AC Summer 08 WIN-T Online - United States Army Signal Center of ...

Requirements for
ESB
By Billy Johnson
The requirement for the
Expeditionary Signal Battalion was
recognized following the initial
phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom
which illustrated outdated Mobile
Subscriber Equipment switching and
line-of-sight systems employed that
did not meet the data throughput
requirements of supported units.
The ESB was also created to
address shortcomings in Integrated
Theater Signal Battalion capabilities
by providing an integrated network
architecture that supports expeditionary
functional brigades and
battalions at army level, including
those Army-level units task-organized
to support corps and division
operations. Network Enterprise
Technology Command/9th Signal Joint Network Node equipment
Command Army fielded five
battalions to the ITSB structure. as part of Lot-8 JNN fielding and is
These battalions were capable of currently deployed supporting
supporting up to 15 command posts. Global War on Terrorism.
The highly modularized ESB struc- The approval was a result of
ture served as an organizational CIO/G6, Headquarters Department
platform into which Warfighter of the Army G3, NCR, and
Information Network- Tactical NETCOM establishing requirements
capabilities can be introduced with and attaining funding to accelerate
minimal adjustment.
the fielding of JNN to support OIF
The ESB incorporates Joint rotations. ESBs support the pooling
Network Transport Capability- concept by providing JNN/CPN to
Spiral capabilities such as the Joint units that do not have organic signal
Network Node and Command Post (division/brigade combat teams).
Node along with an upgraded Lot-9 JNN fieldings provided JNN
Single Shelter Switch that provides equipment for five active Army
the needed data capacity at all levels Signal Battalions and one Army
to support up to 30 CPs with 36 National Guard Battalion to convert
satellite points-of-presence.
to an ESB during FY07/08: 44th Sig
Recently, the WIN-T program Bn, 40th Sig Bn, 50th Sig Bn, 72nd
became a Program of Record. The Sig Bn, 51st Sig Bn, and 146th Sig Bn.
Program of Record absorbed the To date, the active battalions listed
JNN program and fielding WIN-T have finished fieldings and the 146th
Increment 1began.
Sig Bn began February 2008.
PM WIN-T has the lead for the The current rotation has three
ESB fielding and training of the 23 ESBs (63rd, 44th, and 40th Sig Bns)
ESB’s scheduled to be fielded, 12 providing communications support.
Active and 11 Reserve/Guard. The WIN-T Increment 1 fieldings sup-
63rd Signal Battalion was approved port four active Army Signal Battal-
and funded as the Army’s first ESB ions and three RC/ARNG ESB units.
recognized
following OIF
After WIN-T Inc1 fieldings, two
active and eight Reserve/Guard
remain to be fielded.
Technical capabilities of the
switching and data services:
Switches provide automatic switching
service for analog and digital
voice, data, and video services at all
echelons of a theater-wide network.
The switches support garrisonquality
data services, which include
but are not limited to: Secure
Internet Protocol Router and Nonsecure
Internet Protocol Router
network service, secure and nonsecure
desktop video teleconference,
Defense Red Switch Network (“red
phone”), direct Defense Switched
Network connection, access for the
Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications
System, additional long
local and tactical phone extensions,
and connectivity for other special
circuits as required.
In addition, switches support
management of digital groups,
trunks, and circuits, and provide a
means to monitor and control
associated communication assets.
Army Communicator 65