VIRTUALIZATION IS ENABLING THE ARMY TO IMPROVE NETWORK PERFORMANCE, SIMPLIFY NETWORK OPERATIONS, AND REDUCE SIZE, WEIGHT, POWER AND COOLING REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMAND POSTS AND VEHICLES.
that they can stash in a suitcase and con- nect to the WIN-T network on arrival. Te program’s initial operational test and evaluation is currently scheduled for NIE 16.2, followed by a full-rate production decision and fielding to units. T2C2 will provide satellite dishes that deploy in transit cases the size of carry-on luggage to support small detachments and teams, plus larger transportable satellite dishes to support company-sized elements. Tese capabilities lend themselves to future contingencies in remote locations that lack an established and reliable network infrastructure.
NETWORKED VEHICLE VERSATILITY Te Army’s mobile WIN-T Increment 2 has already taken WIN-T beyond the FOB in Afghanistan, where three brigade combat teams (BCTs) used its on-the- move network capability to exchange critical situational awareness as the Army dismantled its fixed network infra- structure to return home. As the Army continues to field WIN-T Increment 2 to select infantry and Stryker BCTs, Soldiers have leveraged the network in unique ways to execute test and training missions. During the program’s operational test in October and November 2014, Strykers and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles integrated with WIN-T Incre- ment 2 were used to rapidly retransmit fire and counterfire support information
between upper and lower echelons. For- ward observers and fire support officers once restricted by the line-of-sight dis- tances of their radios to exchange fires information between maneuver platoons and brigade executed critical operations at the edge of the fight by leveraging WIN-T Increment 2’s secure mobile satel- lite capabilities.
To support a more expeditionary force, the Army is also using virtualization to sig- nificantly reduce SWaP-C requirements for vehicles equipped with the WIN-T Increment 2 network. Te Tactical Com- munications Node
(TCN) provides
networking and communications to sup- port the command post and is currently built on a Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles platform to hold all of the nec- essary equipment. Te Army is working to virtualize some of the TCN’s hardware, creating a TCN “lite” that is scheduled for fielding in 2017. Other WIN-T Incre- ment 2 capabilities can now be integrated onto smaller platforms, such as sling- loadable High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, to support more agile operations in remote environments.
CONCLUSION Underpinning all of these modernization efforts—and all of STARNet—are the principles of increasing network simplic- ity, security, capacity and adaptability. Te Army is aggressively
leveraging Soldier
ASC.ARMY.MIL 29
feedback from theater, NIEs and user juries to make equipment easier to install, operate, train and maintain, and to ensure a common user experience across the network. Tis will improve task organi- zation and reduce dependence on signal Soldiers and field support representatives to install, operate and maintain commu- nications equipment.
Te network of 2025 must move beyond the FOB, providing the flexibility to support a broad range of operational conditions and delivering robust, reli- able communications to all echelons and various mission partners through- out all stages of any operation, in any environment. Modernization efforts are laying the groundwork to network the future force, and the Army will con- tinue to drive technology forward to ensure that it remains many steps ahead of its adversaries and is ready to sup- port the unexpected contingencies of a complex world.
For more information, go to the PEO C3T website at
http://peoc3t.army.mil/c3t/ or the PM WIN-T website at http://peoc3t.
army.mil/wint/, or contact the PEO C3T Public Affairs Office at 443-395-6489 or
usarmy.APG.peo-c3t.mbx.pao-peoc3t@
mail.mil. For additional information, go to milWiki at
http://go.usa.gov/4Qvk (Common Access Card login required).
MR. DARREN LEBLANC, technical engineer for PM WIN-T, has been a special adviser to the chief engineer, PM WIN-T since 2009. Previously, as chief of radio engineering, he was responsible for all the radio systems under both the WIN-T Increment 2 and the Increment 3 ACAT 1D development programs. He has a B.S. in engineering from Messiah College.
ACQUISITION
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