Service Weighs Dedicated Units to Oversee Data as „Ammunition” on Modern Battlefield
Washington D.C. – To effectively manage the overwhelming influx of data in the modern Army, the service may need to establish new formations specifically dedicated to this task, according to a key Army officer.
“One of the things that we’re going to look at in there is as [Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2)] and data becomes really our ammunition, the question is, is there an organization designed to oversee data across the United States Army?” Lt. Gen. Jeth Rey, Deputy Chief of Staff of the G-6, told Breaking Defense in an interview.
NGC2: A New Era of Data Management
NGC2 is a comprehensive initiative to replace the Army’s existing command and control networks and infrastructure. The goal is to facilitate the efficient transfer of data from sensors to decision-makers, soldiers, and all points in between. Military leaders emphasize that the ability to rapidly process and disseminate data is crucial for victory and survival on the modern, data-rich battlefield.
Potential Data-Focused Formation
Rey indicated that the Army is exploring the possibility of creating a dedicated formation to manage and integrate data across the entire force, spanning both domestic and international locations, from garrison environments to the tactical edge. This formation would enable the Army to prioritize standardizing data formats, ensuring interoperability, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning for enhanced insights, and ultimately fostering data-centric operations across the force, regardless of location, Rey explained.
Joint and Multinational Integration
Beyond individual unit-level management, information will need to be coordinated and integrated with joint and multinational data at the theater level, catering to the needs of joint combatant commanders.
Interaction with NGC2 Layers
Rey envisions this potential data-focused formation interacting with the application and data layers of NGC2, overseeing the exchange of data not only within the Army but also among the joint services and coalition partners. (NGC2 consists of four layers: the transport layer for data movement, the integration layer for triaging data using AI, and the application and data layers.)
Parallel Efforts: Signal Brigades and Cyber Centers
In a parallel effort, the Army is also working to align signal brigades and regional cyber centers under the operational control of the Army Service Component Commands (ASCC).
This alignment aims to ensure that theater commanders possess the necessary signal and cyber capabilities assigned to their area of responsibility, tailored to their specific needs, particularly in setting the theater with partners and allies, Rey emphasized. This includes the authorities and relationships that come with aligning corps directly with the combatant command.
“[We’re] taking a look at our formations in all of our [combatant commands], under all of our ASCCs and seeing where we make adjustments along the way,” Rey said.
30-Month NGC2 Sprint
A prototype of NGC2 is slated for rigorous testing at the Army’s Project Convergence Capstone 6 later this year. Following this evaluation, the service will decide how to procure and deploy the new technology to units across the force. Rey has described this process as a 30-month sprint, largely focused on replacing legacy equipment to accommodate NGC2’s newer transport and infrastructure layers.
“We must insert into the formations the new transport and infrastructure layers, removing the legacy kit out of the formation… and inserting that new, lighter and more maneuverable and capable, agile type of equipment into the formation all the way down to the edge.”
WIN-T Replacement
The legacy equipment primarily refers to the remaining Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) equipment still in use. The Army first fielded WIN-T over 20 years ago but determined in 2017 that its configuration was too „fragile” and „vulnerable,” leading to a multi-year modernization effort.
While some units, particularly those designated for crisis response, have received updates, a significant portion of the force continues to operate on legacy equipment.
The newer kits will incorporate lighter and smaller equipment, such as pLEO terminals, to communicate with low Earth orbit satellites.
