TOBYHANNA, Pa. — In another demonstration of unmatched creativity and technical prowess, personnel from Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) and Product Manager Wideband Enterprise Satellite Systems (PdM WESS) recently debuted a united satellite communications control system that will drastically simplify processes for warfighters around the world.
To address a critical mission need, depot engineers, alongside their peers from PdM WESS, designed the Virtualized Host Management and Control system (VM&C) to modernize field communications. The singular VM&C combines functionality of multiple different control stations while also enabling remote monitoring and control of satellite communications systems. By integrating disparate systems into a single, unified interface, the VM&C aims to reduce the logistical footprint of units while increasing their decision-making speed.
Project designers emphasized remote monitoring as the most transformative benefit of the system, allowing for seamless oversight from any location.
“The VM&C will streamline processes by allowing these critical tasks to be performed remotely,” said Taylor Flesch. Flesch is an electronics engineer in Tobyhanna’s Directorate of Engineering and Cyber.
The VM&C is the result of close collaboration with PdM WESS and the Army Software & Integration Center (ASIC) personnel, who provided the essential software integration for the platform. Tobyhanna and PdM WESS work together on a variety of projects to sustain, innovate and improve the strategic, high-capacity satellite communications and control systems used by soldiers worldwide.
The VM&C was put to the test during a critical soldier touchpoint at Tobyhanna. The event brought together the depot’s skilled engineers, personnel from PdM Wess, representatives from ASIC and active-duty soldiers, who tested the new system’s capabilities and provided feedback for future improvements.
Seeing the VM&C in action was an event several years in the making, according to Alicia Hughes-Hemphill, Assistant Project Manager for PdM WESS.
“We started working on this in 2022. Over the years, we gathered information about the challenges our warfighters faced and collectively focused on how to make the system as user-friendly as possible,” she remarked.
During the multi-day event, soldiers engaged with the control center’s various consoles, testing everything from signal strength to the physicality of the workspace. This direct feedback loop between the creators and the end-user will ensure that by the time the equipment reaches the front lines, it has been vetted by those whose lives depend on it.
Spc. Aaron Betts and Cpl. Fernando Salgado from the 21st Signal Brigade served as test subjects for the exercise. They gave the event – and the new system – rave reviews.
“It [the new system] is much faster. It will absolutely make my life easier,” remarked Spc. Betts. Salgado agreed.
“This new and improved product really improves the user experience,” he said. “It’s efficient, pleasant to use, and reduces redundancies,” adding that he would gladly work with Team Tobyhanna again in the future.
Feedback during the touchpoint proved the efficiency of the VM&C, said Flesch.
“By consolidating workflows, the VM&C will reduce a standard 40-hour task to only eight hours. Cumbersome equipment has been consolidated into a centrally located and managed system.”
The overarching collaboration with PdM WESS will prove to be an enduring commitment for Team Tobyhanna. A total of forty VM&C racks will be produced and installed over the next seven years. Once initial installation is complete, Tobyhanna’s artisans will begin regular maintenance and upgrades to sustain the network going forward for warfighters from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army.
TYAD is designated as the Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR), electronics, avionics, and missile guidance and control. TYAD provides cradle-to-grave lifecycle support through depot-level repair, systems integration, software and cyber engineering, and field support. A key enabler of operational readiness for Joint and Allied Forces globally, TYAD leverages new and emerging technologies to further expand the Department of War’s organic capabilities for microelectronics, secure communications infrastructure, uncrewed aircraft systems, Joint All-Domain Command and Control, Integrated Air and Missile Defense, and the Army’s Next Generation Combat Systems. TYAD’s ability to rapidly surge production, deploy field support teams, and scale for contingency or theater-level operations makes it a vital contributor to strategic readiness and operational reach.
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