Smart and Connected Bases:An Opportunity for the USAF to Secure Tomorrow’s Efficiency Through Today’s Investment

Smart and Connected Bases: An Opportunity for the USAF to Secure Tomorrow’s Efficiency Through Today’s Investment

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Smart and Connected BasesWhite Paper

An Opportunity for the USAF to Secure Tomorrow’s Efficiency Through Today’s InvestmentIn an era of reduced resources, where does the USAF find the resources to modernize?

Since the end of WWII the United States has followed a pattern of reducing defense spending following conflict. This pattern continues today in the post Iraq/Afghanistan era. Today’s motivation is complicated by the burden of a stressed economy, the high costs of continued global conflict, and dire budgetary predictions. As the force built under the Reagan buildup nears the end of its useful life, the USAF must find the resources to build the Air Force for the next 40 years.

Senior USAF leaders have committed themselves to not sanctioning another “hollow force” and to making sure that every dollar is maximized to provide war-fighting capability for the nation. In an era where budget allocations are fixed or declining and modernization and readiness requirements are rising, where is the money to be found? What differentiates today’s resourcing strategies from previous post WWII drawdowns?

That answer lies in the same technology that transformed the post WWII American industrial landscape, raising individual and industrial productivity to heights only dreamed of decades ago; that answer is Internet Technology and more specifically, its latest manifestation, the Internet of Everything (IoE).

What if the USAF could reduce electrical consumption by upwards of 35%? What if perimeter security could be automated, thereby freeing security forces for more important tasks? What if the productivity of an airman on the flight line was increased 40%? What if cargo passing through an aerial port was automatically processed for transport downrange? What if an Air Logistics Center Depot became the most efficient factory setting in the nation? All of these “what ifs” and many more are possible; in fact, they are all being used by industries and governments across the globe today that have embraced the power of the IoE.



Smart+Connected BaseA base is a small city. It has residents, commuters, visitors, employees, hospitals, schools, office buildings, restaurants, police stations, airports, and much more. All of these elements of the base ecosystem use, or are impacted by, Internet Technology. Each can also benefit from a Smart+Connected Base infrastructure that increases connectivity, efficiency, information sharing, and simultaneously reduces operating costs while improving safety.

To get a feel for the opportunities a Smart+Connected Base offers, let’s follow two airmen through their day as they navigate a Smart+Connected Base. MSgt Jones is the NCOIC at the Wing’s F-35 AMU and Captain Williams is a security police flight commander.

As each airman approaches the main gate in the morning they cross under a digital barrier that utilizes the Cisco® and Aeroscout RFID sensor system to read a RFID tag on their cars identifying them as active duty USAF members. Simultaneously, the SP on duty at the gate receives a signal notifying her that those vehicles are approved for automated entry. Both are directed to the automatic gate kiosk where they swipe their CAC cards and are admitted onto the base. This reduces required manpower at the gate, decreases wait times for base entry during rush hours, and allows the SP force to concentrate on unidentified and unregistered vehicles that may pose a threat or require entry assistance. Captain Williams notes the fact he no longer has to post three airmen at the gate during the morning rush hour. He also notes that with the auto-photo function each vehicle’s license plate entering the base is captured and registered in the security system database. This proved to be incredibly useful during an on-base domestic dispute that resulted in an Amber Alert for a 5-year old dependent taken from the day care center by one of the feuding parents last week.

MSgt Jones continues on his way to the 435th AMU. As he parks, his cell phone receives a message from the base hospital reminding him he has a medical appointment at 1100 hours. This message was set up in his medical profile and contributes towards the hospital’s goal of reducing costly “No Shows” by 50% this year. Since implementing Cisco’s Smart+Connected workspace/healthcare solutions the hospital has noted a 32% decrease in no shows.

As MSgt Jones enters his office, the lights, computer and phone in his office automatically turn on, as his Smart+Connected Workspace is equipped with motion sensors that detect he is inside the office. This power saving feature reduces the amount of electricity his office uses everyday as he moves frequently from his office to the flight line. This and other energy saving solutions were recently implemented across the base with the help of Cisco’s Energy Management Suite solution as part of the USAF’s initiative to transfer energy management and operating costs to the squadron level.

As he settles into his first cup of coffee for the day, he notes the required actions for the day that were downloaded from the F-35 Autonomic Logistics Information System and transmitted via the new Cisco wireless flight line network to his Cisco desktop collaboration system overnight.



