THE MAKING OF A PACKARD
aligned to USAREUR, helped scope the effort and shape the over- all phased approach for addressing the operational requirements.”
The toughest challenge? “Making sure we met all the require- ments possible, which included establishing a networked EW capability that could interoperate with Army mission command systems, while also meeting our delivery timeline. Te team included a great set of dedicated professionals within the RCCTO and the PM, and across our partners throughout the Army, that made this unprecedented effort a success.”
Advice for rapid prototyping: “Perfection is the enemy of ‘good enough’ when building your acquisition strategy and scoping out the phases of the capability. Time will always be one of the critical measures of success, and the burdens associated with the endless pursuit of perfection will always be a hindrance to getting the required capabilities to the end user. Working directly with the users early in the process, and then continuing to receive their input and operational feedback throughout the process, proved key to making sure we developed and delivered what they needed to meet their mission.”
How did partnering with the acquisition team early work for your unit? “Exceedingly well. Our team was fortunate to be able to participate in multiple Network Integration Evalu- ations, simulation exercises, and testing events both pre- and post-fielding. Tis gave our regimental planning team and tacti- cal operators several instances to provide direct, candid feedback to the engineers, acquisition team and decision-makers involved in the project. We were able to see our ideas and feedback incor- porated almost immediately, and knew with high confidence what we were receiving as the end user. Tis also served to get Soldier buy-in at the lowest levels, and they became more vested in providing comprehensive and meaningful feedback. It also removed a lot of unnecessary guesswork and ensured all parties had a shared understanding and shared expectations of the scope of the fielding.”
Advice for rapid prototyping: “Partner early and consistently with the acquisition team before, during and after equipment fielding. Know those aspects of the equipment that are more important to you and your Soldiers, and be prepared to commu- nicate those requirements clearly. It’s also important to build a plan on how to go about stressing new systems, capturing rele- vant information, and how you envision the systems or equipment will be employed.”
For more information on the Army RCCTO, go to https://
rapidcapabilitiesoffice.army.mil/. For more information on PEO IEW&S and PM EW&C, go to
https://peoiews.army.mil/.
THE USER: CAPT. SEAN LYNCH, (2ND CAVALRY REGIMENT)
“Tis equipment provides additional sensors that units can leverage to help build a common operating picture and drive the targeting process. It provides commanders with additional options to more effectively shape their areas of responsibility, while also addressing theaterwide challenges from near-peer competitors and NATO adversaries. Tese assets can be seamlessly integrated within a Stryker formation, require no reliance on joint air platforms, and can provide immediate direction finding or geolocating capa- bility of enemy emitters to maneuver commanders at the lowest levels. Te Army can continue to build on this momentum by solidifying what the primary mission or role of ground-based elec- tronic warfare is and how the Army feels it should be equipped to accomplish it.”
NANCY JONES-BONBREST is a public communications specialist for RCCTO. She has written extensively about Army modernization and acquisition for several years, including multiple training and testing events. She holds a B.S. in journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park.
JOHN HIGGINS is a public affairs writer for PEO IEW&S. He is an Iraq War veteran and former public affairs Soldier. He holds a B.A. in film production from Towson University.
CLAIRE HEININGER is the public communications lead for RCCTO and has written extensively about Army acquisition topics. She holds a B.A. in American Studies from the University of Notre Dame and is a former politics and government reporter for Te Star- Ledger, New Jersey’s largest newspaper. She is Level II certified in program management.
18
Army AL&T Magazine
Spring 2019
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