2012 Annual Report to the Stakeholders - PEO C3T - U.S. Army

Faced with a high level of insurgent
activity in Afghanistan beginning in the
spring of 2010, commanders on the
ground were faced with the challenge of
providing persistent situational coverage
of critical U.S., coalition and host nation
areas throughout the country.
In developing a solution, the Army
leveraged existing Force Protection
and Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance (ISR) systems that
provide a situational understanding
for ground commanders by utilizing a
persistent stare capability.
To further leverage fielded ISR
systems, the Army decided to increase
the roles of these platforms by adding
other capabilities. The newest of
these elevated capabilities is part of
the Coalition, Command, Control,
Communications, Computer, Intelligence,
Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
(C5ISR) Quick Reaction Capability, which
provides, among several capabilities, an
Aerial Layer Network Extension Initial
Operational Capability (IOC).
The Aerial Layer Network Extension
provides improved sensor and
communications networking between
Forward Operating Bases and Combat
Outposts in Afghanistan, connecting
otherwise disadvantaged operating
bases with high-bandwidth tactical
networking capabilities. PEO C3T’s
installation and integration of its tactical
and high-bandwidth networking radios
onto existing elevated, persistent ISR and
Force Protection platforms improves the
range of tactical radio reach so forces
can communicate and access network
resources across widely dispersed areas
and through challenging terrains.
The C5ISR Operational Need
Statement (ONS) was developed in
the summer of 2010 after the Army
was flooded with requests from across
Afghanistan’s regional command. The
ONSs included both specific and general
requests, and the Army decided to fulfill
these requirements through the C5ISR
2012 annual report to the stakeholders
c5iSR pRogRAm
extendS AeRiAl lAyeR
ONS, which grouped related capabilities
together under a single, phased
requirements document instead of taking
a piecemeal approach.
The C5ISR ONS is now being met by
reconfiguring Program Executive Office
for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and
Sensors (PEO IEW&S) host platforms,
primarily the Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment
towers and Persistent Threat
Detection aerostats. The primary mission
for these assets will remain as ISR collection
and Force Protection, however, once
the C5ISR radios and network solution
sets are deployed on elevated platforms
they instantly extend communication
links so the Army will be able to distribute
critical data, including biometrics and fullmotion
video, to lower operational levels
in real time, across the country.
“There is great synergy amongst
the organizations resulting in effective
implementation of the C5ISR ONS
Phase I capabilities,” said Bill Sverapa,
Deputy Program Executive Officer for
C3T. “Soldiers at the tactical edge of the
battlefieldareadecidingfactorindefeating
our adversaries. This synchronized
response to the C5ISR Operational
Needs Statement is empowering them
through the timely exchange of voice,
video and data, so they can effectively
meet their commander’s intent.”
Five capabilities were fielded in Phase
1 of the execution. They included: Secure
Compartmented Information to Battalion,
Increased Bandwidth to Battalion,
Regional Broadcast Capability, Full
Motion Video, and Aerial Layer Network
Extension IOC.
This synchronized
response to the
C5ISR Operational
Needs Statement
is empowering
them through the
timely exchange
of voice, video and
data, so they can
effectively meet
their commander’s
intent.
Bill Sverapa, Deputy
Program Executive
Officer for C3T
Program ExEcutivE officE command control communications-tactical // 23