General Dynamics Team Completes Field Test and Design Review for Army’s Warfighter Information Network Increment

Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) on schedule to provide mobile broadband networking for commanders and command posts on-the-move.

TAUNTON, Mass. – General Dynamics C4 Systems and teammate Lockheed Martin have successfully completed the engineering field test and preliminary design review for Increment Two of the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T), which means the program is on schedule to conduct limited user tests in 2008 and deploy new technology to soldiers in 2009. WIN-T Increment Two provides a mobile broadband network that will enable commanders and command posts to carry out battle plans and to collaborate while on-the-move.

The engineering field test, conducted at Ft. Dix and Lakehurst Naval Station in New Jersey, provided a means to assess technical maturity of key features needed for network mobility. These technology features include the Network Centric Waveform, which enables mobile platforms to access the WIN-T network; the Highband Networking Waveform, a wideband, wireless wide area networking capability; and the WIN-T Network Management System, which uses commercial-standard network and systems management protocols and interfaces to provide the necessary automation to keep mobile forces networked.

The preliminary design review, a detailed analysis of the system design to determine that it meets the documented performance and engineering requirements, was conducted in Foxboro, Mass.

Bill Weiss, vice president of Tactical Networks for General Dynamics C4 Systems, said, “The Army’s incremental delivery strategy will put broadband, on-the-move communications capabilities in soldiers’ hands as soon as possible and builds on what we’re fielding today. For example, the Increment Two Network Management System uses Increment One building blocks, adds features to enable network mobility and manages the entire tactical network enterprise.”

WIN-T Increment Two fielding is scheduled to begin in 2009. Increment Three includes development of WIN-T components to meet the full range of network capacity, security and fully on-the-move capabilities for the modular force, with limited user testing scheduled to begin in 2011. Increment Three also addresses the size, weight, power and cooling requirements for systems in Future Combat Systems vehicles. WIN-T Increment Four represents the last of the developmental program elements and will provide technology insertions to enable enhanced satellite communications protection and greater throughput afforded by transformational communications satellites.

“This test proved that the WIN-T capability is mature enough to provide the foundation for Increment Two,” said Elton Schroeder, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s C4ISR Systems. “We remain confident that this incremental delivery approach is the most expeditious way to bring much-needed capabilities, most notably initial on-the-move functionality, to our warfighters.”

Prime contractor General Dynamics and partner Lockheed Martin lead a team of communications, network systems and platform integration experts that includes BAE Systems, Harris Corporation and L-3 Communications.

General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), is a leading integrator of secure communication and information systems and technology.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 83,500 people worldwide and reported 2007 revenues of $27.2 billion. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about the company is available on the Internet at www.generaldynamics.com.