Northrop Grumman UK demonstrates C2 in SATCOM-denied environment

Northrop Grumman’s UK team has demonstrated its command and control (C2) system in Nato’s Coalition Warrior Interoperability Exercise (CWIX 2020).

CWIX 2020 is a fully distributed virtual event. It connected force labs in the UK and the US across the classified Combined Federated Battle Laboratories Network (CFBLNet).

The exercise saw testing tactics and technology across different scenarios and satellite communications (SATCOM) denied environments.

According to Northrop, SATCOM plays a major role for Joint, All Domain, Command and Control (JADC2).

In the event of a disruption, joint forces must still be able to share time-sensitive information amid the challenges faced in a denied or disrupted space environment.

Northrop Grumman group director Ben Palmer said: “The successful experiment, delivered under the Serapis framework, included a military track management capability applicable to both the maritime and land domains.

“Grumman’s UK team demonstrated their ability to deliver, integrate and operate systems Northrop for Nato forces to fully test SATCOM operations in advanced, real-life scenarios.”

The company worked with the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Thales UK to develop a simulated alternative beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communications network environment.

During the demo, Northrop installed its Interoperable C4I Services (ICS) product to deliver track management capabilities on the network.

The company’s ICS is used by more than 3,000 customers across the world.

Developed based on the Common Operating Environment (COE) software, ICS ensures interoperability with other COE-based systems.

Furthermore, it allows the incorporation of additional third-party applications for mission-specific customer requirements.

Last month, Northrop Grumman secured a $3.6bn IDIQ battlefield airborne communications node (BACN) contract from the US Air Force.