After setting the Army’s ground combat systems house in order and on the path to incremental modernization, Maj. Gen. David Bassett is tasked with righting the ship at the program office overseeing its foundering network communications.
Bassett on Dec. 4 was reassigned from leading the Ground Combat Vehicles program office in Warren, Mich., to program executive officer for Command, Control and Communication Tactical (PEO C3T) at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
There he will replace Gary Martin, who has served as PEO C3T since 2015. Martin plans to retire at the end of January after a 30-year career with the Army, during which he also served as deputy to the chief of Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM).
Bassett will hand PEO GCS over to Brig. Gen. (Promotable) Brian P. Cummings, who currently serves as program executive officer soldier (PEO Soldier) and was responsible for development of the XM17 Modular Handguns Systems replacement for the Berretta M9 while in that position.
Bassett has been at PEO GCS for four years, during which time he oversaw the maintenance and modernization of the Army’s combat vehicle fleets. His tenure has included the M1 Abrams Tank Systems Enhancement Package version 3 (SEPv3) delivery, Bradley Fighting Vehicle A4 upgrade program and the swift development of an upgunned Stryker armed with a 30mm cannon that will soon enter production.
He also ushered to production the M113 replacement called the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle made by BAE Systems. The company has delivered at least one of each of the AMPV’s five variants to the Army for testing.
Before taking over at PEO GCS, Bassett oversaw the effort to replace portions of the Humvee fleet with the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, manufactured by Oshkosh Defense [OSK].
He now takes over responsibility for modernizing the Army’s battlefield communications network, including the embattled Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T). Congress and Army leadership have attacked that program for having swallowed up $6 billion with little to show. The Army’s current plan is to halt fielding WIN-T, fix the shortcomings with systems in the field already and “pivot” to a new modernization strategy.