Sorenson: LandWarNet Program Fragmented, Needs Coordinated Plan

The U.S. Army's LandWarNet program, the focus of Army IT modernization-and the focus of this conference-is fragmented, unsecure, expensive and not standardized. This came from Lt. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sorenson, USA, the U.S. Army chief information officer (CIO)/G-6. He told today's luncheon audience that the Army will fix these problems, but it will take a coordinated plan to do so. This Army enterprise network campaign plan will be developed by October, he offered. Budgetary pressures could impose severe limitations on the Army's ability to modernize its IT infrastructure. Gen. Sorenson told an attentive audience how the Army is entering a period of tremendous uncertainty in terms of its budget, with only half of the IT programs currently funded. Many existing Army battle command systems in the field are stovepiped, the general noted. The FCS BC is a system of systems, but not every Army system will be FCS-enabled, so interoperability remains a goal.