The Defense Switched Network (DSN) is a primary information transfer network for the

Defense Information Systems Network The Defense Information System Network (DISN) has been the United States Department of Defense's enterprise telecommunications network for providing data, video, and voice services for 40 years. The DISN end-to-end infrastructure is composed o ...

(DISN) of the

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secur ...

. The DSN provides the worldwide non-secure voice,

secure voice Secure voice (alternatively secure speech or ciphony) is a term in cryptography for the encryption of voice communication over a range of communication types such as radio, telephone or IP. History The implementation of voice encryption dat ...

, data,

facsimile A facsimile (from Latin ''fac simile'', "to make alike") is a copy or reproduction of an old book, manuscript, map, art print, or other item of historical value that is as true to the original source as possible. It differs from other forms of ...

, and

video teleconferencing Videotelephony, also known as videoconferencing and video teleconferencing, is the two-way or multipoint reception and transmission of audio and video signals by people in different locations for real time communication.McGraw-Hill Concise Encyc ...

services for DOD

Command and Control Command and control (abbr. C2) is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... hatemploys human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or e ...

(C2) elements, their supporting activities engaged in

logistics Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...

personnel Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any ot ...

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

, and

intelligence Intelligence has been defined in many ways: the capacity for abstraction, logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, planning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. It can be described as the ...

, as well as other Federal agencies. In 1982, the DSN was designated by the

Office of the Secretary of Defense The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) is a headquarters-level staff of the United States Department of Defense. It is the principal civilian staff element of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, and it assists the Secretary in carrying out aut ...

(OSD) and the

Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and t ...

(JCS) as the provider of long-distance communications service for the DOD. The DSN is designated as a primary system of communication during peacetime, periods of crisis, preattack, non-nuclear, and post-attack phases of war. The network assures nonblocking service for users with "flash" and "flash override" precedence capabilities. Key users include the National Command Authorities, Commanders of the Combatant Commands, and subordinate component commanders. DSN replaced the older Autovon system. The DSN consists of four subsystems: *Switching, *Transmission, *Timing and Synchronization, and *

Network Administration Network management is the process of administering and managing computer networks. Services provided by this discipline include fault analysis, performance management, provisioning of networks and maintaining quality of service. Network manage ...

and Management. The DSN Switching Subsystem consists of multifunction, stand-alone tandem,

end office {{No footnotes, date=August 2008 A class-5 telephone switch is a telephone exchange in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) that directly serves subscribers and manages subscriber calling features. Class-5 services include basic dial-tone, ...

, and remote switching units. Using the transmission, timing, and control elements of the DISN, they interconnect all military locations worldwide and provide end-to-end long-distance common user and dedicated voice, secure voice, data, and video services worldwide. In addition to nonsecure voice, data, and video services, the DSN will provide transmission, switching, and support services for Secure Telephone Units, Third Generation (

STU-III STU-III (Secure Telephone Unit - third generation) is a family of secure telephones introduced in 1987 by the NSA for use by the United States government, its contractors, and its allies. STU-III desk units look much like typical office telephone ...

s, now obsolete), the Secure Terminal Equipment (STE), the Defense Red Switch Network (DRSN), the dial-up alternative routing for the Unclassified but Sensitive

Internet Protocol The Internet Protocol (IP) is the network layer communications protocol in the Internet protocol suite for relaying datagrams across network boundaries. Its routing function enables internetworking, and essentially establishes the Internet. ...

(IP) Router Network (

NIPRNet The Non-classified Internet Protocol (IP) Router Network (NIPRNet) is an IP network used to exchange unclassified information, including information subject to controls on distribution, among the private network's users. The NIPRNet also provide ...

), and the Secret IP Router Network (

SIPRNet The Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet) is "a system of interconnected computer networks used by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of State to transmit classified information (up to and including information c ...

). The DSN can also provide access to the

Government Emergency Telephone System The Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) is a White House-directed emergency telephone service provided by a division of the Department of Homeland Security. GETS uses enhancements based on existing commercial technology Pur ...

(GETS).

Area Codes

Eight

area codes A telephone numbering plan is a type of numbering scheme used in telecommunication to assign telephone numbers to subscriber telephones or other telephony endpoints. Telephone numbers are the addresses of participants in a telephone network, re ...

are used to cover certain geographical areas for regular voice communications: *311 for

AFRICOM The United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM, U.S. AFRICOM, and AFRICOM), is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense, headquartered at Kelley Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U ...

*312 for the

Continental United States The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...

(

NORTHCOM United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) is one of eleven unified combatant commands of the United States Department of Defense. The command is tasked with providing military support for non-military authorities in the U.S., and protect ...

) and

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

*313 for the Caribbean *314 for EUCOM *315 for INDOPACOM *317 for

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...

*318 for CENTCOM *319 for

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...

(Canadian Switched Network (CSN)) Other area codes are assigned to functional areas: *20x for interface with the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

's Defence Fixed Telecommunications Service (DFTS) *606 for interface with

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

's Core Network (NCN) *7xx for interface with Australia's Defence Voice Network (DVN) *715 for interface with

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

's Defence Telephone Network (DTelN)

References

External links

Defense Information Systems Agency
(DISA)
DISA Media Resources Page

A brief history of the DSN
US Government Defense Information Systems Agency
DSN Movie
US Government Defense Information Systems Agency
DSN Movie Transcript
US Government Defense Information Systems Agency United States Department of Defense agencies Military communications of the United States {{US-mil-stub