LandWarNet targets tools to build global enterprise network

The 2009 iteration of LandWarNet comes to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., this year in the midst of a productive year for Army information technology managers, with many long under-development programs finally beginning to bear fruit. They include the first Operational Evaluation of Network Service Center (NSC OPVAL) earlier this summer; the Obama administration’s plan to establish a Pentagon command to coordinate security of military computer networks; and the buy in of senior leadership on the Global Network Enterprise Construct (GNEC).

The theme of this year’s LandWarNet is: “A Global Network Enterprise Enabling Full Spectrum Operations for the Joint Warfighter,” and the majority of the conference sessions clearly target the overall concept of building out a global network enterprise that will be required of an increasingly CONUS-based Army.

A number of sessions, and likely many side discussions throughout the Broward County Convention Center, are specifically geared to the lessons learned during the NSC OPVAL that took place in Germany. The OPVAL was designed to prove that a brigade could deploy across the oceans and replicate its battle command applications.

“Naturally, there were some lessons learned,” said Gary Winkler, program executive officer for Enterprise Information Systems. “On the user’s side, the 5th Signal Command came away with several lessons learned dealing with manpower, training and organizational issues to optimally leverage this new capability. On the technical side, there were some lessons learned dealing with data and application replication and virtualization, bandwidth utilization, and some other technical refinements to make this capability more seamless for the end-users.”

In addition to furthering development of the NSC, the Army’s IT leadership has a number of other priorities that will be examined in greater detail in Fort Lauderdale.

“First we want to make sure we can fund the entire transition to the Global Network Enterprise Construct,” said Army CIO Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Sorenson. “We’re talking about funding to field the follow-on Fixed Regional Hub Nodes, and our ability to establish the Area Processing Centers. Right now, we have a request in to the Army staff about standardizing the tool sets we use to evaluate the network across the different theater network operations security centers.”

In addition, the Army plans other improvements from the tactical side. They include the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical program, the rifleman radio and the new tactical radio system.