61. NATO, through its interoperability directive, has recognized that widespread interoperability is a key component in achieving effective and efficient operations. In many of the operations world-wide in which the military of the NATO nations are engaged, they participate together with a wide variety of the military of other nations and non-military organizations on the ground. The NATO Interoperability Standards and Profile (NISP) provides the necessary guidance and technical components to support project implementations and transition to NATO Network Enabled Capability (NNEC).
62. The standards extant for the AMN are described in the NISP. This is published as ADatP-34 by the NATO C3 Board. As part of the NISP, an AMN Profile of NATO Interoperability Standards has been published among the several operational profiles permitted as part of ADatP-34. These are the extant and NATO agreed list of practical standards to achieve immediately usable interoperability between the national network extensions of the NATO nations, coalition partners and NATO provided capabilities.
63. Nations participating in the AMN have agreed to comply with the AMN joining instructions, of which these standards form an integral part.
64. The AMN Profile will be used in the implementation of NATO Common Funded Systems. Nations participating in AMN agree to use this profile at Network Interconnection Points (NIPs) and at other Service Interoperability Points as applicable.
65. NNEC Services must be able to function in a network environment containing firewalls and various routing and filtering schemes; therefore, developers must use standard and well-known ports wherever possible, and document non-standard ports as part of their service interface. Service developers must assume network behaviour and performance consistent with the existing limits of these networks, taking bandwidth limitations and potentially unreliable networks into account.
66. ADatP-34 defines four stages within the life-cycle of a standard: emerging, mandatory, fading and retired[1]. In those situations where multiple stages are mentioned, the AMN Profile recommends dates by which the transition to the next stage is to be completed by all AMN members. If a TCN (or NCI Agency) decides to implement emerging standards it is her responsibility to maintain backwards compatibility to the mandatory standard.
67. The AMN Profile is managed within volume 4 of the Joining, Membership and Exit Instructions (JMEI) (i.e. Vol 4 of the JMEI as currently published as NCI Agency Technical Report TR-2013/ACO008868/04). This document is oriented around the AMN Profile of NATO Interoperability Standards.
68. All changes proposed to this profile must be via the process outlined at section 2.7 of the JMEI Volume 4. All changes are to be first collectively agreed via the AMN Architecture Working Group (AWG). The NCI Agency acts as the custodian for the AMN Profile and is to be used as the conduit for changes (via her dual membership of the AMN AWG and IPCat).
69. The table below summarizes the main changes between the AMN Profile as published in ADaTP-34(H) to the standards cited in the tables of this document.
| Table/Subject | Key updates |
|---|---|
| Table D.12: Battlespace Management Interoperability Protocols and Standards |
|
70. The AMN has been designed and is managed as far as possible using a service approach. The AMN Services are based on the NATO C3 Classification Taxonomy AC/322-N(2012)0092-AS1.
71. The C3 Classification Taxonomy is used to identify particular services and associated Service Interoperability Point where two entities will interface and the standards in use by the relevant systems.
72. Within Volume 4 of the AMN JMEI, the implementation of a standard (where required) is described within an annex associated with each service.
73. The C3 Classification Taxonomy has been used to structure the AMN Profile, commencing with Communications and working up the Taxonomy.
[1] The FMN Profile has been further refined and also additionally uses 4 obligation categories of Mandatory, Conditional, Recommended and Optional to assist with conformity assessments. Where relevant these have also been used in an AMN context.