Commercial-off-the-shelf Items in Military Syetem

Introduction

Throughout the world, the defence industry has grown tremendously, producing equipment required by militaries all around the world. With private companies, the majority of sales consist of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) items, as they hold significant advantages to all parties involved. From overall cost to obtaining higher quality and more advanced technology, it seems to be a trend to stay. However, COTS has not been defined officially by any international organization, but it has been generally accepted to be software or hardware that is bought directly from the market and used. Therefore, this essay shall include COTS that are completely unmodified and COTS that have been slightly modified to fit the needs of the purchaser.

Low-Risk Investments With Cots Itemscots

Items hold a clear advantage over custom-procured items in that they are a low risk investment. COTS items are purchased after the product is available on the market, hence the product has gone pass the initial phases of product development, such as idea generation, prototyping and feasibility checks. As with most projects, the most risky phase exists in the developmental stages for the product as the product may ultimately fail from a multitude of reasons. Ranging from engineering limitations to management and decision-making problems, these all add cost and waste time for everyone involved in the project, explaining the high percentage of products failing. One of the newest aircraft in development, the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, is a prime example of the risk of developing new military equipment. Namely, the overrun of budget from the initial projected cost of 233. 0 billion for 2866 aircrafts till today’s 406. 1 billion for 2470 aircrafts, and being operational by 2012 which is long overdue. As the primary financial backer for this project, it has placed a huge strain on the US defence budget as a result, and not only will the program cost more but also procuring lesser sets for operational usage, at a later date. Such collaboration are also happening all around the world, with bigger and bigger projects in progress to develop better military equipment with more advanced technology incorporated into it, like the Eurofighter Typhoon. Therefore, by purchasing COTS items, it effectively mitigates all the risks involved in creating and manufacturing of a new product by simply acquiring it when it is near completion.

Economically Viable Means of Acquiring State-Of-The-Art Military Equipmentcots

Items have also become the most economically logical and effective way for smaller or poorer countries to be able to afford state-of-the-art equipment. The development of these top-of-the-line equipment often cost upwards of billions, especially when developing the next generation of warfighting capabilities. The project cost for the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit was 44,390 million, in 1994 dollars, without even including the cost of procuring, maintaining and operating of the bomber, while the fifth-generation fighter jets, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II and Chengdu J-20 programme cost are in the billions. To be able to cover the entire project cost, it would be a substantial increase in the entire budget of any country that wants to attempt creating them. Compared to the cost of procuring one from the manufacturer, the initial cost will be drastically reduced, allowing it to be possible to acquire that equipment. Additionally, COTS provides a way for countries and companies to develop and acquire the equipment they need. The complexity of next generation warfighting capability means collaboration between multiple parties, combining their expertise to produce the final product, especially for industries like submarine construction and fighter jets construction which are too complex for most countries to be able to create them proficiently on their own. Additionally, many non-combat infrastructures are obtained from commercial sources, such as building simulators for training purposes. Not only in actual military equipment, are non-combat infrastructure often obtained commercially from all around the world.

Floss of Tactical Advantagecots

Items are often produced to the same specification and build, meaning hardware are likely to have minimal differences while software, such as Microsoft operating systems and Microsoft Office, are often completely identical as no modification is required. By operating the same equipment, it becomes easier for weaknesses and defects in the system to be found and if possible, exploited to the detriment of the opposing party. In this age, information warfare has become critical in the planning of operations. From open sources, operational data and other key information such as military base layouts can be obtained easily, allowing enemy forces and to strategize around the limitations. Taking radar and submarines as examples, by knowing the operating range and depth, naval forces can plan their approach with a known parameter. Lowering the uncertainty in a military operation will improve the probability of success.

Compatibility Issues Between Differnet Cots Items

Compatibility is also another huge factor when using COTS items. Multiple studies have been done on the problems when integrating different COTS software into a main system, when a bigger system is built from smaller, building blocks . While there is standardisation and recommended practises within a programming language, it is still a recommended practise and there is no standardisation across different programming languages. Beyond that, there is an additional problem of different written language and the complexity of modern software. Compounding these factors together, it makes a potent mix of disaster that is waiting to happen.

