Grand Admiral, First Order Central Command
Integrated Fleet Command Data Exchange Network
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To formalize a command and control tech I've been writing about on FO ships for years.
Image Source: Viasat
Canon Link: N/A
Permissions: N/A
Primary Source: [CEC] | [Link 16] | [TADIL]
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Manufacturer: First Order Naval Engineering
Affiliation: The First Order
Model: N/A
Modularity: Can integrate platform sensors and fire control systems.
Production: Mass-Produced
Material: Computers and Droid Brains
SPECIAL FEATURES
- See Description
- C2W Defined: Unprecedented (for Star Wars) command and control capability.
- Guarded Network: Secure, Frequency-Hopping, Jam-Resistant.
- Line of Sight System: IFC-DCN requires a participating unit to have a direct 'LOS' with another unit in order to join the network. While this is not normally a major obstacle in space, it simply cannot travel through or around any physical objects.
- Alone and Unafraid: IFC-DCN is basically useless for a single ship. At least it has no practical effect whatsoever.
IFC-DCN is Network-centric Warfare brought to you by the military minds of the First Order. The system is not in of itself any sort of sensor, merely a backbone of computer systems and droid brains that allow for the real time exchange of fire control information and sensor data across platforms. It is designed to communicate with the onboard systems, coordinate that information, and share it with other participating IFC units in the network.
The central piece of equipment is a Hyperwave Transmission Processing Set (HTPS) that coordinates all platform sensors into a single, real-time, fire control quality track picture. The HTPS consists of cooperative sensing, engagement decision, engagement execution and data distribution. The HTPS also allows multiple battle groups to conduct netted operations, sharing common picture and tactical capabilities. The HTPS is composed of three primary system groups: The Network Distribution System (NDS) provides direct LOS communication with other IFC-DCN units via a secure, point to point, encrypted hyperwave transceiver. While this setup provides excellent security, signal fidelity, and jam resistant, it is limited by required a point-to-point connection between participating units. Ergo, a vessel occluded by a planet or otherwise not able to have a straight signal to another cannot join the network. The Fleet Command Processor (FCP) provides the processing of data received from other IFC units and incorporates it with own ship data to form a single "Composite" picture. The Data Exchange Function (DEF) provides jam resistant, encrypted, real time data transfer via point-to-point LOS hyperwave.
Essentially the system allows a group of vessels to utilize each others sensors, or in a more practical sense, to utilize the best available sensor for the best purpose, and share that information, and then potentially fire on the data or targeting information provided by the other units. For example, a picket/sensor platform can provide targeting data on orbital facilities, allowing a ship with kinetic weaponry to engage them at extreme ranges. Similarly, a fighter could paint and build a track on a enemy fighter, then pass that information to a escorting frigate or more capable vessel, which engages the target at beyond sensor range. Or innumerable other possibilities based on data received, processed, and passed on to the network.
The system is generally designed for full size military ships, but a lightweight mostly 'receive-only' version can be equipped on strikecraft and smaller vessels. This 'lite' version is able to receive information, and utilize other vessels fire control data, but strikecraft are extremely limited in the number of tracks they can create, process, and send (max of eight) and typically fighters will only spend the limited processing resources they have on the actual target or formation being engaged by their squadron.
The system utilizes state-of-the-art military encryption, and more to the point would require deliberate occlusion in order to intercept the pencil-width hyperwave beam. The system is also jam-resistant by virtue of frequency-hopping, a process that is fully automated and detects and reacts to jamming. It is not flawless, however, but the effectivness of a jamming system depends heavily on the power output available to the target vessel. So where it is fairly straightforward to jam an ISF-35A Firebolt, jamming a proper Star Destroyer requires the ability to put out more power over all possible hyperwave frequencies as the same time.
Overall the IFC-DCN is more of a force multiplier rather than some radical new technology. It does nothing to give a ship any particular advantage on its own, but it is an increasingly valuable asset in large strike groups and fleet formations. Perhaps most significantly, it is emblematic of the First Order's overarching concept of warfare, particularly in the wake of their collapse and nascent revival.
