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US and UK armies discuss joint science and technology future

By Carol Scheina, DEVCOM C5ISR Center Public AffairsOctober 5, 2021

British Army soldiers assigned to Legion Troop and U.S. Army Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment prepare explosives during explosives training. As part of the continuing partnership between the two allied countries, a U.K. Army...
British Army soldiers assigned to Legion Troop and U.S. Army Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment prepare explosives during explosives training. As part of the continuing partnership between the two allied countries, a U.K. Army delegation recently visited the C5ISR Center, where they obtained an overview of the close tie between the U.S. science and technology and acquisition communities. (Photo Credit: Cpl. Justin Stafford) VIEW ORIGINAL

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — Representatives from the Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center — a component of Army Futures Command’s Combat Capabilities Development Command — and U.K. Army leaders met Sept. 22 to discuss their respective science and technology modernization plans.

The U.K. Army delegation was given an overview of the close tie between the U.S. science and technology and acquisition communities. Additionally, C5ISR Center leaders outlined the lab-based risk reduction efforts for exercises like Project Convergence and discussed the tangible link between the science and technology and acquisition communities in the areas of command post mobility and survivability.

“Relationships with industry, academia, and our international partners help ensure we select the best available technology and develop it for our armies,” said Michael C. Monteleone, the C5ISR Center’s executive director of Engineering and Systems Integration. “Interoperability cannot be a back-end add on when it comes to network technology. This meeting with our U.K. allies reaffirms our commitment to ensuring our technologies will work together in joint operations.”

Representatives also discussed science and technology initiatives developed in support of the U.S.-U.K. Capabilities and Research Cooperation-Army (CRC-A), a senior leader-level meeting with the two countries mandated in the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed between the U.S. Secretary of the Army and the U.K. Minister of Defence in 2020.

Military personnel of various units and nationalities perform land navigation operations during Decisive Action Rotation 20-04 at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif.  A 2020 Memorandum of Agreement signed between the U.S. Secretary of...
Military personnel of various units and nationalities perform land navigation operations during Decisive Action Rotation 20-04 at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif. A 2020 Memorandum of Agreement signed between the U.S. Secretary of the Army and the U.K. Minister of Defence aims to ensure increased U.S.-U.K. technical interoperability as well as joint designs for systems that emphasize multi-domain operations in which both countries participate. (Photo Credit: Sgt. Nathan Franco, Operations Group, National Training Center) VIEW ORIGINAL

The MOA emphasizes increased U.S.-U.K. technical interoperability as well as joint designs for systems that emphasize multi-domain operations in which both countries participate. The agreement identifies five specific areas of modernization targeted by the two countries: networks, long-range precision fires, future vertical lift, soldier and ground lethality, and precision navigation and timing. It aims to ensure the Army’s technology can operate seamlessly with the technology of its international allied partners on future battlefields.

William Hoppe, the C5ISR Center’s associate director for science, technology and engineering, noted that involvement with our international partners is how the U.S. maintains awareness of other countries’ technology developments and ensures our own science and technology advancements remain on the cutting edge.

In support of the MOA, the C5ISR Center has been heavily involved in numerous workshops held between the two countries with a focus on comparing systems development timelines; identifying similar life cycle processes; and exploring potential science and technology and engineering challenges that might arise between the two countries’ technological approaches.

“It is imperative that we redouble our efforts to ensure interoperability on the future battlefield. We’ve always had a great relationship with the U.K. This MOA provides emphasis and specific guidance on where we should focus first,” said Monteleone.

For more information, contact the C5ISR Center Public Affairs Office: usarmy.apg.devcom-c5isr.mbx.pao@army.mil.

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The C5ISR Center is the Army’s applied research and advanced technology development center for C5ISR capabilities. As the Army’s primary integrator of C5ISR technologies and systems, the center develops and matures capabilities that support all six Army modernization priorities, enabling information dominance and tactical overmatch for the joint warfighter.

The C5ISR Center is an element of U.S. Army DEVCOM. Through collaboration across the command’s core technical competencies, DEVCOM leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win our nation’s wars and come home safely. DEVCOM is an AFC major subordinate command.

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