Northrop Grumman connected previously incompatible links and networks using an Open Mission Systems (OMS) compliant radio, Resilient Network Controller, machine learning algorithms, and gateway technology.

Kevin Berkowitz, senior director, network solutions, Northrop Grumman, said, “We provide the connectivity for military platforms, sensors and systems to communicate using open, mission-aware networking solutions. 

“The CTEN demonstration and Phase 1 award are two examples of Northrop Grumman’s integrated capabilities that get the right data to the right place at the right time in support of the Department of Defense’s JADC2 vision,” Berkowitz added. 

This command and control integration achievement comes off the back of US Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown who announced the US Air Force’s new Future Operating Concept, “Accelerate Change or Lose” which prioritises the service’s five core functions: air superiority; global strike; rapid global mobility; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and command and control.

GEN Brown explained, “Without the integrated capabilities of the United States Air Force, Joint Force opportunities are infrequent, fleeting and costly. Future conflicts will be contested and complex.”

The Air Force Future Operating Concept presents six operational fights that Airmen must win simultaneously and can do so by being empowered to make decisions under a doctrine and culture of mission command.