HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Last month, the U.S. Army reassigned Mr. William Nelson to the position of Director, Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (APNT) Cross-Functional Team (CFT). Prior to his assignment, Mr. Nelson was serving as both the Director for APNT CFT and the Director for Programs and Technology, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT).
"I appreciate the great level of effort that went into making this reassignment happen," said Mr. Nelson. "This transition allows our team to realign and deliver total focus to the Army's modernization priorities. I'm excited to get after the hard problems as we continue to modernize PNT to for the Army."
Mr. Nelson is just one of the eight CFT Directors supporting the Army Futures Command (AFC). As the CFT Director, Mr. Nelson is responsible for synchronizing PNT efforts across the Army in an effort to build a resilient Army PNT capability so that the Army can compete and operate globally in PNT contested environments.
To match the continuously changing range of threats the Army faces now and in the future, Futures Command is focused on delivering next generation weapons, vehicles, and equipment so that the Army can win decisively in all domains. The APNT CFT has been charged to quickly deliver requirements for innovative technologies that will complement Army GPS systems and reduce the Army's reliance on GPS.
Stationed at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL, the APNT CFT is actively developing PNT, Space and Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) requirements for the Army. To do this, the APNT CFT connects the Soldier to new technologies and capabilities sooner through technological demonstrations, prototyping, and science and technology reviews, to inform the requirements development process. These efforts allow the APNT CFT to learn fast, mitigate risks early, and achieve a higher level of technical readiness at an accelerated rate.
"In less than a year's time, Willie and his team have already done a great deal for the Soldier and the U.S. Army," said Gen. John Murray, AFC. "I look forward to seeing their continued success."
To date, the APNT CFT has submitted its first capability requirement for a Mounted APNT solution and is in the process of drafting others for Dismounted APNT, Space and NAVWAR capabilities. As the CFT starts to look ahead, they are working closely with U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering to develop a modeling and simulation solution that will inform decisions on future requirements, tactics, fielding, and training. Additionally, the APNT CFT will be hosting a Partnership Day for industry and academia partners in Austin, TX this April and are in the pre-planning stages of hosting a technology assessment exercise this summer.
Mr. Nelson is a member of the Senior Executive Service. He has been a member of the USASMDC/ARSTRAT team since 2013 and most recently served as the Director for Programs and Technology in the Technical Center where he directed research, development and test programs for space, missile defense, directed energy, and hypersonic weapon technologies. His previous assignments include Acting Deputy Director of the Technical Center, which oversees the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site in the Marshall Islands, and Director for Space and Strategic Systems.
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