Army Readies New Tech for Communications Modernization.

• Author: Mayfield, Mandy

The Army is gearing up for Project Convergence 2021 where it will field a number of new modernized tactical communications technologies.

Network modernization is one of the top priorities being spearheaded by Army Futures Command. The new capabilities are intended to improve the capacity and resiliency of the service in order to compete in high-end fights against near-peer adversaries.

To achieve its network goals, the Army is pursuing a series of two-year capability sets. Each set has a number of design objectives including: unified network; common operating environment; joint interoperability/coalition accessible; and command post mobility/survivability, according to the service.

The Army completed the preliminary design review for the next round of network tools, known as Capability Set 23, in April, service officials told reporters during a media day hosted at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Virginia.

The technologies being developed--which will focus on the medium-weight Stryker brigades--will leverage a multilayered architecture of communications networks. The new capability set was built off research and prototyping efforts that took place during Capability Set 21, which looked at a number of the same modernization goals.

The service has already begun testing new tech for Capability Set 23. One of the top efforts is known as the command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or C4ISR, Electronic Warfare Modular Open Suite of Standards. Many of the Army's capabilities will be united under this CMOSS umbrella, said Brig. Gen. Robert Collins, program executive officer for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical, or PEO C3T

CMOSS converges a number of the service's warfighting capabilities--such as mission command, movement and maneuver, and fires--into one system.

"This is probably one of our marquee focus areas for CAPSET 23--this is really where we are going to try to change the business model with industry," Collins told reporters during the media day in May.

CMOSS is streamlining the integration of a number of capabilities into one platform, said Scott Newman, technical management division chief for project lead interoperability, integration and services at PEO C3T

As part of the effort, the Army created the Open VPX, a hardware form-factor computing system that attaches to the chassis of a Stryker vehicle and allows capabilities to be fielded in the form of processor cards.

"It's...