Army hosts industry forum to share its mission command modernization plans

BALTIMORE, Md. (March 20, 2019) - This week, the Army is holding its first dedicated industry forum to provide an update on Army mission command modernization efforts. More than 400 network military software, hardware and cyber providers are gathered for the Mission Command Industry Forum here to learn how their high-tech solutions and expertise could further the Army's goal to modernize the force.

"As the organization charged with developing, fielding and modernizing the Army's tactical network, we must also ensure the capabilities that run on the network are equally modern and network-compliant," said Maj. Gen. David Bassett, Program Executive Officer for Command, Control Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T). "That is why we continue to reach out to industry. We know they can help us rapidly insert new technologies into the network to help us defeat our peer adversaries in any environment."

PEO C3T is spearheading the event, along with the Army's Network-Cross Functional Team (N-CFT) with support from Army partners including the Mission Command Center of Excellence, U.S. Cyber Center of Excellence and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, or CCDC, Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, or C5ISR, Center.

The mission command event is one of many scheduled industry forums hosted by PEO C3T and N-CFT to provide industry partners with the information they require to respond quicker to critical emerging requirements with their innovative technology solutions.

"We are modernizing the tactical network across four [lines of effort] LOEs," said Maj. Gen. Gallagher, director of the N-CFT. "This week's event is specifically addressing LOE 2, the Common Operating Environment (COE), which will consolidate all warfighting capabilities onto common computing platforms in the dismounted, mounted, and command post environments to present an integrated common operating picture."

The event is providing an update on mission command implementation and modernization plans, with a focus on command post agility, and detailed sessions regarding a C4ISR/Electronic Warfare Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) and Cyber Situational Understanding (SU).

CMOSS is a suite of layered standards, developed by the C5ISR Center and now transitioning to Army programs, which converges hardware and software to enable communication components of military vehicles to share a common chassis. As such, CMOSS will enable the Army to insert emerging technologies as they become available and greatly reduce the size, weight and power issues.

"We're building a path for the acquisition community within mission command, electronic warfare and tactical radios," said Jason Dirner, an electronics engineer for the C5ISR Center. "A growing number of vendors are producing CMOSS-compliant software cards that can be integrated into vehicles. Our efforts are aiming to standardize the guidelines that all vendors can work to."

PEO C3T's Cyber SU program, recently established to aid operational units' understanding of the tactical network threat environment, is rounding out the program with an introduction to its plans to synchronize and integrate cyber electromagnetic activities in multi-domain battle.

Mission command modernization efforts are adhering to an acquisition strategy that utilizes capability sets to deliver capabilities to the force every two years, starting in 2021. The N-CFT informs this strategy based on experimentation, demonstration and direct feedback from operational units and Soldiers.

The Army is using a proven industry practice called developmental operations (DevOps), which places developers side-by-side with Soldiers and commanders in operational units and enables the Army to evaluate potential technology concepts and solutions earlier and more frequently.

"By stepping away from prescriptive requirements and incrementally developing and fielding, we're able to keep pace with the threat environment and technology trends," Gallagher said.

PEO C3T is supporting the Army's network modernization strategy and the mission command efforts aligned to this strategy to enable Soldiers to prepare, fight and win against any adversary in the most challenging contested and congested electromagnetic spectrum and cyber environments.

"We must remain steadfast, yet agile to ensure the Army achieves its modernization goals," Bassett said. "We brought you here to better understand the 'why' of network modernization. We want you to help us shape the 'what' and bring us a dialogue on the 'how' for options to modernize the network."

---

The U.S. Army Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical develops, acquires, fields and supports the Army's mission command network to ensure force readiness. This critical Army modernization priority delivers tactical communications so commanders and Soldiers can stay connected and informed at all times, even in the most austere and hostile environments. PEO C3T is delivering the network to regions around the globe, enabling high-speed, high-capacity voice, data and video communications to a user base that includes the Army's joint, coalition and other mission partners.

Related Links:

PEO C3T on Facebook

PEO C3T on Flickr