The U.S. Army is gearing up to kick off a new competitive prototyping project focused on creating a cutting-edge command-and-control (C2) system.
This initiative comes after a year filled with intensive pilot studies and is led by the Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, and Network.
Next-Generation Command-and-Control Initiative
This ambitious venture is known as Next-Generation Command-and-Control (NGC2), and it aims to develop a versatile and modular environment tailored for commanders and their units.
The Army envisions a cohesive platform that integrates hardware, software, and applications, all built on a unified and interconnected data layer.
To pave the way for this prototyping project, the Army’s program office has reached out to industry players with a request for information (RFI).
This outreach outlines the key goals and priorities for the NGC2 initiative, allowing the Army to gather valuable insights before proceeding with the prototyping phase.
Enhancing Military Data Utilization
The main goal of the NGC2 initiative is to enhance how military data is utilized, supporting real-time operational modeling that can assess the outcomes of various strategies and decisions.
Moreover, this innovative system is designed to be customizable, adapting to fulfill mission-specific needs effectively.
About a year ago, the Army embarked on a pilot program aimed at exploring the potential of a next-generation C2 system developed from scratch.
By collaborating with industry partners, the Army aimed to devise a solution that could work seamlessly from compact devices, like laptops used in tanks, rather than depending on bulky, stationary server setups that are easily detectable by adversaries.
Key Priorities for Prototyping
Lessons learned from this pilot have indicated that technological advancements can significantly speed up the development of required systems and tools.
The Army acknowledges the imperative to move away from outdated and unwieldy server infrastructures, focusing instead on deploying applications that can meet modern operational demands.
A notable emphasis throughout the pilot was on enhancing data mobility.
The goal was to ensure information could be swiftly transmitted even in conflict scenarios.
As the Army’s acquisition chief pointed out, managing vast amounts of data during an attack presents its challenges, but there’s a sense of optimism regarding current technologies that better equip the Army to tackle these issues.
The Army expects to issue solicitations for NGC2 proposals by the end of February, with plans to announce contract awards by May.
Initial prototypes are anticipated to be ready within six months of contract awarding.
The contracting strategy aims to invite multiple defense companies to contribute, expanding vendor participation in future phases.
Among the key priorities for NGC2 is the creation of user-friendly and adaptable capabilities.
The Army also seeks to incorporate flexible requirements and governance structures.
Recent adjustments to the program’s needs statement highlight the necessity for interoperability with mission partners, responsiveness under challenging communication conditions, and the establishment of a comprehensive technological framework that covers everything from communication transport to data processing and application layers.
The director of the Army Futures Command’s Command and Control Cross-Functional Team emphasized that today’s commanders possess a greater understanding of network operations than ever before.
There’s a growing enthusiasm among units to actively engage in refining and enhancing C2 capabilities, embracing advancements like natural language processing (NLP) to help shape the future of military operations.
Source: Militarytimes