“This occasion celebrates the opening of the NIEF Atlantic Lab of the Future – a Navy asset aligned to our Navy priorities: ‘Warfighting, Warfighters, and the Basis that helps them,’” mentioned Capt. Catherine Boehme, Program Supervisor Tactical Networks Program Workplace (PMW 160), Program Government Workplace Command, Management, Communications, Computer systems and Intelligence (PEO C4I).
The NIEF Atlantic Lab of the Future is the most recent addition to NIWC Atlantic’s Tactical Networks (TACNET) Deployment Built-in Product Workforce (IPT) labs, which primarily helps NIEF Atlantic and supplies direct entry and help for the Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Providers (CANES) Built-in Logistics Help (ILS) and Coaching, the Atlantic CANES TACNET Functionality-Based mostly In-Service Engineering Exercise (CB-ISEA) group and CANES engineering groups.
“The capability of this house, the connectivity that’s deliberate, the collaboration that’s enabled, will all contribute to the unprecedented velocity of supply of this vital [CANES] shipset with the best pedigree now we have been capable of obtain. This world-class group in these world-class services will increase the supply of world-class warfighting functionality,” mentioned Boehme.
CANES is the Program of Document (POR) system fielded on U.S. Navy ships, submarines and shore websites and offers warfighters a single system with a number of vital safe and nonsecure enclaves in a scalable community system able to intra-ship and off-ship web protocol-based functionality. That functionality contains community companies reminiscent of electronic mail and internet shopping, in addition to internet hosting a number of unclassified and labeled administrative, provide and warfighting capabilities, functions and linked techniques.
“This lab will guarantee we’re higher positioned to supply entry to CANES techniques which are pre-loaded for coaching and Built-in Logistics Help (ILS) documentation, validation and updates to technical manuals, upkeep necessities, and engineering improvement and sustainment,” mentioned Nigro.
NIEF Atlantic was established in March 2018 and transitioned CANES and Operation Rolling Tide (ORT) Pre-installation, Testing and Verify-Out (PITCO) actions from a leased business facility to its present location on Naval Station Norfolk. To fulfill the fiscal yr 2018 – 2021 projected workload, NIEF Atlantic was allotted three labs, together with the software program sustainment exercise. that might help pre-loading CANES on the NIEF.
“This location will foster extra speedy exchanges with the fleet by growing total publicity to applied sciences, experimentation and ideas of employment prototyping, and testing,” mentioned Nigro.
Initially, further safe house and energy upgrades had been accomplished in these labs to help growing CANES installations, but the supplemental house was required to carry out environment friendly, streamlined PITCO operations. To fulfill that want, one other lab was assigned to accommodate storage, de-militarization of de-installed TACNET techniques, and function a technical refresh element and kitting space.
Profitable CANES installations elevated demand, as did the addition of a variety of Ship Conversion, Navy (SCN) New Building ship courses, reminiscent of destroyers (DDG), touchdown platform dock (LPD), touchdown helicopter assault (LHA) and nuclear plane carriers (CVN). Subsequently, a design for the brand new lab, which was to turn into the NIEF Lab of the Future, was developed and funded by NIWC Atlantic, then engineered, constructed and accomplished by Naval Amenities Engineering Programs Command (NAVFAC) on the finish of fiscal yr 2023.
“I view this functionality as a lab, plain and easy, that’s linked to the remainder of the NIWC Atlantic and Naval R&D [research and development] institution technical and lab infrastructure, in order that we, as a higher group, can advance revolutionary options for our warfighters,” mentioned Nigro.
The completion of the brand new NIEF lab is well timed. For the reason that effort began, CANES has added 5 new ship courses and platforms to the POR, with seven extra anticipated to be added quickly.” The brand new lab will help the extra capability and supply efficiencies to making ready techniques for more and more difficult shipyard schedules.
“As we glance ahead, this group, by this facility, will contribute to delivering warfighting functionality, delivering decisive fight energy to the fleet,” mentioned Boehme.
NIEF Atlantic now consists of six laboratories, with the most recent lab considerably enhancing CANES integration and engineering functionality in a safe house. These labs enhance capability for preliminary system builds and technical refreshes, full system testing and configurations, software integration, and Sailor and stakeholder hands-on familiarization.
“For the warfighter, our groups analysis, develop, combine and maintain the most recent C4ISR [command, control, communications, computers (C4) intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)] applied sciences on each U.S. Navy ship, submarine and shore web site. The NIWC Atlantic NIEF Lab of the Future is the most recent addition to the command instruments and sources for our Tactical Networks Deployment IPT and can present this group with the purposeful flexibility to facilitate their day-to-day operations in help of the Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Providers program together with logistics, coaching, ISEA and engineering,” mentioned Christopher Purdy, NIWC Atlantic Navy Afloat Community and C2 Apps Division Head.
The addition of the brand new lab additionally permits NIEF Atlantic to conduct a number of simultaneous CANES shipset pre-installation duties. The brand new lab’s versatile design helps {hardware} post-production modifications with workspace software program pre-load, software integration, and the present energy requirement for all present CANES {hardware} ranges. The lab additionally includes a sound-proof room for technicians and Sailors to configure CANES and collaborate, and contains technical benches for ILS, {hardware}, software program and related troubleshooting restore and substitute. Instantly throughout the corridor from the brand new lab is an administrative house designed for {hardware} and software program authorities and contractor collaboration and group constructing.
“This effort took many key gamers and teammates to perform the work, and within the planning and execution, touched many points of our group to make doable,” mentioned Mr. Peter Reddy, NIWC Atlantic Government Director. “We’re grateful for the end result, as a result of we all know this finish result’s additional enabling vital naval integration and help to the warfighter.”
NIEF Atlantic is now higher positioned to supply entry to CANES techniques which are pre-loaded for coaching and ILS documentation, validation and updates to technical manuals, upkeep necessities, and engineering improvement and sustainment. Moreover, entry for exterior stakeholders reminiscent of Regional Upkeep Facilities (RMC), Fleet Help Engineering Technicians (FSET), CB-ISEA, hosted and linked functions, cyber groups, Navy Kind Instructions (TYCOMs) and fleet Sailors is expanded with the extra lab house.
“The operations of this NIEF additional help our Navy’s basis, by fielding and sustaining tactical community functionality and capability, and underpinning the warfighting readiness of the world’s strongest Navy,” mentioned Boehme.
About NIWC Atlantic
As part of Naval Data Warfare Programs Command, NIWC Atlantic supplies techniques engineering and acquisition to ship info warfare capabilities to the naval, joint and nationwide warfighter by the acquisition, improvement, integration, manufacturing, check, deployment, and sustainment of interoperable command, management, communications, laptop, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, cyber and knowledge know-how capabilities.
