SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii — The blue Pacific is now saturated with Army green as allies and partners join forces to prepare for large-scale combat operations.

As the Army adapts and evolves its network to reduce complexity and tailor capabilities at echelon, it relies on persistent experimentation, fielding and Soldier feedback to refine network operational concepts.

The 25th Infantry Division has been a critical experimentation partner in this effort, most recently during the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center 24-01 exercise at Schofield Barracks employing the Integrated Tactical Network, or ITN, for its networked communications.

“Here in the Pacific, we’re faced with unique environmental considerations, from triple canopy jungles to the mountains and volcanoes,” said Maj. Justin James, division deputy communications officer (G6) for the 25th ID. “The ITN is going to help us communicate over terrain in which we couldn’t before.”

The ITN is comprised of a flexible network kit that incorporates commercial capabilities such as tactical data radios, commercial cell technologies, and tactical cross domain solutions that integrate into the Army’s network foundation. The flexibility of the ITN allows higher echelons to take on complex network planning and management, while retaining necessary network capabilities for commanders at lower echelons who are focusing on the fight.

One priority for the 25th ID during the execution of JPMRC 24-1 was to exercise and fight on the Sensitive but Unclassified – Encrypted, or SBU-E, network to the greatest extent possible. The use of the SBU-E enclave supported communications across echelons and the joint and coalition communities.

“In a future fight, the U.S. will have to fight with its partners and allies and to make that interoperability real, our network has to be as flat, fast and accurate as possible,” said Col. Rob Shaw, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division commander. “Because it’s at an [acceptable] level of encryption I can pull in our partner nations.”

Over the past six years, nine brigade combat teams and six security force assistance brigades have successfully conducted operations using SBU-E at brigade and below to provide increased operational flexibility, interoperability, and security, while retaining secret voice and data communications where required.

During the experimentations, the 3-25 established communications up to division and down to the tactical command post using SBU-E to follow each tactical operations center movement. This provided Army network developers with data to inform network design.

Persistent Experimentation: Extending the Network

To complement the existing ground-based ITN capabilities, the Army inserted new aerial tier experiments by incorporating the ITN’s tactical radios into fixed wing drones, which significantly extended the network across intra- and inter-island terrains and onto a UH-60 Blackhawk for air to ground communications.

The Aerial Tier Network Extension featured a K-1000 drone, which completed a 26-hour flight carrying full motion video with the radio creating a single mesh network to significantly extend the mesh network.

The Aerial Integrated System, also known as ITN in the air, provided shared position location information between the pilot down to dismounted troops equipped with end user devices.

“As soon as the helicopter comes into the line of sight, the system creates a communications bubble between the pilot, who is tracking the mission on a tablet, and the ground forces, who are communicating with the pilot and each other using their end user devices,” said Maj. John Azbill, 3-25 S6. “Air to ground communications are especially critical during our night time air assault operations.”

The unit also successfully experimented with a joint-enabled radio for shore-to-ship joint call for fires, which enabled the forward observer to initiate the fires chain up to a U.S. Navy destroyer offshore to launch a notional fires mission.

“We’re in the Pacific, so joint fires missions are probably what we’re going to most rely upon to fight,” Shaw said.

The 25th ID will continue to participate in operational exercises in 2024, where it will refine its ITN capabilities and provide the Army with additional feedback on how to implement a strategic communications link across the Indo-Pacific.

Story and photos Kathryn Bailey, U.S. Army Public Affairs

Some photos by Sam Brooks

SKOPJE, North Macedonia — Soldiers with the 509th Strategic Signal Battalion, 2nd Theater Signal Brigade were the first in history to facilitate en route mission command outside of the U.S. while in-flight with Stryker vehicles as a tactical command post aboard a military aircraft, which kicked off the U.S. Army Europe and Africa exercise, Brave Partner, Dec. 1 at Skopje International Airport.

Brave Partner is a “short notice action planning exercise” that aims to enhance regional partnerships and increase U.S. force readiness and interoperability in a realistic, multinational training environment, including roughly 180 U.S. Soldiers from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment with support from 30 service members from the Army of the Republic of North Macedonia, Dec. 1-10, 2023 at Skopje International Airport and Krivolak Training Area, North Macedonia.

“I find it exceptionally phenomenal to have the opportunity to field equipment and work with partner units as well as partner nations,” said Capt. Shenelle Stallings, 509th SSB Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment commander. “The cohesion and the trust we’re building with one another — because I’m from the 509th, and we’re providing comms for 2CR, and we’re in North Macedonia — so all those pieces coming together and seeing how these things work makes it all the more worthwhile.”

Stallings said her team is making history by validating en route mission command that’s first-of-its-kind on a strategic network, and they’re setting a foundation and building it from the ground up in their area of operation. They achieved excellent signal speeds that exceeded their expectations with minimal latency. They faced snow and heavy clouds, which had the potential to degrade signal transmissions. She explained that taxiing and takeoff were the most important parts of the test while transitioning between equipment from ground to air, and that was also successful.

“I was on a video chat the entire time, and it was crystal clear,” said Stallings. “We use the Voyager 8 and the KAFMA antenna that allows us to reach back to our strategic network in Italy, and then we’re also able to come here with our Starlink and transition to that seamlessly.”

One of Stallings’ Soldiers, Cpl. Deandra Winston, is an expert on communications equipment and prefers the Voyager 8 transit case to bulkier equipment she’s used in the past. She explained that tactical signal equipment is becoming increasingly innovative and mobile. Being able to connect users without waiting for equipment to be set up on ground is key.

“It will create an ease of understanding between troops that are coming and going and a faster understanding of the mission that needs to be executed,” said Winston. “New technology comes out every day, and it’s best to not be scared to try new tech. Everything takes time, and I understand that, but it’s time to get rid of the old and use the new.”

As part of USAREUR-AF’s Tactical Mission Data Platform, 2CR’s Stryker vehicles were a command post aboard a C-17 aircraft, demonstrating innovation and speed in exchanging information between commanders en route in the sky and warfighters on the battlefield.

As this initial event for Brave Partner took place, the charter plane carrying a majority of the 2CR Soldiers was also arriving at Skopje International Airport.

Army of the Republic of North Macedonia Sgt. Maj. Igor Petrovski, airport liaison officer, was on-site and coordinated the C-17’s arrival as well as the charter plane’s arrival that carried most Soldiers who arrived for Brave Partner. He has a wealth of experience facilitating flights for NATO partners, including C-17s, C-130s and charter flights for the U.S.

The Republic of North Macedonia has a partnership with the Vermont National Guard, and Petrovski explained that his country’s military hosts international exercises with NATO countries, including the U.S. Army and especially the Vermont National Guard.

“We are brothers in arms with the Vermont National Guard,” said Petrovski. “The partnership is leveled up year by year.”

Army of the Republic of North Macedonia Lt. Col. Vladimir Cvetkovski, chief of the Host Nation Support Coordination Center, explained that North Macedonia is new to NATO with three years of membership, but they’ve taken many steps to maintain standards, and they are committed to training with the U.S. as well as keeping good relations with all of NATO.

“The U.S. is our strategic partner,” said Cvetkovski. “We have very good support from the U.S.”

A majority of Brave Partner is scheduled to involve live-fire ranges for 2CR Soldiers to train with Stryker armored fighting vehicles. Cvetkovski explained that Krivolak Training Area has the best terrain and facilities for that type of training. He said the training area accommodates a variety of military vehicles, aircraft and munitions.

“We have a very good training area here,” said Cvetkovski. “KTA is in the top 3 of all training areas in all of Europe.”

By Capt. Maria Salcido