components of the various Federal agencies.
Essentially, all branches of the Federal Government,
both civilian and military, are part of the NCS. Each
department and branch, however, has its individual
organization, methods, and procedures.
DEFENSE COMMUNICATIONS
SYSTEM
The Defense Communications System (DCS)
exists to support the three military departments (Navy,
Army, Air Force) and other Department of Defense
activities. The circuits that make up the DCS are
government-owned or leased and are point-to-point
circuits that are long-haul and worldwide. The DCS
combines many of the communication elements of the
three military forces into a single communications
system.
Although the Naval Telecommunications System
(NTS) and the DCS are two different communications
systems (fleet and ashore, respectively), they are
constantly intermixed. For example, as often happens,
a naval message originated aboard ship and destined for
a shore activity leaves the ship over the NTS, but final
routing is accomplished over the DCS circuits. The
interface between the NTS and DCS is always provided
by the shore communications facility.
DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS
AGENCY
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
gives operational direction to the DCS. With reference
to the DCS, the DISA must ensure that the system is
operated and improved so as to meet the continual
long-haul, point-to-point requirements that arise.
The DISA functions under the management of a
director who is appointed by the Secretary of Defense.
The director is a flag-rank officer and is responsible for
coordinating the combined communications elements
of the three military departments.
MISSION OF NAVAL
COMMUNICATIONS
The mission of naval communications is to provide
and maintain reliable, secure, and rapid
communications, based on war requirements, to meet
the needs of naval operating forces. Naval
communications must also satisfy the requirements of
the Defense Communications System (DCS) and the
National Communications System (NCS).
Naval communications must always be ready to
shift to the requirements of wartime. Our peacetime
organization and training must be capable of making
this shift rapidly and with a minimum of changes.
Without this capability, our forces would be severely
handicapped, and vital defense information would
never reach its destination. For this reason, we have a
well-defined communications structure, with
responsibilities assigned to each element, from the
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) down to individual
fleet units.
POLICY OF NAVAL
COMMUNICATIONS
The policy of naval communications is to:
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Establish and maintain effective communica-
tions within the Department of the Navy;
Encourage at all levels of command an effort to
improve techniques, procedures, and efficiency;
Cooperate with the military services, Defense
Information Systems Agency (DISA), and other
departments and agencies of the U.S.
Government and allied nations;
Encourage development of the amateur and
commercial communications activities of the
United States to enhance their military value and
to safeguard the interests of the nation; and
Promote the safety of life at sea and in the air by
maintaining communications facilities with the
U.S. Merchant Marine, aircraft over sea, and
appropriate U.S. and foreign communication
stations.
NAVAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS
SYSTEM
The word telecommunications includes all types
of information systems in which electric or
electromagnetic signals are used to transmit
information between or among points. The Naval
Telecommunications System (NTS) is comprised of all
the end terminal processing equipment, transmission,
switching, cryptographic, and control devices used to
transmit operational information in the Navy.
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