Maj. Gen. David Bassett, the U.S. Army’s program executive officer for command, control and communications-tactical, has said the service aims to initiate new communications projects starting in late 2018, FCW reported Thursday.
Bassett noted during the Association of the U.S. Army’s Cyber + Networks Hot Topic event that the service seeks to open new communications points and leverage commercial cloud services to upgrade its network and modernize operations.
In late 2018, the Army will launch the new Army Communications Support Battalion with advanced connectivity capabilities, as well as begin assessing two new options for the next-generation mission command for movement and maneuvering.
Bassett also expressed interest in deploying a network of satellite systems starting in 2020, to provide soldiers with more access points and increased satellite bandwidth for communications.
The Army intends to coordinate with AT&T in testing unified communications capabilities such as voice, video and instant messaging to a few unclassified users before deploying them to classified users in 2019.
Bassett and Lt. Gen. Bruce Crawford, chief information officer of the Army, are modifying the service’s risk management framework to integrate systems with advanced technologies at the beginning of their development cycle.