Military Messaging
Military Messaging is used through various names, including Formal Messaging and High Grade Messaging (HGM). It has been traditionally provided by ACP 127, but SMTP and STANAG 4406 are now widely used as well.
There are some similarities to email, but key differences can be seen from inspecting the example message.
- Military messages are sent between organisations (not roles or users), showing the “command” features of military messages.
- Military messages have “action” and “information” recipients
- Action and Information recipients have independently specified precedence (e.g., “FLASH”), which informs about priority.
- Harrier shows a “due time”, which is based on the history of the current recipient, any “reply by” time and message delivery time. This provides information about the message deadline.
- DTG (Date Time Group) exhibits the time that the message takes effect. There is also information about the filing time.
- Security Label is linked to every message.
- Message Type gives information on the operation of the message.
- SICs (Subject Information Codes) show formal information about the nature of the message
- This message contains an ADatP-3/APP-11 Message Text Format (MTF), downloadable as an attachment for processing in a C2 (Command and Control) system.
General-purpose Email Interface
Harrier is designed based on modern email protocols (IMAP, SMTP & S/MIME) and can be utilised as a general-purpose email interface for communication between roles or users. Harrier offers configuration options to allow for email use. Other features not generally available to email clients include security label support, exempted recipient support, and time controls.
Role-Based Mailboxes
Military messaging enables communication between organisations, while mailboxes are role-based. Harrier utilises role-based mailboxes by authenticating users and then allowing for the selection of a a role-based mailbox that the user is authorised to gain access to.
Harrier can make the shift between role-based mailboxes.
When an organisation receives a message, it will be sent to role-based mailboxes based on message content and SICs using a profiler, such as the one provided by M-Switch Profiler. Harrier will identify messages that have been profiled and clarify this to the Harrier user.
Harrier can also exhibit the series of all action and info roles to which a profiled message was delivered.
Harrier will show when a message has been expanded by a military distribution list and whether the current mailbox is action or info.
Draft, Review and Release processes
Military messages regularly use a draft and release procedure to support the formal release and approval of messages by the right officer. This linear release process is combined with a parallel review process to enhance and promote a drafter-centric review.