Transformational Communications Office

In late 2002 Undersecretary of the Air Force Peter B. Teets unveiled plans for a new office designed to ensure communications compatibility among several key organizations. The formation of the Transformational Communications Office will make it easier for the Department of Defense, the intelligence community and NASA to communicate with each other. This compatibility is critical to meeting the growing communications requirements that we face in the 21st century and providing the flexibility we need to meet the evolving demands on communications systems.

The TCO will coordinate, synchronize and direct the implementation of a transformational communications architecture. The architecture will be a single integrated communications network consisting of both satellite and ground capabilities. The system will link the many varied communications networks that exist today, to give both the warfighter and intelligence community a stronger communications capability to meet emerging threats and evolving mission requirements. Ideally, the undersecretary said, the resulting structure will improve communications for the warfighter.