Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Jayson Rivera | 1st Lt. Warren Walker, from the 3rd Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, leads operations...... read more read more
Army’s new light brigades advance C2 transformation
By Kathryn Bailey, PEO C3N Public Affairs Directorate
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (March 20, 2025) - In the snowy hills of Bavaria, Germany, the Patriot Brigade enhanced its readiness to “fight tonight” by leveraging updated networked communications as part of the Army’s transformation in contact efforts.
The 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), or 3-10, recently concluded the US-led, NATO and partner-integrated Combined Resolve 25-1 exercise at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) in Hohenfels, Germany.
The unit is one of the most recent to implement part of the Army’s command and control (C2) strategy, known as “C2 Fix,” which is aligned to the Chief of Staff of the Army transformation effort to modernize the network and transform the service’s tactical communications architecture to make formations more mobile, lethal and survivable during current and future operations.
Leading up to the next stage of the Army’s C2 transformation effort, C2 Fix is recognized as the down payment for Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2).
“In future Large Scale Combat Operations, the enemy won't hesitate to exploit any vulnerability,” said Col. Joshua G. Glonek, 3-10 brigade commander. “Our unit, at the forefront of the Army's Transforming in Contact 1.0, isn't just about moving faster; we're about changing the game entirely.”
Through a systematic, yet agile and fast-paced approach, the Army is inserting the C2 Fix architecture of military and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies into select units and moving network complexity to division and above.
“Unburdening Soldiers at the lower echelons is a main tenet of C2 Fix, and allows them to fight with more simple, intuitive, low signature and iterative C2 capabilities closer to the forward tactical edge,” said Maj. Timothy Ray, assistant product manager for Project Manager Mission Command, serving as Transformation in Contact and C2 Fix deputy trail boss for the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology.
So far, the Army has integrated C2 Fix into three divisions, their enablers, and select brigades, but 3-10 is the first stand-alone brigade – and first forward-deployed unit – to operate C2 Fix in an operational exercise.
During the 3-10 JMRC rotation, the 1st Cavalry Division and a Polish Division served as the multi-national higher headquarters.
“This was the Army’s first opportunity to examine the feasibility of a ‘minimum viable’ C2 Fix architecture to exercise mission command at the brigade level with a non-Fix division,” Ray said.
Even lighter command posts
As with any mobile brigade, the 3-10’s missions featured periods of on-the-move and at-the-quick-halt operations, requiring continuous communications up and down the chain of command to ensure battlefield success.
At the core of the C2 Fix architecture is the Sensitive But Unclassified-Encrypted (SBU-E) environment, which is used to transmit perishable voice, data, files and graphics. Because communications are encrypted, SBU-E provides appropriate levels of security across echelons and with multinational partners but reduces setup complexity.
Units use the SBU-E environment to pass battlefield information over two-channel radios, hand-held devices – i.e., cellphones operating the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) app – and mounted and stationary command post mission command systems.
“This allows for seamless data sharing, including PLI [position location information] between devices, and creates a unified COP [Common Operating Picture],” said Capt. Keon Patrick, 3-10 communications officer, or S6.
For dismounted operations, the 3-10 also operated MiFi using 4G LTE to provide a discreet means of transmitting PLI, chat, graphics, and files to command posts, while the Variable Height Antenna was used to extend line-of-sight communications, Patrick said.
“[Using MiFi] is particularly valuable in international operations to,” Patrick said, adding that the ‘minimum viable’ C2 Fix configurations brought “significant progress in dismounted C2 on-the-move.”
During at-the-halt operations, the unit obtained upper tactical internet within minutes of stopping by accessing proliferated low-Earth orbit (pLEO) satellites, enabling them to maintain communications with division headquarters. These systems provide the quick set-up high-throughput low-latency needed for successful Large Scale Combat Operations (LSCO).
Keeping “PACE” when the inevitable happens
If every attempt to communicate during battle worked the first time, there would be no need for a Primary, Alternate, Contingency, and Emergency (PACE) plan. However, environmental and adversarial factors are sometimes disruptive, requiring a diversified transport response using a mix of military and commercial equipment.
“The Army's focus on network resiliency through signal pathway diversity and PACE communication options is paramount to mission success,” Patrick said. “The introduction of pLEO has dramatically increased our bandwidth compared to the legacy systems to ensure continuous access to the TAK COP for our leaders.”
The unit found that pLEO’s enhanced throughput and ease of deployment enabled it to serve as primary transport for at-the-halt operations, followed by MiFi as a secondary option, he said.
“Both options reduced our footprint and improved our survivability by minimizing setup times for both brigade and battalion,” he said.
Fix and non-fix compatibility
Each C2 Fix exercise provides a unique opportunity to experiment with new commercial technology. With a Fix brigade reporting to a non-Fix multinational higher headquarters, the Army inserted several capabilities to determine how best to bridge the gap between the two.
“We implemented a Voice over Internet Protocol COTS, which allowed users to access available radio waveforms, such as TSM, over their ATAK-based end-user device tablets and laptops to enable back-and-forth communications between brigade and division,” Ray said.
The unit also experimented with a cloud-based, commercial encrypted software that used both pLEO and an internet connection over NIPR and SBU-E for chat and collaboration.
Data collected from injecting these two capabilities helped form the C2Fix “fly away kit,” which identifies the minimum amount of hardware, software and personnel needed for a C2 Fix brigade reporting to a non-C2 Fix division to successfully conduct mission command.
It’s not just about the tech
Assessing how networked communications technologies work in the field is not the only feedback derived from these events. Army leaders are also provided commanders’ feedback on how they see tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) shifting in the face of LSCO.
“The ability to conduct coordinated operations across multiple domains, exploiting vulnerabilities and creating dilemmas for the adversary, will be crucial for achieving decisive effects,” Glonek said.
“Continuously adapting TTPs through experimentation and incorporating lessons learned will be essential for staying ahead of adversaries.”
Conclusion
Transformation in Contact and C2 Fix assessments continues to capture operational data, from division commanders down to platoon leaders, that informs and refines the Army’s requirements for NGC2.
Now back with the 101st Airborne Division enablers, C2 Fix is coming full circle from its first implementation of the capabilities with the division’s 2nd brigade, but it is now armed with substantial iterative improvements obtained in less than a year.
“We found that the new architecture is adaptable and learnable, with Soldiers focusing less on the technical - and more on the tactical fight,” Ray said. “Each event builds upon the other as we continue to build efficiencies and modernize our internal processes to coincide with the broader modernization enterprise.”
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The U.S. Army Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications, and Network (PEO C3N) develops, acquires, fields and supports the Army's Unified Network (Tactical and Enterprise) to ensure force readiness in both current missions and potential future large scale combat operations. This critical Army modernization priority delivers resilient terrestrial and satellite communications capabilities to ensure commanders and Soldiers remain connected and informed at all times, even in the most austere and hostile environments. PEO C3N is delivering an integrated Unified Network to regions around the globe, enabling high-speed, high-capacity voice, data and video communications to an Army user base that includes joint, coalition and other mission partners.
| Date Taken: | 03.20.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.25.2025 16:35 |
| Story ID: | 496243 |
| Location: | ABERDEEN, MARYLAND, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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