WIN-T's NetOps and Cyber Security program reflagged with change of command

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MD (June 23, 2016) -- Internal program offices that manage the Army's tactical communications network known as Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T), continue to adapt and change as the Army modernizes its network. To better align with the program's evolving mission and vision, the Army officially reflagged Product Manager (PdM) WIN-T Increment 3 to PdM Tactical Cyber and Network Operations (TCNO), during the program's change of charter ceremony today.

"This name change reflects the evolution in scope of this office," said Col. Ward Roberts, outgoing PdM for WIN-T's TCNO office. "We are no longer focused on just supporting WIN-T systems; we now support the full gambit of devices and services on the mission command network, from handheld radios up to SATCOM on-the-move systems. We take a One Network approach and now our name reflects that broader scope."

Among its many responsibilities, PdM TCNO will manage three programs including Tactical Network Operations Management (TNOM), an integrated and standardized Network Operations (NetOps) toolset that enables communications officers from tactical edge up through Corps to plan, configure, manage, monitor, control and defend the network. The product office will also manage the joint forces radio manager known as Joint Enterprise Network Manager (JENM), and the Defense Cyber Operations (DCO) Tactical, which is used to help protect and defend the tactical unit network from cyber attacks.

Along with the name change, the product office also underwent a change in leadership. Roberts passed the program's charter to incoming PdM Lt. Col. Kelvin Graves, during the TCNO Change of Charter ceremony held today at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

Roberts served as PdM for WIN-T Increment 3 since June 2012 and is now assigned to the Army War College, in Carlisle, Penn. Graves most recently served as the product director for the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) within PEO Missile and Space, Lower Tier Project Office. LTAMDS is the US Army's air and missile defense architecture replacing the PATRIOT system's radar.

"Col. Roberts has done an outstanding job leading the WIN-T Increment 3 team during a challenging and complex time," said Col. Greg Coile, project manager for WIN-T, who hosted the ceremony. "His time in WIN-T culminated in a successful operational test that will deliver a capability to significantly improve visualization and defense of the network. As we say goodbye to the Roberts command team, we welcome Lt. Col. Graves and his family to the WIN-T Team. I am confident in his leadership to transition the team from Inc 3 to TCNO, and I look forward to the great things to come from the TCNO team."

In 2014, Roberts managed the complex restructuring of the WIN-T Increment 3 program to focus on the enhancement and simplification of NetOps, to make it easier for communications officers to manage and defend the vast tactical communications network. In support of this mission, following extensive risk reduction preparations and testing, the Army conducted the WIN-T Increment 3 Limited User Test (LUT) during Network Integration Evaluation 16.2 at Fort Bliss, Texas in May. Successful evaluation results will support the software technical insertion of the new enhancements into both the at-the-halt and on-the-move increments of the network, which is currently projected for fiscal year 2017. Feedback gained from the evaluation will also support future network improvements.

"NIE 16.2 was a capstone for our development and integration of Network Management and Net Centric Waveform capabilities," Roberts said. "We were able to bring enhanced network performance, reduction in the complexity for SATCOM planning, and more robust Cyber Defense capabilities. Many of these enhancements are directly attributed to Soldier feedback from deployments and previous NIE events. We put a lot of focus on user experience in order to simplify Soldier interaction with the tools."

To help combat the continued rise in cyber threats, the new WIN-T enhancements also provide better firewall tools and defensive cyber visualization to help signal Soldiers more easily manage, protect, and harden the network from vulnerabilities.

As the Army moves to a more expeditionary force, dispersed over ever-increasing distances, managing and defending this sophisticated network becomes a crucial element in achieving mission success.

Incoming LTC Graves is not new to WIN-T and its capabilities. In past assignments he served as the test officer for WIN-T Increment 1 and 2. He also served as the Assistant PdM for Joint Tactical Radio System, Handheld, Manpack & Small Form-Fit, radios that utilized the JENM now included in his portfolio.

"It's great to be back with the team," Graves said. "I'm grateful for this opportunity and look forward to working with the team, as we take TCNO to the next phase."

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