Expert Discusses Integrated Communications Modernization Efforts

At the April luncheon, Wayne Schoonveld, chief, Systems Engineering, Architecture, Modeling and Simulation Division of the Space and Terrestrial Communications Directorate, outlined the plan for integrated communications modernization efforts under the new Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC), Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground. This presentation involved an in-depth discussion on the Network 2028 Modernization plan, the Army's long-term strategy to implement an expeditionary, mobile, hardened and intuitive multidomain network by fiscal year 2028. In support of these modernization priorities, Space and Terrestrial (S&T) is investing in both transport and defensive cyber capabilities. The C5ISR Center is also conducting several integrated experimentation efforts, such as Cyber Blitz and the Network Modernization Experiment (NETMODX). Cyber Blitz will explore technical, institutional and operational integration to inform S&T prototypes and investment strategies with U.S. Army acquisition strategies, Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) requirements and operational force priorities, and it will enable direct soldier feedback to technology providers about the current state of systems to drive understanding of technology gaps. NETMODX will be a theme-based network experimentation with government off-the-shelf and commercial off-the-shelf technologies that propose solutions to congested network communications. During his discussion, Schoonveld entertained a detailed Q&A session and discussed opportunities for Industry improvement, such as hardening of commercial systems, design of commercial networks for expeditionary use cases, provision of commercial waveforms that are resistant to electronic attack and enabling commercial systems to support unpredictable and dynamic radio frequency environment. The luncheon was rounded out by a small business presentation from Rakhi Shah of Integrated Modern Engineering. The chapter would like to thank Schoonveld and staff for leading the members through this enlightening discussion!

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