Federated Mission Networking
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| Motto | Federate - Share - Win |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2015 |
| Purpose | Enabling better Command and Control, decision making and information sharing by connecting forces in a coalition environment |
| Headquarters | FMN Secretariat |
| Location |
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| Products | FMN Spiral Specifications; Joining, Membership and Exit Instructions (JMEIs) |
| Fields | Standardization |
|
Membership
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34 (27 NATO Nations, 6 non-NATO nations, and NATO Command Structure) |
| Owner | NATO |
| Website | https://dnbl.ncia.nato.int/FMN |
Federated Mission Networking (FMN) is a significant initiative to help ensure interoperability and operational effectiveness of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, it is a key contribution to the Connected Forces Initiative, helping Allied and Partner forces to better communicate, train and operate together. This includes the NATO Command Structure as well as the NATO Force Structure. The purpose of FMN is ultimately to support Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) and decision-making in operations by enabling a rapid instantiation of mission networks. In addition to the NATO Command Structure, 33 nations have joined the FMN initiative as so called "FMN Affiliates" and work together under the FMN Framework Process to coordinate the design, development and delivery of operational and technical capabilities required to conduct net-centric operations. Each development increment is referred to as an "FMN Spiral". The respective requirements, architecture, standards, procedural and technical instructions are documented in so called "FMN Spiral Specifications". FMN Spiral Specifications are based on well known standards and best practices, hence supported by most off-the-shelf products and vendor neutral. TACOMS standards and profiles specify a common, technology and topology independent network interoperability layer (or federated core) for federated mission networks. There is also a rolling 10-year FMN Spiral Specification Roadmap of the envisioned future capabilities. At the same time, the Coalition Interoperability Assurance and Validation (CIAV) process ensures that current interoperability issues are being identified and fed back into FMN capability development.
NATO Federated Mission Networking arose from the operational requirement in Afghanistan which necessitated troop contributing nations to operate in a single information sharing domain called the Afghanistan Mission Network (AMN). Through the experience of ISAF in Afghanistan, the value of a coalition-wide network was made clear: greater situational awareness facilitates more effective decision making. Based on improved coalition unity of effort and speed of command, Commander ISAF endorsed AMN best practices as the “right model” for future coalition missions and forwarded the requirement to NATO and to the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. On 21 November 2012, the NATO Military Committee agreed the "Future Mission Network Concept", later noted by the North Atlantic Council (NAC), as the basis for the development of an implementation plan that defines "the implications for NATO and the Nations". The Concept provided overarching guidance for establishing a federated mission networking capability that enables effective information sharing among NATO, NATO member nation and/or non-NATO entities participating in operations. The FMN Concept describes the operational requirements, principles, and implementation considerations for a capability consisting of three components: Governance, FMN Framework, and Mission Networks.
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