The Navy and Northrop Grumman [NOC] have completed installation of the new tactical afloat network on a ship and work continues on more than 10 other surface vessels to field the new system, the service and contractor said on Nov. 25.
The USS McCampbell (DDG-85), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, became the first ship to sail with the Consolidated Afloat Networks Enterprise System known (CANES) when it left Yokosuka, Japan in early October.
The Navy plans to field CANES on more than 190 ships and land locations to replace multiple legacy information technology systems by effectively merging stand-alone networks for command, control, computers, communications, and intelligence (C4I) systems into a common shipboard computing environment.
CANES is designed to strengthen network infrastructure, improve security, and reduce hardware space. It will also decrease the manpower burden by reducing operations and sustainment workloads through the use of common equipment, training and logistics.
Another destroyer, the USS Milnius (DDG-69), has received CANES during an extended dry dock period for the network installation as well as other work on the ship. CANES installation on vessels, including eight destroyers, two aircraft carriers and an amphibious warship, is also underway.
The Navy plans to complete deploying CANES on more than 190 surface ships, submarines and land operation centers by 2021, said Steven Davis, spokesman for Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR).
Northrop Grumman won the contract to supply CANES in low-rate initial-production (LRIP) in 2012 after defeating Lockheed Martin [LMT]. Northrop Grumman will produce 29 units under LRIP, and the Navy is conducting a second competition for the full-rate production.
SPAWAR accepted bids for the full run last summer and expects to award the contract in April. Lockheed Martin said it did not submit a proposal, although SPAWAR’s Davis said the command received “multiple” other bids.