Suitability of Cots Items to Meet Own Requirements

Lastly, as with any product, the main aim will be to make money and generate revenue for the company. This will motivate companies to cater their COTS items to the biggest spenders or the main acquirer of the new equipment, which are mainly countries like the US, China and Russia as seen by their military spending. Therefore, the hardware will be constructed to fit their climate and populations. While this will not pose a problem to countries that matches those parameters, Asian countries will need to customise the equipment to fit their own needs, which may not be possible. Differences like body build and climate makes a large difference in the overall effectiveness of the equipment. Asian body are biologically smaller than our European counterparts , and therefore, the range and reach of our body is smaller. This will effectively mean that equipment will have to be modified to fit the body build of the purchasing company. However, the difficulty will be high, especially with things like fighter jets, which heavily optimises every single part of the cockpit.

Government Regulation and Export Limitations

Military COTS products are often regulated by the governing body of the manufacturer’s country. Military equipment is naturally built for the purpose of war, and therefore there will be concerns on the sale of such equipment as it may be used for unorthodox purposes like suppressing protesters or inciting terror. Major players in this industry are often restricted by their governing body on what they are allowed to export. This is often achieved by the complete ban of sale of that equipment, like the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, or by creating an export variant, such as the Type-214 submarine. Mainly, the reason for these bans is to deny adversaries the access to powerful technology, as reflected in the US’s national security priorities. This will result in either acquiring a less powerful version or purchasing other equipment, both of which are subpar substitutes.

Safety and Security Implication

With these pros and cons, there will be some cause for concern for safety and security. The US has identified COTS software to be an area of concern, and it is a common consensus between countries. However, COTS software often control and manage real machineries, from aircrafts to the missiles it carries. Therefore, operational security will be a big issue that needs to be tackled. As highlighted before, COTS items will naturally mean other countries with the same or similar equipment will be able to know key operating parameters. This means that the military has lost its advantage on information, and as such, other areas of planning and intelligence needs to cover this area of weakness. Software integration will impact on both safety and security greatly. With no international standardisation specifying how programmes should be programmed, a single command into an integrated system may lead to multiple actions or an error, neither of which is great. Even with the best programmers, such intricate and complex system often will have bugs remaining, as seen with large software-based companies like the Patriot system during the Gulf War of 1991, where a bug resulted in the failure to destroy an incoming enemy missile and 27 deaths. Contractors’ objectives of profit making will also pose a risk in security, as they prioritise other aspects, like effectiveness or cheaper production cost. This may place security of the device at the lower end of priorities, making them easier to be hacked or breeched. Being granted remote access to military information and equipment is rarely a good thing to happen, and threatens the lives of millions. With COTS items, there is a greater likely hood of being hacked, as the commercialization means that a single device or method will be able to deal copious amount of damage to the military.

Addressing Obsolescence Issues in Military Syetemscots

Items can easily be looked upon to deal with aging equipment, as seen in many examples throughout history. Most COTS equipment are often produced to be state-of-the-art technology, and often remain so for a long time, upwards of 20 years. The Republic of Singapore Navy followed this very format during the initial phase of its birth. Purchasing Independence-class patrol crafts from Vosper Thornycroft in the 1970s. (https: //www. mindef. gov. sg/oms/navy/Tracing_Our_Origins. HTM) This trend continued with the Sea Wolf-class missile gun boats, and similar purchases were made by Malaysia’s Navy with the Keris class patrol vessel. While time will be required to build the equipment and also to integrate the system together, the technology remains advanced and top-notch in its domain. COTS can also be used to help update and modernise equipment. Many warships and aircraft undergo mid-life upgrades, to improve its capabilities without the need to invest in a whole new ship. This keeps them relevant in the upcoming years and extends the service life plan. With multiple small upgrades throughout the system, such as better software for the computer systems on board or hardware like missiles, it extends the serviceable life span of the equipment, keeping it relevant and lowering costs.

Conclusion

COTS items catered for the militaries all around the world will remain as a way for militaries to obtain the equipment they require. It is apparent that there will be both pros and cons when COTS is used as a solution, and therefore it will remain as a possible method to deal with operational requirements and budget considerations. Ultimately, it is a balancing act between what can be comprised and what is high on the priority list. Should specialized capability be required, it would only be possible through the development from scratch by the government or government contractors, and not through customization of COTS equipment out on the market.