What started 5 years in the past as a small initiative on base grew this 12 months into a big Joint Base Charleston (JBC) command, management, communications, computer systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) cavalcade of scientists, engineers and warfighters marshalling disparate techniques and applied sciences throughout miles and miles of terrain.
“This 12 months, we initiated technical hyperlinks with the U.S. Coast Guard in addition to air property of the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Drive to raised combine and advance joint pressure collaboration,” stated Ashlee Landreth, who leads NIWC Atlantic’s Expeditionary Warfare (ExW) division, which executed the two-week experimentation. “However at its core, SoSNIE is a technology-based naval integration occasion that gives our groups a versatile sandbox surroundings by which to experiment and advance each present and novel capabilities for the warfighter.”
Integrating techniques and coordinating with the joint pressure are goals set out by Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Lisa Franchetti in her listing of priorities known as “America’s Warfighting Navy.” Within the doc launched in January, the CNO stated leveraging wargaming and experimentation might assist combine typical functionality with hybrid, unmanned and disruptive applied sciences.
“We acknowledge that we are going to by no means combat alone,” Franchetti said. “We are going to advance naval integration with the Marine Corps, and synchronize and align our warfighting efforts with the joint pressure.”
Chief of Naval Analysis Rear Adm. Kurt Rothenhaus visited NIWC Atlantic headquarters on March 21 in addition to SoSNIE’s command publish on the Small Autonomous Unmanned Programs Analysis (SAUSR) Vary to be taught extra in regards to the experimentation.
“Our Sailors and Marines are doing wonderful issues day by day to defend our nation,” Rothenhaus stated. “They deserve the easiest and most superior capabilities on the earth, together with entry to main C4ISR applied sciences. Experimental occasions like SoSNIE encourage dynamic scientific analysis and collaboration between the army providers that in the end shut kill chains by equipping leaders with resolution benefit.”
Throughout this 12 months’s expansive occasion, greater than 200 NIWC Atlantic engineers, scientists and technical managers collaborated on almost 50 C4ISR techniques, analyzing knowledge exchanges throughout native airspace to judge the proficiency of end-to-end concentrating on, fires and communications.
Along with Rothenahus, Timothy Gramp, U.S. Marine Corps Programs Command (MCSC) deputy to the commander for techniques engineering, acquisition and logistics, traveled to Charleston this 12 months and obtained briefings from ExW division leaders on numerous simulations whereas touring the SAUSR Vary.
The ExW division is lead techniques integrator for a lot of C4ISR techniques fielded by MCSC, the group answerable for overseeing each know-how positioned into the fingers of Marines. Whereas Marine Corps program places of work and different entities help SoSNIE, NIWC Atlantic’s Naval Progressive Science and Engineering (NISE) program has been the chief sponsor of the annual experimentation since its inception.
Capt. Nicole Nigro, NIWC Atlantic commanding officer, understanding how a lot work went into trailblazing a path to cross-service collaboration this 12 months, thanked the whole crew for his or her efforts throughout a go to to the distant pinewoods of the SAUSR Vary.
“The work you probably did right here will actually influence the warfighter, since you view the whole lot via a warfighting lens,” Nigro stated. “Every seemingly insignificant problem that you just overcame to get to interoperability was a game-changer. Your efforts translate to raised survivability and higher warfighter benefit down the highway, for each the naval and joint pressure.”
For lifelike connectivity all through the experiment, Marines from the Marine Corps Our on-line world Operations Group in Quantico, Virginia, had been readily available to supply Marine Corps Enterprise Community (MCEN) entry through a not too long ago fielded functionality known as Tactical Entry Level (TEP). Developed by the ExW division’s Enterprise Infrastructure Modernization crew, TEP allows Marines safe and direct entry to MCEN enterprise providers on the tactical edge.
One main addition to this 12 months’s experiment was the combination of Marine Air Protection Built-in System (MADIS), a weapons system that detects and neutralizes low-altitude unmanned or manned automobiles through turret-launched Stinger missiles, heavy weapons and multi-functional digital warfare.
SoSNIE organizers additionally made essential connections with exterior instructions throughout South Carolina and the area to not solely simulate joint pressure operations but additionally higher improve the capabilities ExW division already delivers to the Navy, Marine Corps and Particular Operations Command.
In consequence, communications testing and analysis occurred with a U.S. Army AH-64E Apache v6 assault helicopter from McEntire Joint Nationwide Guard Base, an F-16C Preventing Falcon from the fifty fifth Fighter Squadron at Shaw Air Drive Base and a C-17 Globemaster from the 315th Airlift Wing at JBC.
As well as, Marines from tenth Marine Regiment traveled to NIWC Atlantic to supply Superior Area Artillery Tactical Information System integration help.
Sturdy collaboration additionally occurred with models that function unmanned autonomous automobiles (UAVs), an essential know-how focus space of the joint pressure.
As part of that push, Marines from Camp Lejeune traveled to Charleston to function unmanned plane that included the hand-launched RQ-20 Puma.
“Our mission right here was to launch our unmanned techniques, set up a feed and disseminate that knowledge to varied networks,” defined Cpl. Fabian Barajas, a UAV operator assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment.
The South Carolina Army Nationwide Guard additionally supported SoSNIE with unmanned RQ-11 Ravens operated by members of 1st Battalion, 118th Infantry Regiment, and the McCrady Coaching Heart.
All through the occasion, UAVs swarmed excessive above the SAUSR Vary and supplied contributors huddled in tents with real-time knowledge, as did NIWC Atlantic’s tethered aerostat overhead.
Miles down the Cooper River and away from JBC, UAVs within the uneven Charleston Harbor supported SoSNIE as nicely through NIWC Atlantic capabilities on Sullivan’s Island, the place engineers examined communications again to the SAUSR Vary.
It was 5 years in the past that Carel Peacock, chief engineer of ExW division’s intelligence division, helped launch SoSNIE below the management of Toby Straight, who leads the division’s help for Marine Corps and Particular Operations Command sponsors.
The unique concept was to create an agile and real-world surroundings for engineers to work aspect by aspect — below present applications of report — to sort out interoperability points, discover efficiencies and experiment with different applied sciences, all whereas aligning mission threads to U.S. nationwide protection and joint maritime methods.
To construct on its successes and take the divisional occasion to the following degree, Landreth tapped Matt Lane and Jason Brooks to show the SoSNIE idea right into a department-wide signature occasion, additionally difficult them to develop collaboration outdoors of the command.
Closing out this 12 months’s occasion, NIWC Atlantic Government Director Peter C. Reddy mirrored on the size of SoSNIE 2024 and the numerous shifting components that made the distinctive experiment successful.
“That is the worth of a warfare heart,” he stated. “Solely in such a setting can our devoted subject material specialists, with the suggestions from the warfighting program places of work they help, produce this sort of synergy that ensures our Navy and Marine Corps stay the world’s preeminent combating pressure. For this, I’m very happy with the work these groups have achieved right here on behalf of the warfighter.”
About NIWC Atlantic
As part of Naval Info Warfare Programs Command, NIWC Atlantic supplies techniques engineering and acquisition to ship info warfare capabilities to the naval, joint and nationwide warfighter via the acquisition, improvement, integration, manufacturing, take a look at, deployment, and sustainment of interoperable command, management, communications, pc, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, cyber and data
