The C4ISR Architecture Framework: History, Status, and Plans for Evolution

The Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Architecture Framework, Version 2.0, developed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) C4ISR Architecture Working Group, provides guidance for describing architectures. It is intended to ensure that architectures developed by the Commands, Services, and defense Agencies are interrelatable between and among the organizations' operational, systems, and technical architecture views, and are comparable and integratable across Joint and multi-national organizational boundaries. The Framework is intended to ensure that a clear audit trail exists from mission operations and effectiveness measures to the characteristics of current and postulated C4ISR systems and their contributions (performance and interoperability metrics) to mission operations. This paper describes the four main components of the Framework, i.e., Architecture Views (Operational, Systems, and Technical) and Linkages, Common Product Templates and Common Data, Universal Guidance, and Common Building Block References. Relationships to other popular and emerging architecture frameworks are described, along with current plans for further evolution of the Framework.