Building a layered enterprise architecture using COTS products for NATO air command & control information services

The development of a Network Enabled Capability (NEC) is viewed by NATO as the most effective way to support future operations. In the current state of art, NATO NEC (NNEC) is achieved by integrating different systems within a layered Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). Using multi-layered architecture is composed of well-defined standards-based services supported or provided by modern Commercial-off the Shelf (COTS) products. Although multiple COTS usage provides many benefits in terms of productivity, consistency and flexibility, it also brings some challenges such as harmonization of different COTS in a product and serving them in a layered architecture. This paper explains the utilization of heterogeneous COTS products/applications within a layered SOA based architecture in air command and control domain. Harvesting of COTS in multi-layered architecture will increase the flexibility and efficiency of the system, and therefore it will help to improve operational effectiveness in NATO.