Evaluating the Interoperability of C4ISR System using Cyber Six-ware Framework

Some scientists say that there are many difficulties in assessing the development of interoperability in command, control, communication, computer, intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance systems (C4ISR interoperability). What are the difficulties? The often encountered problem is determining the dominant factor in developing C4ISR with different platforms from various defense equipment manufacturers used by each military domain. It is an interoperability discourse that is quite challenging to study continuously according to the surrounding technology development. This study proposes a cyber-sixware framework based on six attributes: Brainware, hardware, software, infrastructure-ware, firmware, and budget-ware. In this study, we ask two questions: What are the dominant factors in developing C4ISR related to interoperability experts have studied in the last five years? What are the primary considerations in developing C4ISR related to operability issues at LEN Corp? To answer, we designed mixed-method research. Firstly, we did a systematic literature review to gather and focus the materials for questionnaires and interviews. Secondly, we conducted data collection via an “online world cafe” that involved 26 experts in two rounds of data collection. In the discussion, we designed a 60-item questionnaire based on a cyber-sixware framework with Cronbach-alpha 0.96. Thirdly, we work on data analysis to formulate conclusions and a recommendation. We analyze the data using text analysis and linear regression to predict the most influential factors of C4ISR interoperability. The findings of this study indicate that the focus of expert research in the field of C4ISR interoperability in the last five years has been on infrastructure, hardware, and brainware. Meanwhile, the significant strength of C4ISR interoperability development at LEN Corp is in software and firmware. Based on the result, we recommend LEN Corp development steps to continue emphasizing the strength of “software” besides firmware, brainware and overcome the dominant weakness, namely budgetware.