Developing capabilities and security for Federated Mission Networking using application of Enterprise architecture model

Abstract

Enterprise Architecture (EA) can be seen as a discipline or structured approach to organize and align an organization’s business processes, information systems, and technological infrastructure with its strategic objectives. Enterprise Architecture frameworks aim to improve understanding of complex organizational structures and enable coherent decision-making across different strategic and operational levels. By offering models and methodologies for managing change and complexity, EA supports organizations in achieving greater efficiency, agility, and resilience in dynamic environments. While EA frameworks offer structured methodologies for organizing complex systems, they can be difficult and complex to apply, particularly within the military domain. One major reason is the inherent complexity of military environments, which often span multiple domains like land, air, sea, cyber, and space that involves numerous interconnected capabilities, stakeholders, and classified information systems. This thesis examines Enterprise Architecture and its role in strengthening capabilities and cyber security in military context like in Federated Mission Networking (FMN). The primary purpose is to identify different military capabilities and requirements and provide a capability development model for discovering and managing them. This provides a holistic view of an organisation which enables improvement of business operations, IT and cyber security. The research takes a theoretical approach by reviewing EA and military related studies to build a knowledge base, and to propose the model as solution to respond to the identified challenges. Key findings were challenges with complexity of EA and differences between military and business view of EA related terms and elements. Also bureaucratic structures, regulatory constraints, and security and compliance burdens in public organisations are challenging EA implementations and practices. Importance of EA in holistic cyber security management is also highlighted by improved coordination, risk management, reduced attack surfaces and unified security architectures and mechanisms. The research concludes that Enterprise Architecture can help organisations to improve their capabilities and is essential to concepts like FMN to improve interoperability and security between NATO member states and allies. The presented capability development model aims to improve the identification of the capabilities and their attributes and to align their management and development. In wider use, it helps users identify gaps and challenges in their capabilities and enables capabilities to be coordinated and interoperated with other parties, which is crucial in FMN context. It enables shifting from minimum viable architectures to full comprehensive models that improve interoperability in strategic scale.