Joint Network Transport Capability - Spiral (JNTC-S)

The Army is quickly and continually transforming to the Land Warrior Network (LandWarNet). The overarching focus of LandWarNet is the Army's transformation into joint, network-enabled, interoperable, knowledge-based warfare. A key enabler for transforming these operational capabilities is information superiority. Information superiority is the capability to collect, process, and disseminate an uninterrupted flow of information while exploiting or denying an adversary's ability to do the same. Achieving information superiority requires a network-enabled operations environment, to include a Global Information Grid (GIG). The GIG provides an end-to-end set of information services, associated processes, and people to manage and provide the right information to the right user at the right time, with appropriate protection across all Department of Defense (DOD), warfighting, intelligence, and business domains.

Currently, few C4 and ISR programs of record are joint-capable. To ensure future capabilities are integrated into the Current Force as quickly as possible, an initiative called the Joint Network Transport Capability - Spiral (JTNC-S) has been developed out of an effort to remedy identified shortfalls. The Combined Arms Center's battalion-and-above battle command effort has provided a holistic solution that begins to solve the bandwidth and interconnectivity problems - now known as the JNTC-S. Each JNTC-S improves on previous spirals' capabilities. Brigade combat teams are now able to act as joint task force headquarters without augmentation, and combat service support users now have access to an integrated satellite network. JNTC-S supports the Army chief of staff's vision of bringing Future Combat Systems transport capabilities to units as quickly as possible.

The Joint Network Transport Capabilities - Spiral (JNTC-S) provides the infusion of commercial technologies that enables the Army to improve its ability to effectively bridge from the current force to one of greater strength. Each spiral, as it is fielded, enlarges and improves on the previous. The three major transport components of JNTC-S that use commercial-based satellite communications (SATCOM) systems are the Combat Service Cupport (CSS) SATCOM, Trojan Special Purpose Integrated Remote Intelligence (SPIRIT), and the JNN-N.

General Dynamics C4 Systems Inc., Taunton, Mass., was awarded on Sept. 29, 2005, a delivery order amount of $6,326,553 as part of a $1,162,302,134 firm-fixed-price contract for Formulation of Programs of Instruction Curricula for the Joint Network Transport Capabilities-Spiral Program. Work will be performed in Taunton, Mass., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 28, 2006. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on Sept. 9, 2005. The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is the contracting activity (DAAB07-86-D-K023).