Friday March 8, 2013
What is it?
Unit Set Fielding (USF) is a five-phased, system of systems approach to the fielding of complex Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities.
What has the Army done?
USF, initiated in 2006 by the Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T), works as a “one-stop-shop” for units by managing the planning and implementation of fielding and reset for C4ISR capabilities. USF is synchronized with units’ long range training calendars, reset and support, and is also closely aligned with the Army Force Generation (ARFORGEN) process for building trained and ready forces.
As of January 2013, approximately 75 percent of active Army units brigade and higher went through the USF process, while another 62 percent of Army National Guard, 31 percent of Army Reserve and 58 percent of multi-component units participated.
Through the USF process, separate capabilities are provided to a unit in a sequenced order until a complete set is received. Because C4ISR capabilities require technical knowledge, training and support is provided throughout USF by Digital Systems Engineers and Field Service Representatives.
What continued efforts does the Army have planned for the future?
As the Army continues its drawdown from Operation Enduring Freedom and rebalances its resources to the Asia-Pacific and other regions, Army units will increasingly need to realign equipment and train for new missions. The USF process, through its consolidated fielding and reset approach, is well positioned to not only meet these evolving requirements but to also offer efficiency during today’s constrained fiscal climate.
Why is this important to the Army?
With Army C4ISR capabilities continuing to evolve and becoming increasingly interdependent, USF offers an effective fielding and training process. Prior to USF, system representatives would support units based on their own availability. As a result, units were inundated with training and field requirements, and issues occurred as the units had to ready themselves for deployment.
Now, through USF, representatives from the various project managers and the unit meet in coordinated and synchronized USF planning meetings to integrate fielding and new equipment training in a logical and integrated manner. Today, an average of 100 units go through USF each year.
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