By Ann Roosevelt
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md.–Early next month, the Future Common Control Node, a simulation, software and development center for the Army’s major modernization program, the Future Combat System (FCS), will be up and running as part of the programs national network, according to service officials.
“Phase II will be completed in the next two weeks,” Corde Lane, chief of the Netcentric Division at Aberdeen Test Center here, told the first reporters to visit the node March 14. The work will all be done in mid-summer, he said.
“The network is happeneing now, as evidenced by delivery of more than 5.6 million lines of Effective Source Lines of Code and the fact that we have Soldiers using the Joint Tactical Radio System Ground Mobile Radio (JTRS GMR), System of System Common Operating Environment [SOSCOE] and the Integrated Computer System currently at Ft. Bliss, Texas,” Paul Mehney, Army FCS spokesman, said.
Part of the value of the node is the ability to test and integrate current as well as future force vehicles–the Abrams, Bradleys’ and Humvees that are already starting to test the ability to communicate with the FCS network at Ft. Bliss.
Current force vehicles are often at Aberdeen Test Center, thus with access to the FCS CCN.
FCS, managed by Boeing [BA] and SAIC [SAI] for the Army, consists of the soldiers connected by the network to 14 systems, including weapons, sensors and robots.
The node is hooked into the FCS System of Systems Integration Lab (SoSIL) in Huntington Beach, Calif., and at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., building a testing and simulation network where soldiers and civilian experts together will develop, test, and evaluate the FCS network that will connect vehicles and warfighters on the battlefield, Lane said.
The FCS CCN is reusing the two-story brick building that initially housed the first supersonic wind tunnel in the United States, Lane said.
Inside beyond a berry-colored mosaic wall lie conference rooms, and an After Action Review room where classified briefings can take place. These rooms also have the ability to video-teleconference and to link into a test network and see what’s going on or plug into and work on the test network.
Further along, a large room, now empty, will soon hold computers and displays for a blue, or friendly, cell for simulations. Beyond that, there is a high bay, where Lane said vehicles can be brought in and integrated into the network. Prototypes can be brought in, as well.
Through the smell of fresh paint, over paper covered floors and past crews pulling wire, painting and poking through enormous toolboxes, were the stairs to the second floor. The “enemy,” or red force entity, will work in space there during simulations. Other computer rooms will be located upstairs as well, he said.
Additionally on the first floor is also a large server room where rows of racks will soon be emplaced.
“It’s the heart of the network and communications for the test facility,” Lane said.
Each rack will simulate something like a vehicle or a sensor, he said. Right now it is set up as a sort of mini-version of all the different rooms. Equipment from all the different areas is being used until their spaces are set up and ready to use. There is also a crew station mock-up, with computers and radios set up.
Lane said work at the node involves answering questions about the network and testing software. For example, learning what is the best way to connect an ad hoc network or, how best to connect the simulation nodes themselves. The work involves understanding and refining the network, bringing it all together and testing interfaces. Other questions are specific, such as how the FCS network, built on Linux and commercial-off-the-shelf software, interoperates with the Army’s battle command, built on Microsoft.
However, Lane said current force radios–the Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System, and the Enhanced Position Location and Reporting System do communicate with early versions of FCS radios. It took about four months to resolve issues so the radios could communicate. While the development and testing work was going on, personnel at the SoSIL in Huntington Beach were listening in via the network and could add their thoughts. The JTRS GMR radios are now in use by the Army’s Evaluation Task Force working on Spin Out 1 issues at Ft. Bliss.
Testing is continuous to solve any interoperability questions that arise, Lane said.
The FCS network is coming in a phased build. Phase one has been completed and delivered; Phase two is in progress now. The initial B-Kits that make up the first network capability get fielded for the first brigade in 2010.