PM DWTS completes fielding CSS VSAT/CAISI to 3ID, starts fielding to 101st, 10th mountain division

FORT MONMOUTH, N.J. -- Continuing to march forward in Implementing the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics" (G-4) initiative to "Connect the Logistician," the Project Manager, Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems' Product Manager, Defense Wide Transmission Systems completed fielding of Combat Service Support Very Small Aperture Terminal satellite communications systems and the CSS Automated Information Systems Interface to the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga., on Oct. 8, and has started fielding the system to of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Ky. and the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Fort Drum, N.Y.

The combination of CSS VSAT and CAISI increases readiness by giving Combat Service Support Soldiers in the field the ability to electronically transmit supply requisitions and receive near-real time status reports on their orders. The system also enhances force protection by greatly reducing the need for Soldiers to get into convoys and risk being ambushed in hand-delivering disks containing detailed logistics orders to other locations, or in travelling to maintenance meetings, which they can conduct "virtually" via CSS VSAT/CAISI.

All told, PM DWTS fielded 40 CSS VSAT systems to the 3ID and non-divisional support units, replacing the 11 prototype systems that they had previously fielded for the 3ID's use during their rotation through the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif., from May 22-June 18.

Improvements to an already-robust system

According to John Andrews, program readiness manager for PM DWTS' assistant product manager, DWTS-Belvoir, the new CSS VSAT model requires less RF (radio frequency) energy and allows for manual pedestal positioning. It also features a slightly larger antenna dish--a two-piece dish with interlocking connections that is 1.2 meters in diameter, compared to .96 meters for the prototype model.

"It might seem like a small increase," said Andrews, "but that increase allows for greater beam coverage and means less rain-fade degradation"--the weakening of transmission caused by raindrops absorbing and scattering electromagnetic signals travelling through the atmosphere.

CWO-2 Angel Montero, Combat Service Support Automation Management Office technician for the 3ID, who ran prototype CSS VSAT's through their paces during the 3ID's NTC rotation, and gives the system high marks as "a beast--a combat multiplier," agreed that the new dish antenna is an improvement "to an already-robust system."

"Across the water, in Iraq, the bigger (1.2 meter) dish offers better performance because there will be no degradation of service, as you could have with a smaller dish," said Montero.

Andrews said that the new CSS VSAT model has a smaller logistics footprint on the battlefield--it fits into four transit cases, as opposed to five cases for the prototype model--and weighs 519 lbs. vs. 609 lbs. for the prototype--a reduction of 113 pounds.

These small improvements will reap big dividends, according to Montero.

"That makes the system a whole lot more transportable," said Montero. "It makes it easier for the maneuver units to load it. And since we (CSS AMO personnel) are carrying spares, it makes it easier for us to move around, as well."

During the 3ID's rotation at the NTC, Montero and his Logistics Assistance Representative, Bill Flynn of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, took the spirit intended by the term "Connect the Logistician" and went even further, adding additional capabilities beyond the ability to transmit data--including text messaging, text conferencing, collaboration software, Voice Over Internet Protocol telephone capability, and the ability to remotely monitor and correct users' problems--often before users even know they had a problem. Now, they have documented what they accomplished so new units getting CSS VSAT will have a "rock-solid" foundation as a starting point.

"We started at the NTC as a 'test' system," said Montero. "Now we have a fixed infrastructure in place, all diagrammed-out, so every brigade that goes out can start at the same point, every brigade has the same capability."

Units that can immediately benefit from the foundation laid by Montero, Flynn and the 3ID are the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), to which APM DWTS-Belvoir started fielding CSS VSAT's on Oct. 6, and the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), to which they started fielding CSS VSAT's on Oct. 13.

According to MAJ Michael Devine, APM DWTS-Belvoir, his team will field 32 CCS VSAT's to the 101st Airborne Division and 24 CCS VSAT's to the 10th Mountain Division. He said they expect to complete fielding to the 101st Airborne Division in January 2005 and to the 10th Mountain Division by July 2005.

Part of a "Comms-on-the-move" architecture

In the big picture, Devine said, his team's fielding of CSS VSAT/ CAISI ties in with the Army's three-tiered Joint Network Transport Capability-Spiral initiative, which includes the "Connect the Logistician" program, the Joint Network Node and the Trojan Special Purpose Integrated Remoted Intelligence Terminal.

"These are all designed to give the Army the ability to communicate reliably in a non-linear battlespace," he said. "These programs will increase bandwidth available to troops, provide an IP (Internet protocol) architecture and give Warfighters and their commanders access to the .mil network."

As a Soldier in a tip-of-the-spear unit, Montero looks forward to when this comes to fruition.

"What does CSS VSAT tie together with JNN and Trojan SPIRIT do for the Warfighter?" asked Montero. "If everything works as advertised, it's going to give us the most robust communications capability in the history of warfare--from there, your only limits are the imagination."

Mr. Larsen is a public affairs officer, Project Manager Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems at Fort Monmouth, N.J.

COPYRIGHT 2005 U.S. Army Signal Center
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group