It’s taken some time, but the defense industry seems to be over the shock of life beyond the Army’s Future Combat Systems program. For over a decade FCS was an inherent part of any discussion about next-gen Army vehicles and the transition to a lighter, faster and more functional combat force. In April of last year, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates made the bold move to not just restructure FCS but to cancel the program and start fresh. 

Since that time, the Army has been busy over the summer and through the fall conceptualizing the goals for a new Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) and its overall Brigade Combat Team (BCT) modernization strategy. A Request for Proposal for the GCV has been out since February, with a deadline for submissions of late last month. Contracts for the GCV program aren’t expected to be awarded until the fall. Meanwhile the current plan is to deliver Increment 1 capability to seven Infantry Brigade Combat Teams starting in 2011. The rest of the BCTs will then receive upgraded capabilities on an incremental basis.

A Plan Emerges

This rebooting of the Army’s modernization strategy has been the cause of much uncertainty among makers of electronics and embedded computer products aimed at next-gen military vehicles and other systems. That uncertainty was eased somewhat when the Army rolled out its overall Army Modernization Strategy document, which details the various elements and implementation plans for the future. The four major elements of the plan are incremental improvements to the Army BC Network; Incorporating Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles into the force; Accelerating the fielding of “capability packages” to BCTs by 2025; and developing a new Ground Combat Vehicle within seven years (Figure 1).

New Ground Combat Vehicle 

The GCV operates effectively with current Army and joint service systems as well as systems in development. GCV hosts the Army’s battle command network systems, and possesses growth potential in electrical and computing power to incorporate changes as network systems evolve. These vehicles also retain mission functionality with a degraded or interrupted network. GCV facilitates soldier integration into the network, employment of air and ground robotic systems, and enables access to joint capabilities at all levels.

The requirements for the Ground Combat Vehicle were developed from input of a variety of expert sources. Among these was an Army-sponsored Blue Ribbon Panel, which received input from Joint-Service partners, retired Generals, think tank analysts, representatives from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Army Soldiers, and leaders with a wide range of operational experience to inform the Ground Combat Vehicle operational requirements development effort. That input was supplemented by contributions from commanders and soldiers with recent combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The GCV as conceived takes the best aspects of different existing vehicle platforms. This includes the underbelly protection offered by MRAP, the off-road mobility and side protection of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and the urban and operational mobility of the Stryker. An ability to integrate into the network to maintain situational awareness in urban and other operations is also a key requirement. This mandates sufficient space and electrical power to accept the network systems while also ensuring the ability to integrate upgrades and new technologies. The Ground Combat Vehicle’s development schedule calls for production of the first vehicle by fiscal year 2017.

Big Role for Embedded Computing

While it’s far too soon to know what shape the onboard computing systems for GCV will take, it’s likely that the significant body of work done for FCS computing systems will be leveraged for the GCV. OpenVPX—designed with just such harsh environment, high-performance applications in mind—is the most likely form factor (Figure 2). Early prototypes for FCS Integrated Computing Systems were based on 3U CompactPCI cards with Pentium M computing and 10-port Gbit Ethernet switching. And while such systems would have been part of the first spin-out of FCS future force technologies (for Bradley fighting vehicles, Abrams main battle tanks and Command-Variant Humvees) had FCS continued, the new FCS vehicles were looking toward VPX.

The heart of the FCS networking technologies has its current rebirth in a modular set of gear the Army calls Network Integration Kits (NIK). The NIK is part of the Army’s E-IBCT Enhanced Brigade Combat Team requirement. The NIK (Figure 3) is an integrated suite of equipment on a HMMWV that provides the Network connectivity and battle command software to integrate and fuse sensor data into the common operational picture (COP) displayed on the Future XXI Battle Command Battalion/Brigade and Below (FBCB2). 

NIKs are engineered with technologies that can receive and distribute data, voice, video and images across the force using multiple high-bandwidth waveforms; they consist of vehicle-mounted software-programmable Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS) such as the Ground Mobile Radios (GMR), a so-called “dual-enclave” Integrated Computer System (ICS) built to handle classified and unclassified information, and a Blue Force Tracking display screen. The software and operating systems are connected through the use of a middleware called System of Systems Common Operating Environment (SOSCOE).

Demonstrating their versatility,  last month Network Integration Kits (NIKs) developed with Increment 1 of the Army’s Brigade Combat Team Modernization Program began being installed on MATV versions of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle (Figure 4) at White Sands Missile Range in preparation for fielding in 2011 to the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Armored Division when it is deployed to Afghanistan. In addition to providing “networked” combat-relevant information such as sensor feeds from a UAV across the force in real time, the NIKs may help MRAPs overcome some of their mobility restrictions.

