Army closes out 2024 Network
Modernization Experimentation
By Dan Lafontaine, DEVCOM C5ISR Center Public Affairs
U.S. Army DEVCOM C5ISR Center conducts R&D in the 5G for Command Post project during Network Modernization Experiment 24 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, in August 2024. (Photo Credit: © Dan Lafontaine, C5ISR Center Public Affairs)
The Army concluded its annual Network Modernization Experiment, known as NetModX, as scientists and engineers assessed about 60 technologies over nine weeks in support of the service's top continuous transformation priority.
Across varying terrain of three locations in New Jersey and Maryland, the Army's C5ISR Center joined programs of record, industry partners and academia for field experimentation in operationally realistic environments. The C5ISR Center is an element of the Combat Capabilities Development Command.
NetModX incorporates a broad spectrum of expertise, with dozens of subject-matter experts spread across test ranges in the New Jersey pine barrens, combat-vehicle integration sites, and computer labs. Experimenting with the Army's Network is a critical step to advance C5ISR technologies for soldiers across the battlefield, according to NetModX lead strategic planner Joe Saldiveri.
“The sixth year of NetModX enables our SMEs to gain insights in technology development outside of a lab as the Army prioritizes agile and adaptive command and control architecture,” Saldiveri said.
As Army command posts require the ability to quickly disperse on the battlefield, C5ISR Center subject-matter experts are focused on science and technology that enables on-the-move command and control. The Mobile and Survivable Command Post, known as MASCP, project is developing and integrating tactical communications, computing infrastructure, power and environmental signature awareness into systems to create resilient capabilities, said RJ Regars, the program's experimentation lead.
Photo Credit: © Dan Lafontaine, C5ISR Center Public Affairs
“For NetModX 24, C5ISR Center integrated 22 technologies into Strykers and Humvees to address the command-post challenges the Army is facing,” Regars said. “The experimentation allows our team with a broad range of expertise to take a holistic view in developing solutions for soldiers.”
The C5ISR Center incorporated its expertise in logistics modernization through its work with I Corps to introduce the new Tactical Readiness Asset Key-Terrain Reconstitution toolkit using a Soldier's Nett Warrior device, said C5ISR Center engineer Matt Costanzi.
“The Predictive Logistics program improves soldier capabilities for near real-time in-transit visibility and digital commodity chain of custody tracking, replacing legacy manual systems,” he said. “Experimentation at NetModX continues to advance the technology with a goal to enable artificial intelligence-enabled common operating pictures providing enhanced course of action recommendations for Army commanders.”
The Center is partnering with industry and academia to research commercial 5G technology to provide a high-bandwidth, low-latency communications network for the distributed command post, according to electronics engineer Mike Piesen.
“By leveraging commercial standards, tactical communication networks can close the gap between industry and military technology. The Army is using NetModX to identify 5G's interoperability opportunities with legacy systems, study integration challenges to shape development and drive future technology acquisition decisions,” Piesen said.
Senior Army leadership continues to emphasize the critical nature of the Network. Under Secretary of the Army Gabe Camarillo said during the AUSA 2024 Accelerating C2 and Network Innovation Fireside Chat in October that recent Army Futures Command experimentation, including events involving commercially available technology, has been successful in demonstrating capabilities to soldiers.
“Whether it's been Project Convergence last year, NetModX, and some of the other experimentation that AFC has hosted, it's been great,” Camarillo said.
The Center will continue to seek new technologies from industry for experimentation with an announcement posted to sam.gov anticipated in November 2024.
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 the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. 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 a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command.
