Navy CANES program set for full speed ahead

Rear Admiral Michael Bachman, commander of the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), expressed enthusiasm here at MILCOM for a program some vendors had doubts would ever really see the light of day. The Consolidated Afloat Network and Enterprise Services (CANES) is on track for award before the end of 2009.

CANES is intended to help consolidate the ever-expanding number of non-tactical networks aboard Navy ships and submarines into a common set of infrastucture, using commercial off-the-shelf technology like blade servers and thin clients to make it possible for the Navy to more easily standardize and refresh applications and technology aboard ships at sea.

Bachman spoke at MILCOM on the same day as a request for information on potential approaches for cross-domain solution prototype for CANES, allowing the consolidation of shipboard network infrastructure for applications ranging from unclassified up to secret and SCI from the same workstations.

On Nov. 20, SPAWAR will hold its third industry day on CANES. A draft RFP is expected before the end of the year, with a final RFP for CANES expected in January.