UNCLASSIFIED1

Operation TomodachiLessons Learned

Bob StephensonTechnical Director Fleet Readiness Directorate

U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command

Deputy J6/Science Advisor Joint Support Force

Operation Tomodachi

Operation Tomodachi

• U.S. Military support to Japan after Great Eastern Japan Earthquake

•Combined effects of earthquake , tsunami, and radiological accident

• 125,000 people homeless, 21,000 dead or missing

• Tidal wave caused power outage at Funukoshi Daichi Nuclear Plant

-3 reactors with partial meltdown of the core

-3 reactors with spent fuel pools damaged

- Reactor fission products (Iodine, Cesium, stronium, cobalt) released

into the air and sea resulting in 30 KM “hot zone around the plant

-Lethal radiation levels inside the reactor buildings

• J pipe, hose spools, etc.

Challenges

• Assist to JSDF to

•Locate survivors/remains

• Assess damage

•Assist in cleanup/restoral of ports and airports

• Monitor reactors and measure radiation levels

• Radiological consequence management

Things that helped us succeed

• Pre-existing Infrastructure to support large influx of personnel

• Strong US-Japan alliance with robust CENTRIXS network

• Communicators from all four services with a knowledge of each services unique capabilities and talent to make rapid changes in a hurry

• Local DAA allowing rapid and flexible network changes

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Things that helped us succeed

• Development of an Information SOP early in the operation that facilitated information sharing

• On call mobile communications assets we could modify to meet our requirements

• Ability to locally develop an application for a common operational picture to permit informed decision making by senior leadership

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Radiological COP

• Needed to show laydown of US and JSDF forces

• Needed to show location of air and water radiation plumes

• Needed to show HA/DR info (roads, shelters, major damage

• Need to show radiation sensors (US and JMSDF)

Solution

• Based on CENTRIXS Google earth server on GCCS-J at JSDF HQ Ichigaya

• Wrote tools to data mine sensor and other source data. Applications written, tested and employed by an O-1, and E-3 and a contractor (Fleet Systems Engineer)

• RADIANT Mercury repaired. New rule set to trasfer .KML files from unclas to to CENTRIXS J.

Result

Things to improve in the Future

• Enterprise networks cannot support crisis– No process exists for rapid changes to

support Commanders urgent needs– In a crisis, you don’t drive the timeline– Complexity and size of the enterprise does

not support rapid injection of new capabilities

– Enterprise does not support coalition data sharing

• Mission secret networks are a must, but they must have common tools with the Enterprise, and they must be able to communicate to and from the enterprise.

• A Common Operational Picture is critical, but it must be more than GCCS

– Geospatial Information Services are a powerful data fusion tool

• Crisis requires quick response– Must be able to rapidly add seats to

existing networks – Must be able to bring in new capabilities to

meet operational requirements– Must be able to do this without having to

contract (fee for service does not work in a crisis)

• Standard IM/KM practices are essential as a starting point.

• Current IA policy and practice supports neither network security, or rapid technology insertion

• Need data services to the tactical edge. – Need web services that will work to low

bandwidth, high latency, disconnected user (i.e. ships)

– Need to balance access to a wide range of users, with security

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QUESTIONS?