Through the automated logistics system he can see that parts are available on base for four of the tasks but two others have parts on order from the vendor and won’t arrive for three days. He remembers when this used to be a manual process that would not have even started until 0730 in the morning when the “logies” came to work. With the new system the parts were inventoried and ordered ten hours ago when the night sorties landed. And with this information he can now focus the day shift on those maintenance tasks that can be completed today.

At 0900, rather than driving 15 minutes to the Group HQ building and looking for parking for another 10 minutes, he attends the morning stand up via his Cisco DX80 connected desktop collaboration system. During the stand-up video teleconference, he notices a message on his screen indicating an airman on the flight line needs assistance with a F-35 repair for an O2 pressure-indicating problem. The airman uses a handheld camera to simultaneously transmit a high definition video of the problem to Jones’ office desktop system and tablet screens via the flight line wireless network. From the HD video, MSgt Jones can clearly see the issue is not an indicator problem but a bent pin in the quick disconnect electrical connector. Rather than mistasking an environmental systems specialist, he forwards the video to the electrical repair flight NCO who dispatches an electrical tech to complete the task.

Meanwhile, on a remote part of the ramp an improperly fueled transient MC-130 has been leaking fuel from a ruptured internal fuel tank for the past 8 hours. An airman jogging on the perimeter road recognizes the pungent smell of JP8 and sees the fuel spill has spread across much of that part of the ramp. He activates an emergency call button on a perimeter smart light pole equipped for emergency communications and relays what he sees to the base command post (CP). Captain Williams, the Security Forces Duty Officer in the connected base command post, can see the spill from a smart light pole equipped with electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) HD cameras and atmospheric sensors. He recognizes this is a major environmental event and initiates the response protocol. The fire department can also see the spill via the smart light system sensors.



The CP immediately sends a notification across the base using connected crisis communication and mass notification solution provided by Cisco’s partner AtHoc. The AtHoc solution allows the CP to selectively notify the affected parts of the base that this part of the ramp is closed and must be evacuated. From the video feed the fire department knows they will need at least two trucks with specialized equipment to deal with a spill this large. Simultaneously, Security Force Specialists patrolling that part of the base are informed via Cisco IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS) to cordon off all approaching roads. All of this notification and response was generated by one airman manning the base Command Center desk with the ability to monitor all the smart sensors across the base as well as employ one touch communications with all base response units to send voice, video, and data across the smart and connected network.

As the day concludes and MSgt Jones leaves his office, his lights, computers, phone and LCD screen automatically turn off. When he approaches the main gate he notes on the new base digital signage powered by Cisco’s Digital Media Manager that the BX is having a sale this weekend and a reminder that the University of Maryland will have an open house for its bachelor’s degree program this Wednesday. He remembers he needs to get in that degree program before he meets his SMSgt board later in the year, as well as a briefing in the recent Commander’s Call that the BX has seen a 12% increase in foot traffic and a 4% increase in sales since it started using the base digital signage and kiosks. The increased sales have made a big difference in the Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) budget for this year allowing the reinstitution of summer youth programs that were cut two years ago before the smart base initiative was implemented.



Captain Smith is also approaching the end of his day. He has one last thing he wants to do. He downloads the video of the fuels incident from the Cisco cloud-based video archive for review tomorrow with the fire chief. They will review the disaster response for best practices, errors, and lessons learned as well as prepare a de-briefing for the Wing Commander and write their incident report for higher headquarters.

The technologies described in this vignette are all in use today with governments and businesses across the globe. Cisco has been a global leader in bringing greater efficiency to institutions seeking to reduce operating expenses while increasing safety, security, and services to the communities they serve. Cities such as Barcelona, Chicago, Dallas, Song Do, Mississauga, and Ontario, along with businesses such as GM, Boeing, and Harley Davidson have all seen substantial reductions in OPEX and immediate ROI on their investments. The same is possible for the USAF, allowing it to use repatriated O&M dollars for acquisitions and modernization. The USAF has a rich history of being the technology and innovation leader in the DoD. Cisco looks forward to being the USAF’s partner as it moves forward with using the power of the Internet of Everything technology wave.



