MMHS for Slovak Armed Forces
The Challenge
In preparation for joining NATO in March 2004, the Slovak Armed Forces needed to implement a Military Message Handling System (MMHS). A local systems integrator (SI) with excellent experience in IT security was selected to manage the project.
The project began in 2001 with a hardware upgrade and the design, test and implementation of an informal messaging system for the strategic and operational environment. The goal was for the full MMHS to be deployed nationally, at both strategic and tactical levels, by the end of 2007. To this end, the SI conducted a requirements definition exercise in June 2003 that led to its declaration of commitment to a solution based on Nexor products.
The Nexor Solution
Nexor has since worked in partnership with the SI to define, design and implement a system that will comply with STANAG 4406 Annex E. A phased delivery plan has been agreed by all three parties. Nexor provided a Study Workstation for the SI and the Slovak Armed Forces to use as a reference system. This was supported by a training course, during which a complete MMHS was built on a single laptop. This gave the team an excellent opportunity to understand all the products and technologies involved, so that best use could be made of them in the project.
Phase Two of the project, begun in 2005, has several objectives to deliver:
- A STANAG 4406 Annex E prototype
- Additional licences for Nexor software products
- Training and workshops in message handling systems and products
During 2005, Nexor consultants worked extensively with the SI to deliver Phase Two to the Slovak Armed Forces. This included spending time on site in Slovakia to deploy a complete strategic MMHS, compliant with STANAG 4406, to prove the concept.
The configuration is the first in the world to include a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) implementation of Nexor Vanguard, a product designed specifically for low-bandwidth environments. Other Nexor products used in the MMHS include:
Nexor also provided one of its CLAS Consultants to support creation of a ‘Vision for a Security Environment’. The Ministry of Defence will use this vision as the basis for building a secure infrastructure for all information systems, both current and future.
The Result
Specific benefits of the approach agreed by Nexor and the SI include:
- A low-risk implementation plan
- Accurate requirements definition based on a realistic reference system
- Use of the Study Workstation as a permanent and portable means of demonstrating, testing and training in both current and future capabilities
- Experience for the SI and the Slovak Armed Forces staff in new and emerging message handling products, with a high degree of knowledge transfer
- Certification of course delegates as Mailer and Directory administrators
- A solid foundation for subsequent strategic and tactical roll-out phases
Full compliance with STANAG 4406 Annex E has put the Slovak Armed Forces at the vanguard of military messaging, enabling it to leapfrog over more established players in the field.