JOINT BASE McGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. — Army C5ISR Center scientists and engineers are kicking off the annual Network Modernization Experiment, known as NetModX, as they move capabilities from the lab to a field environment to assess performance of projects.

The Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center — shortened as C5ISR Center — and partner organizations will experiment over nine weeks with a broad spectrum of network-related capabilities in an operationally realistic, threat-informed environment to prove out disruptive and transformative C5ISR technologies, according to Joe Saldiveri, the event’s lead strategic planner. The C5ISR Center is an element of the Combat Capabilities Development Command.

NetModX 24 encompasses experimentation with dozens of technologies as C5ISR Center joins Army programs of record, cross-functional teams and industry partners across three locations in New Jersey and Maryland. The event supports programs of record gather experimentation data for decision-making as well as incorporating industry participation into the modernization process.

The Army Network is one of the chief of staff of the Army’s top priorities and enables critical capabilities across five modernization priorities: future vertical lift, long-range precision fires, network, next generation combat vehicle and Soldier lethality.

“NetModX is a unique venue for the Army to understand how emergent technologies perform in a converged field environment early in the development process. This approach leads to a tighter coupling between government programs and industry to mature technologies that address Army needs,” Saldiveri said.

For the second consecutive year, NetModX 24 will use a live, virtual and constructive environment that enables experimentation in a distributed manner. LVC assists the NetModX team to provide an all-inclusive service by combining real and simulated capabilities to stimulate technologies under experimentation, according to Noah Weston, C5ISR Center’s Strategic Experimentation Office chief.

The LVC environment offers multiple experimentation benefits, such as a reduction in the need for expensive or scarce real systems, the ability to rapidly iterate through experiment permutations and the ability to run experiments faster than real time.

“The C5ISR Center continues to invest and work with partners in building out LVC capabilities — to ensure we are pushing the state-of-the-art boundaries,” Weston said.

Soldier participation is also a key component to build upon work from scientists and engineers. 75th Innovation Command Soldiers will provide real-time feedback on how systems would affect operational mission performance.

“Soldier participation allows developers to gain insights into how Soldiers would interact with the programs, providing valuable lessons across the range of technology readiness levels,” Weston said.

The experimentation enables the Center to reduce risk for the Army and provide information critical for data-driven technical and programmatic decisions, according to Beth Ferry, acting C5ISR Center director.

“NetModX will help enable the Army to meet the Chief of Staff’s goal for an agile and robust Network as our top modernization priority,” Ferry said.

By Dan Lafontaine, DEVCOM C5ISR Center Public Affairs

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — Field artillery has long been the U.S. military’s long reach battlefield weapon. Because of the big booms and big distance, field artillery has long been dubbed the king of battle. This king is getting a new jewel in its crown that will by way of technology that will bolster its distance capability.

The Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node, or TITAN, pre-prototype and the TITAN program of record introduces deep sensing to field artillery. While deep sensing sounds like a drilling term, its real purpose is all about long range sighting. “Deep sensing to me is being able to see over the horizon, no longer limited line of sight. Being able to see on the other side of the mountain or seeing deep into enemy territory would be the deep sensing aspect of that,” said Richard Thompson, Army Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities, or TENCAP, Ground Station lead.

Thompson is a former U.S. Army chief warrant officer 4 who worked in the field for over 20 years and has seen all sorts of development in the FA world, but nothing like this. “I was in the Army for over 20 years and some of the first systems I used were TENCAP systems. So, the team and I are very passionate about TITAN and we see the importance of the deep sensing and targeting aspect of it.”

TITAN is a big deal to people like Thompson who have worked in the field artillery space for a long time. The value added has everyone excited, because TITAN delivers a next-generation, expeditionary, scalable and maneuverable platform at echelon that is purpose built to address the Army’s number one gap in large-scale combat operations: deep sensing.

By accessing sensor data from multiple sensors simultaneously across the space, high altitude, aerial and terrestrial layers, TITAN provides situational awareness and situational understanding across operations. Fusing that data and using advanced analytics to deliver targetable intelligence to lethal and non-lethal networks reduces the sensor-to-shooter gap and enables long range precision fires, aviation and mission command.

In short, the TITAN pre-prototype is focused on space-based intelligence surveillance and is a reconnaissance asset. As such, the program serves as a critical capability for both the intelligence and fires community.

According to Thompson, their effort with the pre-prototype is meant to deliver space-based functionality to the TITAN program of record that will later be integrated into a single system. This is a major capability increase. “The key is, our peers and near peers are developing weapon systems that can range further. We must be able to find those threat systems and be able to help the fires community and the mission command community engage those systems at range,” said Thompson. “We have to be able to shoot further, but to shoot further you have to find those targets.”

For those who are in field artillery, these are exciting times as the king of battle is poised to be more formidable than ever.

“It comes down to timeliness and accurateness. This TITAN pre-prototype increases the trust of ground force commanders who are relying on extremely accurate data from their Intel personnel and by what we provide,” said CW3 Christopher Trader, Mutli-Domain Task Force TITAN pre-prototype officer in charge.

“That trust elevates tenfold where fires elements can simply receive the data that we provide and then employ the appropriate weapon system to execute. That is, in my interpretation, what big Army is striving for,” Trader added.

Trader is a current user of TITAN pre-prototype and responsible for putting it through its paces to find ways to improve upon its requirements. Deep sensing is a critical asset. Deep visual penetration of the battlefield allows for not only better target acquisition, but better safety and security for all those operating in that battle space. The more personnel you can keep engaged in the fight speaks to the success you can have.

But what about the tried-and-true personnel operating as forward observers? Forward observers have long been the down range eyes of the field artillery. Is there a concern the TITAN program makes them obsolete?

“Absolutely not!” said Trader.  “I will stand by that 100 percent, being a previous 96R, which is a ground surveillance system operator in the MI Corps. I know very intimately what and how much of a value [field observers] are, as I was with those guys in the foxholes. The difference is, and I’ll be very blunt, we see past them. We see in distances that they cannot see — so that’s what makes the big difference. We can see beyond the close fight. That is the intent of the TITAN prototype: to get past the close fight and focus on the deep fight,” Trader said.

There are more products on the horizon, some currently in use. The technology surge represents an ever evolving and ever-expanding future. “This is just the beginning. Technology itself is improving every day, whether it’s getting smaller and more robust, or the capability is becoming more user friendly. This is just the beginning,” said Trader.

The Program Executive Office – Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors is at the forefront of technology and innovation when it comes to enhancing the lethality of Soldiers. While it is true technology is here to stay, the goal now is to find innovative ways to get smart technology into the hands of our warfighters in the most expeditious way possible. The TITAN program of record and pre-prototype are great examples of the U.S. Army leaning in — not just current technology initiatives — but the bright minds, talent and experience to improve upon, field and equip the best Army in the world.

By Ron Lee