Enabling Technologies• Cisco Energy Management Suite: Throughout the day Cisco Energy Management Suite (CEM) was

working behind the scenes to see, measure, and manage the energy utilization all of the “IP enabled devices” that provided foundational capabilities for this scenario. Cisco’s CEM Suite is the central technology to optimize energy consumption across the base infrastructure. It is designed to see, measure, and manage energy usage of all IP-connected systems while cutting energy costs by 35 percent across a distributed network. CEM empowers the USAF to measure usage, adjust power to actual demand, and implement best practices for energy management across its enterprise as well as identify inefficient systems, configurations, and operational practices. Available as an on-premises, as-a-service, or cloud-based solution, it provides unheard of efficiencies to distributed networks and data centers. cisco.com/c/en/us/products/switches/energy-management-technology/index.html

• Cisco Physical Security, Disaster Response and Environmental Monitoring Through Smart Lighting: The Cisco Smart+Connected Lighting solution noted in the scenario creates Light Sensory Networks (LSN) that transform energy saving LED light fixtures into sensor-equipped, smart devices capable of capturing and transmitting a wide variety of data from the environment, including levels of humidity, CO2/O2, UVA/UVB, particulate matter, motion and seismic activity, video, and sound in near real-time. The Cisco Smart+Connected Lighting solution, when combined with the Smart+Connected Multi-Sensor Node, uses existing lighting infrastructure to create a powerful LSN. This data, transmitted over an LSN, is capable of supporting many base services from law enforcement to environmental improvement, transportation oversight, and disaster response without adding significantly more physical infrastructure. cisco.com/web/strategy/smart_connected_communities/city-lighting.html


• Cisco IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS): The Cisco IPICS solution simplifies radio dispatch operations and improves response to incidents, emergencies, and facility events. Cisco IPICS dissolves communication barriers between land-mobile -radio (LMR) systems and devices such as mobile phones, landline phones, IP phones, and PCs, supporting communications among users of all devices, wherever they are located. cisco.com/c/en/us/products/physical-security/ip-interoperability-collaboration-system/index.html

• Cisco Connected Health Care: Cisco Connected Health solutions and services enable new levels of communication and collaboration among patients, providers, payers, and life science organizations. Built on a highly secure network of interoperable technologies, these Cisco solutions are crafted to meet the healthcare community’s unique compliance, bandwidth, stability, and interoperability requirements. cisco.com/web/strategy/healthcare/index.html

• Cisco Media Suite: Cisco Media Suite provides the delivery and management tools, signage, and applications to communicate, connect, and engage the entire base community on various topics such as safety and security, training, transportation information, MWR, and healthcare. Cisco Media Suite is the vehicle to deliver compelling and interactive media and messaging using open source and well established industry standards. cisco.com/c/en/us/products/video/digital-media-suite/index.html

• Cisco AeroScout RFID: Misplaced mobile toolkits, machinery, parts, and work-in-process inventory generate costs in efficiency, safety and inventory management. In its Location-Based Services solutions, Cisco and AeroScout offer a family of mission- critical technologies that help manufacturers to increase visibility and minimize losses resulting from theft, management inefficiencies, damage, and loss. cisco.com/web/strategy/docs/manufacturing/Aeroscout-Cisco-Brochure.pdf

• Cisco Wireless Solutions: Cisco Aironet Outdoor access points can be deployed in a variety of demanding environments. These access points provide a variety of capabilities, including: self-healing, self-optimizing networks that avoid RF interference, client connections in mixed client environments, and multicast capabilities to improve multimedia applications. cisco.com/c/en/us/products/wireless/outdoor-wireless/index.html#~benefits

• Cisco Collaboration: Cisco Collaboration allows airmen to work freely across base and headquarters level organizations. The integrated capabilities of voice, video, conferencing, content sharing, instant messaging, and presence support collaboration at any time, from any device, from the browser to the command center. Successful delivery of a next-generation collaboration experience requires a fully integrated, yet open, architectural approach that delivers superior reliability, scalability, and security. cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/collaboration/product-listing.html

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Asia Pacific HeadquartersCisco Systems (USA) Pte. Ltd.Singapore

Europe HeadquartersCisco Systems International BV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Cisco has more than 200 offices worldwide. Addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers are listed on the Cisco Website at www.cisco.com/go/offices.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1110R)

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does

not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1110R)

Americas HeadquartersCisco Systems, Inc.San Jose, CA

Asia Pacific HeadquartersCisco Systems (USA) Pte. Ltd.Singapore

Europe HeadquartersCisco Systems International BV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Cisco has more than 200 offices worldwide. Addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers are listed on the Cisco Website at www.cisco.com/go/offices.