In 2023, comparable installs required Naval Data Warfare Middle (NIWC) Pacific and Tactical Networks Program Workplace (PMW 160) engineers to board the ship and carry out the set up over one week; now Sailors can achieve this unassisted in simply 4 hours.
“Multiply that by, what, 200, 300 Navy ships? The potential money and time financial savings there may be large,” stated Chris Johnson, head of NIWC Pacific’s command and management programs division. “It’s a win for everybody. The actual fact I don’t must ship an engineering staff onboard the ship now, and Sailors get the most recent software program quick and simple — it doesn’t get any higher than that.”
Over the previous yr, the Command and Management Program Workplace (PMW 150) led the NIWC Pacific and PMW 160 groups in bettering automation and utility deployment for MTC2, which helped cut back effort and time required for installations by 40% over the previous 5 over-the-air upgrades.
“I need to emphasize how massive of a deal it was to get three completely different teams working collectively,” stated Michael Lee, NIWC Pacific MTC2 lead engineer. “It form of turned everybody’s growth timelines and deployment efforts on their heads, however everybody put their greatest foot ahead on this one. Communication, testing, and coordinating all these growth efforts solely labored as a result of everybody was invested and prioritized it from the highest down.”
Tripoli used underway configurations for the train to make sure Sailors might carry out the set up with out pierside assist companies usually offered by NIWC Pacific and PMW 160 engineering groups. Through the train, Tripoli crew proved they may full the set up with solely supporting documentation and minimal steerage.
“Fewer boots on deck means we’ve got extra time to concentrate on software program growth, bettering self-sustainment for the set up and utility,” stated Lee. Their subsequent purpose is to cut back improve length to only 45 minutes someday over the subsequent few months.
MTC2’s tactical planning device offers a standard operational image commanders can use to refine plans for upcoming operations, a few of which can require simultaneous execution. MTC2 offers warfighters the flexibility to plan and replan based mostly on rising occasions, and the time financial savings and accuracy vital to a dynamic risk surroundings— finally, a toolset to find out the best way to battle and win.
“After we first began speaking about having the ability to do one thing like this 10 or 15 years in the past, folks stated it was a pipe dream — it’s by no means going to occur,” Johnson stated. “And even if you happen to requested somebody in 2020 if it was attainable, they’d’ve stated, ‘Yep, it’s nonetheless a pipe dream.’ However we made it actual.”
NIWC Pacific’s mission is to conduct analysis, growth, engineering, and assist of built-in command, management, communications, computer systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, cyber, and area programs throughout all warfighting domains, and to quickly prototype, conduct check and analysis, and supply acquisition, set up, and in-service engineering assist.
