Army stands up new project office dedicated to tactical network development

The Army's Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical formally stood up a new project office July 10 for the service's tactical network interoperability and integration effort.

Project Lead for Interoperability, Integration and Services, or PL I2S, will "play a key role in coordinating between the Army's program offices that deliver tactical network capability and the Army Futures Command's Network Cross-Functional Team, while focusing on capability development that will support network interoperability -- a major line of effort within the Army's network modernization strategy," the Army said in a press release today.

PEO C3T and the Network CFT are working on fielding a series of two-year capability sets starting next fiscal year until FY-27.

The service in June announced it was getting ready to field the first capability set, Capability Set 21, to four infantry brigades after it completed a final design review that included single-channel radios, tethered drones, tactical assault kits and more capabilities. Work is already underway on the following capability set, Capability Set 23.

PL I2S will be the first central organization within PEO C3T focused on alignment and integration activities, according to an Army spokesman.

J. Ward Roberts, who previously served as the acting executive director for the office of the chief systems engineer, will lead the office.

Several product and project management offices have realigned to form PL I2S. They include Product Manager for Command Post Integrated Infrastructure, realigned from Project Manager for Mission Command, and Product Manager for Tactical Cyber and Network Operations, realigned from Project Manager for Tactical Network, according to the press release.

A new office called Product Manager for Capability Set Development is also joining the realigned offices.

PM CSD "formally assigns staff and resources to manage technical integration in support of the Army's desire to introduce significant new network capabilities every two years through capability sets," the release states.

Also joining PL I2S is Product Lead for Common Hardware Systems, Product Lead for Tactical Network Initialization and Configuration and Product Lead for Communications Security. The three offices are being realigned from Project Lead Network Enablers, which was stood down to create PL I2S.