ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md., 21 April 2013. U.S. Army tactical networking experts will brief industry on 25 June 2013 on upcoming requirements to support the Network Integration Evaluation 14.2 (NIE 14.2) scheduled for May 2014.
The industry briefing will be at Aberdeen Proving Ground Md., north of Baltimore. Briefings will outline NIE participation opportunities in network-centric warfare and overview the NIE 14.2 sources-sought notice that will be released in early June to solicit industry participation in NIE 14.2.
The Army's twice-annual Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) exercises give the Army the opportunity to try new commercial technologies in the field to determine those promising enough to bring into additional field tests. NIEs also help guide how the Army will field, operate, and maintain new technologies.
The NIEs typically use a full brigade combat team -- nearly 3,800 soldiers -- to try out new technologies and determine if they are compatible with existing Army equipment. NIE exercises are at Fort Bliss, Texas, and White Sands Missile Range, N.M.
Previous exercises have provided field testing for the Army's Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T), and related network-centric warfare equipment and technologies.
The NIE 14.2 exercises in Spring 2014 will evaluate joint force network capabilities; improve unified land operations with communications nodes based on aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs); integrate networking technologies into the armored brigade combat team; develop ways to deliver, collect and process integrated, multi-source intelligence to front-line warfighters; and make field command posts more mobile and efficient.
NIE 14.2 exercises also will involve beyond line of sight (BLOS) communications; expeditionary signal brigade tropospheric scatter communications; network intrusion prevention; cellular communications; electromagnetic spectrum operation; condition based maintenance; and operational energy solutions.
The event also will discuss NIE 14.2 timelines, event status, and integration information. Questions will be permitted regarding NIE methodology and processes.
Those interested in attending should register no later than 17 June 2013. Those who register will receive a note of confirmation on 4 June 2013 with additional schedule and location details.
For questions or concerns contact the Army's Jason MacFarland by phone at 586-282-9825. More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/notices/09ddb21146faa1bf87f554b28e389931.
