Page 11 - Ft. Irwin High Desert Warrior, Aug 3 2018

www.aerotechnews.com/ntcfortirwin From CERDEC, Page 11
High Desert Warrior August 3, 2018
11
Army Technology
The Expeditionary Joint Battle Command-Platform provides beyond-line-of-sight, secure, two-way transmission capabilities an operations expert within EMC STO.
transceiver. The unit can maintain power for up to four hours with just two batteries, or up to 24 hours when connected to a portable fuel cell generator.
The X JBC-P program has transitioned to PEO Command, Control, Communications-Tactical, or PEO C3T, to help cultivate future dismounted situational awareness solutions.
Similar to the X JBC-P is the Ultra-Light Command Post Node, or UL CPN. The UL CPN is a vehicle designed to support Airborne and Air Assault forces, said McNeilly-Anta.
“We’re looking at initial entry operations ... places and mis- sions where units are not going to bring in their large network vehicles and command posts right away,” he said.
The idea is that Soldiers will jump in carrying their sensitive items, radios, and computers, while other mission essential items are bundled into the back of a UL CPN, McNeilly- Anta said.
The UL CPN is designed so that if needed, it can be recon- figured without the need for additional tools.
Overall, the UL CPN enables units to establish a tailored mission command capability rapidly. The vehicle can be dropped from a C-130 or C-17 aircraft, or sling loaded using a UH-60 or CH-47 helicopter. Further, the UL CPN can have an initial operating capability in 15 minutes, followed by full operating capacity in 30 minutes, officials said.
Similar to the UL CPN, the MRZR Command Post Node is a smaller command post node meant to be forward deployed to enable assault forces during initial entry.
This mobile mission-command enabled device is currently in the first stages of initial early operations, McNeilly-Anta said. Lastly, the Combat Action Brigade TAC Command Post is a mobile mission command node that can be used as a mobile TAC when the central command post is displaced or
unreachable.
Currently, the program is utilizing an M1068 Standard In-
tegrated Command Post Vehicle as a surrogate for the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, or AMPV, McNeilly-Anta said. This program is currently in development.
Equipment packages
Equipment packages have also been a focus for CERDEC as a way to improve command post setup and teardown times, and to simplify command post infrastructure.
This area of improvement incorporates the Expeditionary
other mission command related materials.
The U.S. Army Forces Command plans to field the ExCP at
division or core level echelons, Bell said. Additionally, multiple ExCP units can be combined to build larger command post. Several units in the Army are slated to receive the third
generation of the ExCP, Bell said.
“The units will be taking these shelters out through next
summer, work with them, and then provide feedback to FORCCOM for further product improvements and future iterations [of the ExCP.]”
Directly supporting the ExCP and other command post setups is the Digital Viewer Application, or DVA. The DVA provides the Army with a software-based video switching so- lution and allows command post personnel to connect to the local area network to share all or part of their display with other individuals or on the larger command post display system.
Currently, the Army employs an outdated video switching device that requires a large transit case and has a limited num- ber of inputs and outputs. Additionally, the current system can exceed 100 pounds in total weight, Bell said.
The new DVA resolves information assurance problems by eliminating an existing video switch that runs an unsupported operating system, Bell said. Further, the application supports the ability to share multiple screens in a grid format on a single viewer display.
For systems that can’t support the DVA software -- like an unmanned aerial vehicle video feed, for example -- a separate broadcast appliance can be plugged into the local network, and can share the feed through the DVA software, Bell said.
The DVA program has transitioned to PEO C3T, where it is being incorporated into the Command Post Integrated Infrastructure, officials said.
In addition to the viewer application, EMC STO identified a need for a portable, large-screen display. The Army’s current command post display technology is obsolete, bulky, cumber- some, and expensive, Bell said.
“[CERDEC] started an experiment about a year ago to take a look at available commercial-off-the-shelf technology that would be inexpensive, and durable enough for use by Soldiers in the field,” Bell said. “We put together a kit of three different screens and three different projectors, and we partnered with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Irwin, California.”
Army photograph
Command Post, or ExCP, the Display Action Viewer, the Command Post Display Sys- tem, and the Unified Voice Management System.
The ExCP is a 20-foot expandable rigid shelter command post node, Bell said. When compared to a tent-based command post, the ExCP can be fully op- erational within 30 minutes of emplacement or can be packed and moved in the same amount of time.
The ExCP features fully integrated video distribu- tion, electrical, and network wiring, rapid erect tables with built-in power and net- work connection boxes, and ceiling-mounted projectors. The ExCP also has built-in air conditioning and lighting, walls coated for use with dry erase markers, and shelves and hooks to place maps or
The three variations of the CPDS currently being evalu- ated are smaller and simpler to use, weigh less, and require less space to store or set up, officials said. Projectors are also equipped with long-life LEDs to reduce the need to overstock and replace light bulbs.
Soldiers are also field testing short-throw projectors that need to be offset by only 18 inches from the screen to generate a 100-inch image.
The 1st Armored Division Artillery is scheduled to experi- ment with the CPDS this summer, officials added. Both the 11th Armored Division Artillery and the 1st Armored Division will help inform program requirements and capabilities for future display technology.
The Unified Voice Management System, or UVMS, rounds out EMC STO’s equipment package portfolio.
Currently, Soldiers supporting the mission command and command post infrastructure have to operate through a wide range of separate communications technologies. Addition- ally, these systems cannot cross-communicate unless they are integrated with a channel access unit, or CAU, which adds weight and an additional space requirement to a command post location.
The UVMS is a prototype equipment package that was designed to provide an interoperable solution for radio, digi- tal telephones, and other computer-based or voice software applications.
Overall, the UVMS has demonstrated the benefits of a fully interoperable capability that enables seamless voice com- munications regardless of the devices or applications, officials said. The 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team in a forward- deployed coalition environment is currently field testing the new equipment.
Tactical computing environment
The tactical computing environment, or TCE, was another focus area for CERDEC when working to improve command post capabilities. The TCE enables mission command through a visual representation of a near real-time common operating pic- ture across a battlefield or training environment, officials said.
The TCE is an interwoven network of mobile and desktop- based devices, which receive information from several real-time Army data feeds to help create a collaborative experience for commanders and their staff, said Cyndi Carpenter, with the Mission Command Capabilities Division at CERDEC.
Devices within TCE can operate in disconnected, inter- rupted, and low-bandwidth environments and communicate through the Soldier Radio Waveform, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and 4G LTE networks, officials said.
Currently, observers, coaches, and trainers, or OC/Ts, at the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, Calif., have been using the TCE to provide an exercise-control common operat- ing picture during training rotations.
TCE-enabled tablets provide a wide array of features to help Soldiers collaborate and increase situational awareness, said Sgt. 1st Class Sheena Ferrell, who is assigned to OC/T Cobra 3A at the NTC.
For example, Ferrell said the system identifies units by military map symbols, which can be user-entered or tracked through TCE or blue force monitoring devices. The library of map nomenclature built into the system can also be used to map the location of enemy units.
Likewise, the TCE also has a free-draw feature, allowing OC/Ts to input obstacles, boundaries, troop movements, and other information. TCE-enabled devices can share screens in a collaboration mode or with other individual devices, and also provide trainers with chat, photo, and file sharing features, Ferrell said.
See CERDEC, Page 13 For more information go to www.irwin.army.mil