The Army is holding an industry in day in January to find new capabilities for its next-generation electronic warfare platforms with officials pushing industry to provide more modular, mobile offerings for its future kit.
Participants at the upcoming industry day at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland will have an opportunity to receive updates on the Army’s Terrestrial Layer System (TLS) and Tactical EW System (TEWS) as the service prepares to use 2019 as a testing year for the new electronic attack platforms, officials told attendees Wednesday at an Association of Old Crows event.
“We’ll provide you, industry, with the baseline of what we believe the system can do based on the testing we’ve performed already. That way you’ll at least have an impressionable capability that you can base off of,” said. Col. Kevin Finch, program manager for electronic warfare and cyber. “What we’re really looking for is a system where you can build and integrate what’s best of breed from different areas.”
Finch said current EW systems are not modular, remain stovepiped and have a difficult time pacing threats.
Col. Jennifer McAfee, TRADOC capability manager for terrestrial layer and identity, added new EW capabilities need to allow for speed of maneuver while the Army will look for kits that add capabilities from an array of vendors rather than a single bulk system.
“We don’t want vendor lock-in anymore,” McAfee said. “We don’t want to buy the gold-plated piece of equipment anymore. We want to be able to get those prototypes out. We know they’re not perfect, but give something that soldiers will be able to play with and something that we give them reps with.”
The Army is planning to deploy small amounts of new EW equipment to units for feedback, while also bringing kits to the Joint Operational Integration Assignment and Joint Warfighter Assessment.
McAfee said the TLS will look to move an EW system down to a single vehicle, rather than having capabilities split between a signals intelligence post and electronic vehicle, while reducing the pieces of equipment that need to be integrated.
The Army is also moving to a flexible position where pieces on a kit will be upgraded as needed rather that relying on a single vendor, according to McAfee.
“The speed of technology moves so fast now. We need to be able to go to whoever has that best kit,” McAfee said.
A final acquisition strategy on TLS is expected by next summer, according McAfee.
Finch said a notice for the industry will be posted on FedBizOpps in the coming weeks.