DOD moving to IPv6

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2003/0609/web-dodip-06-13-03.asp

By Dan Caterinicchia 
June 13, 2003

Beginning in October, all Defense Department assets acquired for the
Global Information Grid must be compatible with the next-generation
Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6), according to DOD's top information
technology official.

The GIG is a massive DOD network designed to connect warfighters
anywhere in the world. Moving to IPv6 will help the department achieve
its goal of network-centric warfare and operations by the end of the
decade, said John Stenbit, assistant secretary of Defense for networks
and information integration.

Stenbit signed a policy memorandum June 9 that outlines DOD's
transition to the new protocol by 2008. That year was chosen because
most experts estimate widespread commercial adoption will take place
from 2005 to 2007, he said.

"We want to make it clear to our programs' major development
activities that come on line in the 2008-2010 timeframe that the IPv6
standard, as it evolves, will be the department's standard," he said
during a Pentagon press briefing today.

Stenbit, who also serves as DOD chief information officer, said the
current protocol, IPv4, has been in use for almost 30 years. He noted
that its fundamental limitations hinder network-centric operations,
which link together disparate portions of the battlefield and increase
the lethality of U.S. forces by providing situational awareness and
knowledge superiority.

Stenbit said IPv6 is designed to meet future commercial and DOD
requirements, including:

* Improved end-to-end security, which is critical for DOD intranets
  that contain large amounts of classified information and traffic.

* Improved quality of service through work-arounds that will eliminate
  packet drops and instability on video teleconferences and
  voice-over-IP systems.

* Facilitation of mobile communications.

* Better system management.

* Expanded IP address space, which is a major problem in Europe.

DOD is in the process of selecting three large programs to serve as
early adopters of the new protocol, and the "results of those three
experiments will [determine] if we pull the switch in 2008," he said.

One pilot program per year will launch between 2005 and 2007 and they
will be large enough, but also controlled enough, so that DOD can
properly analyze results for possible enterprise use, Stenbit said.

He added that either the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network
(SIPRNET) or the Non-Classified Internet Protocol Router Network
(NIPRNET) might be one of the programs switched over to IPv6, and that
the Navy Marine Corps Intranet also is being considered. Definitive
choices will be made within 30 days.

"NMCI has a large population of users. . .and when they get to [a
suite] of standard applications, there's a technology refresh in the
contract in a couple of years," he said, noting that could be the time
to make a switch to IPv6.

Vendors, including Cisco Systems Inc., already are producing equipment
that is compatible with both IPv4 and IPv6, and as competition heats
up in the next few years, costs should level out, Stenbit said.  
However, routers, software and other tools that run on both standards
will probably perform slower, prompting Stenbit to note, "We believe
that to be a real cost, but that doesn't keep me awake at night."

A draft DOD IPv6 transition plan will be released within one month and
completion of the plan is expected by early September, according to
Stenbit's memo.



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