing the issue and ultimately delivering a properly/robustly tested and accepted software solution, which appears to have borne fruit now that it is operationally deployed.”