Battle Command Network Modernization 

A critical backdrop to the Army’s new vehicle plans is its ongoing effort to build out and improve its Army’s Battle Command Network. Its goal is to enable networking the force to operate across the full spectrum of conflict including austere and complex environments. This means interoperable, affordable and capable of incremental upgrades to ensure soldiers have the right information at the right place and time. It keeps our soldiers connected at extended ranges with voice, data and video through the integration of existing capabilities combined with the development of new capabilities. 

Network modernization is implemented via two primary ongoing transport programs: WIN-T and JTRS. The WIN-T is the backbone for the Army’s transport modernization plan and will be fielded in three increments. Fielding of Increment 1 is almost complete, which provides reach-back capabilities to Battalion Command Posts. Increment 2 provides an initial On-the-Move (OTM) transport capability including real-time high-definition imagery to BCT and Battalion Commanders, as well as Beyond Line of-Sight (BLOS) services to the BCT Company level. This is scheduled for initial fielding in FY12. Increment 3 expands OTM capabilities and adds an aerial tier vastly improving network reach, redundancy and management.

Meanwhile, the JTRS program provides a dynamic, scalable, OTM network architecture, connecting the soldier to the network, and enhances capability to exchange increased voice, data and video faster than current systems. The advanced network waveforms provide rapid distribution of data and imagery with increased information assurance protection and automatic routing across complex terrain. The JTRS is also backward compatible and therefore interoperable with current radios. The Network plan accelerates the fielding of new tactical radios aligned with capability package fielding to 29 BCTs by the end of FY16.

Tying it All Together

Tying the elements together is convergence to a common operating environment with upgraded applications and network services. The Network Integration Kit (NIK) provides control of the Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) and updates the Common Operation Picture (COP) of UGS status, sensor reports and imagery into Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade and Below (FBCB2) and Army Battle Command System (ABCS).

The Army’s BC Network modernization strategy is focused on converging several systems, providing increased information superiority on the move. Current and future Army BC programs will address these capability gaps and reduce the current growing number of products across the battlefield. By 2012 the Army plans to incrementally transition from the current legacy and off-the-shelf network systems to a new network based on the latest increments of WIN-T and JTRS programs to provide secure data, voice and video capabilities to a mobile force. Because the Army has funded programs for network, applications and supporting systems modernization for FY10-15, it will reap the benefits of this investment as fielding begins deploying BCTs in FY11.

Last month the U.S. Army awarded General Dynamics C4 Systems a $164 million contract that will enable a General Dynamics-led team to begin low-rate initial production of the Warfighter Information Network – Tactical (WIN-T) Increment 2. The not to exceed value for this initial WIN-T delivery order, which for the first time provides commanders with mobile networking capability, is $338 million. The WIN-T units produced during this phase include equipment sets configured for a Division Headquarters and three Brigade headquarters. The equipment then will undergo formal testing during 2011, culminating in an Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) in November 2011.

On-the-Move Vehicle Networking

The WIN-T program comprises three increments. Increment 1 is currently fielded to a number of deployed U.S. Army units. Increment 2 will equip vehicles with on-the-move broadband communications enabling command and control from anywhere in the battlespace. Increment 3 delivers a more automated and robust network connection with extended line of sight communication using airborne relays, increased network reliability and capacity, and smaller and more tightly integrated communications and networking gear needed for the Army’s Brigade Combat Team Modernization. General Dynamics C4 Systems is the prime systems integrator for WIN-T and is teamed with Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Harris Corporation, L-3 Communications, Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks.

After a significant investment in JTRS—and years of turmoil—the Army will begin fielding JTRS starting in 2012. The JTRS Ground Mobile Radio (the JTRS version for ground vehicle mounted platforms) begins to close the data capability gap at the BCT company level and provides the capability to build a data extension to the lowest echelons, and then enables the extension of services from the Forward Operating Base to the platform. Handheld, Manpack, Soldier (HMS) JTRS radios extend the network to the dismounted soldier. Rifleman Radio extends connectivity down to the individual soldier, which delivers key networking capabilities to bring the individual soldier into the network, and provide voice connectivity and visibility of the soldier’s position location information to the squad/team leader.

Lessons Learned, Fresh Start

As the Army’s overall plan for modernization and its specific new efforts in new vehicle development move forward, they have the benefit of hindsight—avoid the pitfalls and problems suffered by the Future Combat Systems program. This new Army Modernization Strategy also has the benefit of kicking off when its companion programs—namely WIN-T and JTRS—are further along toward maturity. While it’s too soon to know many specifics about where all the embedded computing and electronic opportunities will be for the Ground Combat Vehicle and associated platforms, there’s no doubt that the DoD’s continued focus on network-centric technology will keep demand alive for a wide spectrum of high-performance, fabric-based compute platforms.