Better Waveforms, Better Value


Joint Tactical Networking Center incorporates better buying power by promoting competition with software-defined waveforms


by MAJ William Brickner I 30


n mid-November 2012, the training areas of Fort Huachuca, AZ, bustled with DOD, Army and Navy acquisition professionals participating in


the third Joint Tactical Networking Center (JTNC) Wideband


Networking Waveform Performance and Interoperability Quick-Look, or WIQ 3. An Interoperability Quick-Look is a cost-effective risk reduction event providing non-developmental item (NDI) vendors a unique opportunity to port and host Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) waveforms on their platforms and undergo evaluation for JTNC waveform compliance, in advance of upcoming field exercises.


Tese tests were part of the final two phases of a three-phased approach to testing radios using the Wideband Networking Waveform (WNW) application from the government’s JTRS Information Repository. (See Figure 1.) Incorporating a number of focus areas in the DOD Better Buying Power 2.0 initia- tive, WIQ 3 enabled waveform developers to leverage existing assessment activities, reducing nonproductive processes to help control costs throughout the waveform’s life cycle and promot- ing effective competition among multiple software-defined radio vendors to drive down procurement costs.


Designed to enable more cost-effective capability growth by applying the concept of competition to an acquisition strat- egy, JTNC’s business model—the reuse of government-owned software by multiple vendors—represents a paradigm shift for defense communications. It moves away from sole-source, stovepiped, proprietary systems to a highly competitive, interop- erable networking environment. As LTC Mathew Guerrieri, the product manager for joint tactical network waveforms, noted,


“Te WNW Quick-Look and demonstration during Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) 13.1 reinforced the value that our evolving business model delivers to the warfighter and taxpayer by promoting effective competition with four industry partner radio platforms operating in the same network.”


“With government purpose rights software running on program- of-record and commercial software-defined radios throughout the battlespace, we all benefit from improved productivity and innovation in industry and government, ultimately leading to affordable programs,” Guerrieri added. WIQ 3 “assisted the development team by identifying areas for improving the soft- ware and by updating the JTNC stakeholder community on this capability’s status and ability to provide timely value.”


Army AL&T Magazine


April–June 2013


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168