TAUNTON, Mass., 8 July 2005. Army planners have approved a preliminary form of the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) program, the Army's next-generation battlefield communications network. That means the system is still on track for initial fielding in 2008.
WIN-T is a secure, high-bandwidth wireless communications network that will deliver mobile connectivity to soldiers across the battlefield. Integrating voice, data and video into a single network, WIN-T will keep troops in the field connected to joint and allied forces with unprecedented reliability.
The WIN-T program, currently estimated to be worth $7 billion through 2018, was awarded to a joint General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin team in September 2004. The program team also includes Harris Corporation and BAE Systems - North America as collaborators on the transmission system.
Army leaders approved the plans during the preliminary design review (PDR). During the PDR, the Army reviewed the "first draft" of the WIN-T system design, including the top-level architecture and key component technologies. The comprehensive PDR is a detailed analysis of the selected system design to determine that it meets the performance and engineering requirements documented in the development specifications.
The Army performed the PDR to evaluate program progress, technical adequacy, proposed architectures and risk resolution, including the existence and compatibility of the physical and functional interfaces with other systems, equipment, facilities, computer programs and personnel.
The overall result is that WIN-T is on schedule for a critical design review (CDR) in September followed by development test/operational test (DT/OT) in November.
With the PDR accomplished, the General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin team will proceed with building a prototype WIN-T network, which will be used for extensive field testing in November of this year. Completion of that test, combined with the upcoming critical design review milestone, are essential requirements in advance of Army authorization for low-rate initial production (LRIP) of the WIN-T system, currently slated for March 2006.
"This major milestone is an important step to achieving the vision of WIN- T: giving warfighters access to critical battlefield information, seamless connectivity to the global information grid, unified network operations, joint interoperability and security across a host of platforms and points of presence," said Bill Weiss, vice president of future force programs for General Dynamics.
General Dynamics C4 Systems is a leading integrator of secure communication and information systems and technology. With more than 10,000 employees worldwide, the company specializes in command and control, communications networking, space systems, computing and information assurance for defense, government and select commercial customers in the United States and abroad.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., employs approximately 70,100 people worldwide and had 2004 revenue of $19.2 billion. The company is a market leader in mission-critical information systems and technologies; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and business aviation. For more information, see www.generaldynamics.com.
