SEAMLESS WAVEFORMS


A DIFFERENT VIEW


PEO C3T and Network Cross-Functional Team team members gather in Southern California in July as part of a field-based risk-reduction effort. This third of four assessments for the Rapid Innovation Fund 2017 effort took place in both urban Los Angeles and the more rugged terrain of the Santa Monica Mountains.


Bailey: How did you conduct the Rapid Innovation Fund capstone event?


Hasan: Tis September, we gathered all of the vendors and their respective capa- bilities for a capstone event at Yakima Training Center, Washington. Follow- ing training from their home base in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Soldiers from the 1/504 PIR jumped into Yakima for their joint forcible entry and further situa- tional training exercises. All three vendors operated their waveforms and networks over a 36-hour mission, where Soldiers formed three companies—two friendly and one opposing force—to assess the radio waveforms. We monitored network connectivity, number of nodes and posi- tioning location information.


Wong: As part of our data collection process, ATEC [U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command] joined PEO C3T and the N-CFT at Yakima to engage with Soldiers during pauses in the exer- cise, where they gathered valuable user feedback on radio versatility, operation, strength of voice quality, strength of signal quality, reliability and ergonom- ics to inform the next generation of radio requirements and acquisitions.


74 Army AL&T Magazine Winter 2020


Bailey: What method do you use to ensure you successfully extract the right type of feedback and then quickly use that feedback to develop a relevant capability?


Hasan: Te network modernization effort continues to embrace the developmental operations, or DevOps, model to rapidly mature capabilities. DevOps puts Soldiers and developers side by side throughout the entire process. It provides an opportunity for Soldiers to assess and experiment with the technology early in the process and provide feedback to inform the next gener- ation of radio requirements. Vendors are taking that and fixing software, looking at Soldier usability, design, form, fit and function.


Wong: We have found that the DevOps process has proven to be a great success in terms of rapidly getting the right tech- nology into the hands of Soldiers. Even though we think of DevOps as field- based experimentation, we had also much collaboration on the back end between the developers and vendors in both the lab and the field prior to the actual Soldier exper- imentation. By doing so, we were able to identify and correct issues before a Soldier even touched the waveform capability.


Bailey: What are the Soldiers and vendors saying about working within the DevOps process?


Wong: As a Soldier, I know firsthand this a tremendous morale booster. We are talking to units differently, demonstrat- ing that we are listening to them so that we can return with a better product. Tey have told me they are thrilled to have the opportunity to assess performance issues and have them repaired on the spot, or see firsthand how their feedback yields a better design a few months versus a few years down the road, or when they have moved on or the technology is obsolete.


Our vendor feedback is just as positive; they have a huge desire and willingness to learn about the conventional Army side of business, including situations such as what it means to be a company commander and maneuvering or a battalion commander leading an airborne exercise. Each of the vendors collaborated very well with the unit.


Bailey: How are you consolidating the feedback to make an informed fielding decision?


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