Archive for June, 2009
Jun 29, 2009, post by Artur Ślesik
The 1,000th Combat Service Support Very Small Aperture Terminal rolled off the assembly line at the plant of L-3 Global Communications Solutions, Inc. in Victor, N.Y. Jan. 9. The program to “Connect Army Logisticians” with their own managed by the Product Manager, Defense Wide Transmission Systems – part of the Army’s Program Executive Office, Enterprise Information Systems’ Project Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems – started in May 2004.
More than 90 Army leaders and their industry partners met at a PM DWTS facility here on Jan. 31, 2008 to mark the milestone. Among the Army leaders were Thomas Edwards, assistant deputy chief of staff, Army G-4; Gary Winkler, program executive officer, Enterprise Information Systems; Col. Gale Harrington, PM DCATS; Lt. Col. Clyde Richards, PM DWTS; and Carl Beem, CSS VSAT combat develop, Combined Arms Support Command. The industry partners included Frank York, GCS president; Michael Wheeler, Segovia president; John Ratigan, I-Direct president, and Ken Karhuse, Eyak Technologies program manager.
Borrowing an analogy he heard from former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker, Edwards compared the early process of trying to connect Army logisticians to “slogging through a swamp,” and said that for the G-4, the CSS VSAT solution was like “jumping out of a swamp and onto a rocket ship.”
Richards said that the original requirement from the G-4 was for 775 CSS VSATs, that there were 1,000 more “in the pipeline” and that the figure could ultimately grow to 3,000 CSS VSATs before they were done.
Edwards said it could be even more.
“I saw a chart the other day with the figure of 3,145 VSATs,” said Edwards. “And that figure could grow. Keep making it better and cheaper and the whole Army will come.”
Jun 29, 2009, post by Marcin Frąckiewicz
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Despite not making it back to the states for the birth of his first child, Taylor soldier Nicholas Jevahirian did everything but cut the cord during his wife’s labor and delivery Monday – just by satellite. The 20-year-old Marine stationed in Al Asad, Iraq, coached his wife, Chelsey, 19, for the birth of Brayden Allen at 5:20 p.m. Monday with the help of the Freedom Calls Foundation.
The New Jersey-based nonprofit provides phones, satellite service, computers, monitors and other equipment necessary for soldiers in the Middle East to participate in births, birthdays, weddings and other life events going on while they’re deployed.
Jevahirian appeared on a video monitor next to his wife’s bedside at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn starting at noon Monday. His father, Richard, also of Taylor, cut the baby’s umbilical cord, hospital spokeswoman Paula Rivera-Kerr said.
Those requesting the foundation’s help, which is free for those stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan, or who want to donate to the group can call 973-290-7886.
Jun 29, 2009, post by Marcin Frąckiewicz
General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies recently received a $119 million modification to an existing delivery order to provide satellite communications earth terminals and support services for Increment One of the U.S. Army’s Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) program. Under the contract, General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies will provide 293 satellite transportable terminals (STT), 6 unit hub SATCOM trucks (UHST) and 534 Ka-band upgrade kits and spares.
As the Army’s tactical portion of the USA’s Global Information Grid (GIG) network, WIN-T is designed to help deployed forces tap into that grid and its databases, collectors, and connections to national agencies. At present, this requires multiple private networks, or outright forward deployment of representatives from the agencies in question.
Win-T Increment One was formerly known as the Joint Network Node. It provides Internet capability to a small platoon on the ground, which can now communicate with the rest of the world. The node consists of vehicles and shipping containers (the Joint Network Node, the Battalion Command Post Node, the Ku SATCOM trailer and the Hub Node) equipped with systems that provide voice over IP, dynamic IP, videoconferencing and access to the military’s classified and unclassified networks.
Increment One of WIN-T will provide soldiers with these capabilities while stationary; Increment Two, which General Dynamics is also under contract to provide, will enable soldiers to communicate on the move.
