Jump Starting the Navy and Industry to IPv6
By Mark Evans
Navy IPv6 Transition Lead, SPAWAR

In today's world, where technology reigns supreme, the Internet with its inherent capabilities is certainly one of the most revolutionary technologies available to the planet. There are literally hundreds of thousands of applications and uses for the Internet. Now, with the emergence of Internet Protocol 6 (IPv6), the question that remains is, "How will this new protocol change the Internet?" It is widely understood that IPv6 is the future of the Internet; however, views on how fast to transition to this new technology and how important it really is differ widely.

The Navy's position is clear. As directed by the DoD CIO IPv6 Memorandum of 9 June 2003, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Networks and Information Integration ( ASD NII) established DoD policy for the transition of DoD enterprise-wide networks from IPv4 to IPv6. This direction was intended to position DoD for completing the transition to IPv6 in order to avoid technical obsolescence within the next 10 to 20 years. With this goal in mind, the Navy IPv6 Transition Project Office (NITPO) has developed a Transition Plan and a Technical Transition Strategy, which have been provided to the Navy's key programs in an effort to roll out a coordinated implementation schedule for the Navy's transition to IPv6. The NITPO has aggressively involved the Navy in all aspects of IPv6 transition. The Navy still faces unique challenges when it comes to transitioning to IPv6.

The Navy is a worldwide enterprise, with its architecture constantly changing. There are over 10,000 programs in existence, both afloat and ashore. These programs can range from applications and logistics to developing the latest weapons systems. Each program uses its own required applications, which are essential to its success; in one instance, a program had 360 approved applications. There are non-classified and classified (secret and top secret) networks. To transition each of these networks, along with their applications, while maintaining operational capability, will require additional resources and funding. To simply "flip the switch" and in an instant be IPv6 capable is not a reality for the Navy.

Interoperability with DoD and other services is critical. Each service will face its own unique issues. The time frame for when the DoD infrastructure and that of each of the services are able to transition and how they are planned to transition will dictate the level of interoperability. The Navy is working closely with DoD and the other services to identify and resolve these issues. Another part of this challenge is ensuring our Allied and Coalition partners are able to continue interoperability during and after the IPv6 transition. The Navy is working toward a cooperative approach to ensure Allied and Coalition networks continue to remain interoperable. The Navy has released its Transition Plan to NATO and its Technical Transition Strategy has been released to Australia, Canada and New Zealand. As the program managers work with their Allied and Coalition counterparts, we continue to provide them status on the Navy transition to IPv6.

Lack of interest from U.S. manufacturers is another area of concern for the Navy. Many commercial vendors have not offered a comprehensive set of IPv6-capable enterprise components and tools. This is forcing the Navy to trade off between customization and prolonged operation in a transitional state. Recently, the U.S. Federal government asserted its intent to be an early adopter of IPv6 technologies. DoD and other services, along with the Navy, have been engaged with commercial vendors and have started to provide standards and requirements, but, so far, the commercial sector appears to largely be waiting for a more compelling business case to emerge before adopting IPv6 on a widespread basis.

The Navy continues to work with the Federal government, DoD and the other services and agencies, as well as industry to ensure a common approach and solution set. The NITPO is working with its system centers to develop a partnership in order to provide critical testing, and also continues to encourage and make recommendations for other programs and technical centers to develop and deploy pilots, experiments and demonstrations. These could use IPv6 to resolve tactical issues or simply to demonstrate the technology in an operational environment.

These efforts will serve a significant purpose and further our working knowledge of the technology and how, once employed, it will lead to new tactical capabilities. While these efforts serve the specific needs of the Navy, it should be pointed out that the economic and global lead for this emerging technology and the surrounding capabilities is significant in its importance to not only the Navy, but the entire U.S. as well. How will the IPv6 transition impact the DoD if the U.S. does not take a lead role in defining standards and in controlling requirements for this new technology? The importance of leading this effort should not be underestimated with regards to the effect it will have on future capabilities.