Significant opportunities exist for improving U.S. Navy force-level command-and-control tactical interoperability (C2 TIOP). Defining C2 TIOP, establishing standards, managing the risk, and identifying root causes for fleet-observed problems (FOPs) outline the need to take the "Long View." Much has been done already to address fleet-observed problems in the short and mid-term, but the long-term approach to addressing C2 TIOP has yet to be tackled systemically across the U.S. naval warfare systems engineering community. To do so will require evaluating the elements of requirement specifications, standards and metrics as implemented by programs to solve for the desired end-state. It will also effectively leverage Technical Authority (TA) to shift the focus of engineering interoperability from near-end-game certification to the front end of the acquisition process-moving to the extreme left of the Systems Engineering "V." The goal is to achieve and maintain a complete, accurate and persistent common tactical picture (CTP) to optimize Fleet situational awareness at the Strike Group/Force level and derive force-multiplying affects through effective C2 TIOP. Effective C2 TIOP generates complete, accurate and persistent tactical information that enables mission success. Achieving this, however, challenges the Navy's technical and engineering community to take a different path than today's "business as usual." Significant is the need to define and agree on a definition for "interoperability" and associated terms of reference. Until the Navy broadly understands what "C2 TIOP" means, it will be frustrated in its attempts to resolve the issues in an affordable, cost-effective manner. This paper defines C2 TIOP and describes a way ahead that embraces the definition, identifies and pursues long-term interoperability gains, and charts a course from where we are to the desired end state. Systems Engineering for U.S. Navy Maritime Dominance-to ensure a complete, accurate and persistent common tactical picture across all naval warfare mission areas-demands that Navy embrace the "Long View."
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