Data Exchange Becomes "Go-To" Software for Theater Information

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  • By Brandie Woodard
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ROME, New York --  Combined Information Data Network Exchange (CIDNE) is CENTCOM's answer to managing the complexities of theater-wide operational reporting, quality assurance and quality control. With millions of records vetted and finalized for operational and intelligence reporting, CIDNE is the originating source database for nearly all information formally presented to Congress and the White House regarding events in Afghanistan and Iraq.

CIDNE leverages the latest Service Oriented Architecture and Net-Centric Enabled technologies. According to Major General Michael T. Flynn, ISAF CJ2, "CIDNE provides a platform for organizing knowledge in order to answer the fundamental questions about the environment in which we operate and the people we are trying to protect and persuade." General Stanley A. McChrystal, Commander, ISAF/USFOR-A, added: "CIDNE is core to the ISAF HQ and IJC Information Environment. It is absolutely integral to the success of IJC Information Dominance operations; the dedicated use of CIDNE transcends the intelligence function and it is a critical component of the ISAF/IJC Governance and Development Information System."

Based on the realization that traditional software development and acquisition timelines were inadequate to support the ground commander's constantly evolving requirements, CIDNE was created to collect and analyze critical battlefield data to provide daily operational and intelligence community reporting relevant to a commander's daily decision-making processes. With CIDNE, data can be collected quickly and consistently in a manner that allows for automated data correlation and aggregation across the entire theater.

During April 2011, CIDNE software version release 2.2, with a Technical Readiness Level of 9, transitioned to USCENTCOM, USFI, ISAF and is fielded operationally throughout the Iraq and Afghanistan Areas of Operation. The program was funded by USCENTCOM, Army, DIA, and DNI.