- Hey, what a great game last night, huh?
I'm not just saying that 'cause Jim Mingus,
one of my battle buddies, is from the great state
of Minnesota, but he actually lives in Kansas,
but Jim, I appreciate the lead-in, we did watch
the end of the game last night, and it was a great game.
So, Kansas will take it all, I'm pretty confident.
But, hey I'm Pete Gallagher, the network cross-functional
team lead, had the honor of having been selected to do this
back in October, we started running about November,
and we have been running pretty hard ever since.
One of the first things is we took on the task of being
the network cross-functional team lead.
In the directive, we were given two priorities.
Number one, solve world hunger,
and number two, give peace in the Middle East,
so we've been working very, very energetically
focused on those two efforts.
One of the other things we've been doing is a very
pro-active deep-dive in the science and technology portfolio
so I'm joined here today by my battle buddy
from RDECOM and CERDEC, Pat O'Neill, Pat?
- Hi, my name's Pat O'Neill.
Can you hear me yet?
Okay, my name's Pat O'Neill, I work in
Army Material Command under General Perna,
and I run RDECOM for General Wins,
and I run one of the six areas Under General Wins.
So, another thing about today, if you're a baseball fan,
the Yankees and the Red Sox are tied for first place
and tied for last place, so in honer of General Perna,
Yankees fan and Army Chief Knowing a Red Sox fan.
We're here to talk to you about what you're doing
in support of network modernizations.
- I guess we're gonna have to share the mic.
I guess we're gonna have to tag-team with the mic,
so come in a little closer.
Okay, he's gonna turn it on.
Okay, so let's go ahead and go to the next slide.
So, earlier today, you heard the bystander
and you heard the Secretary of the Army, they talked about
kinda where we're going as an Army.
Can we go to the next slide?
They talked about the six modernization priorities
for the Army, and they mentioned we have
eight cross-functional teams.
Priority number four, depending on who you talk to,
if you talk to me it's priority number one
'cause it's my job, but priority number four is the network,
and as you can see, with all the other priorities,
the network is truly cross-cutting,
much like the synthetic training environment,
and also like assured P and T.
When you're talking air missile defense,
you're gotta have sensors, you're gottaa have
target acquisition, and you gotta have shooters,
and that only happens if you have a network.
Future vertical lift, what are we putting in
our aviation platforms is gonna ensure air to ground
interoperability and air to ground integration.
We gotta make sure that every pitch
or vertical lift platform becomes part of the network,
becomes part of the work body ecosystem.
Long range precision fires, again, sensor to shooter,
target acquisition, the network's gotta enable that,
but we've gotta enable the network.
Next generation combat vehicles, every platform's
gotta connect, every platform should be an extension
of the network, and then Soldier Lee Doubty,
Chris Donahue, and the folks down at Fort Benning,
working on the soldier as a system.
Part of that system is their ability to be connected,
their ability to see their buddies, be able to communicate
with their buddies, to reach the ground platform,
to reach out and touch their flyers,
to be able to talk air to ground integration.
Every soldier's not just a system, every soldier's
gotta be connected, so the network, as I see it,
is priority number one, and it's critical for me.
Now, as we've gone through the last 150 days or so,
really figuring out what can we do immediately
to establish some quick wins, and what do we need to do
longer term to get us the network we really need?
Again, we were focused on the four lines of effort.
Jim Mangus and Dave Bassett just talked to you about
two of those four: the command post mobility
and survivability, and the common operating environment.
What I'm focused on is the two big priorities for me,
is that unified tactical network
and joint coalition interoperability.
So, the unified tactical network is about
what are we gonna deliver that allows us to fight and win
in a contested environment against a peer adversary?
There are some solutions right here, right now,
readily available, and our joint special operations
teammates are using, and industry has,
so through a combination of proven capabilities
that's already out there through some of our current
program lines inside PEO Soldier, PEOC3T,
through some non-developmental items and commercial
out to sell solutions, we're working very aggressively
on what we call this integrated tactical network.
It is about optimizing what we currently call
our lower tactical internet, fixing our radio systems
to get out of the box-centric way formed centric solution,
and really think of the network as more of an ecosystem.
So, we're doing some experimentation right now
with the new tie down to the 82nd
2CR striker regimen over in Europe,
and the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade.
Over the course of the next 18 months,
we're gonna be assessing the scalability of that,
and then looking at next generation.
We've also been looking very heavily into the science
and technology part, and working with Pat and his team,
working with folks from Gardenville from ARL,
from SoCom AT&L, we went down to visit the folks
at SoftWorks, we met with NSA and Cyber Command,
we met with DISSA, we met with everybody that we could
think of that's doing something in the network space,
but we still got a few do-outs.
There's a lot of people doing stuff in the network space,
and what we're trying to figure out is what's gonna give us
that technical advantage to be able to fight and win
in a contested environment, that's really what's driving it.
So, for those two priorities that I'm working on,
the science and technology threats that Pat's working on,
really about cyberspace, communication, sensors and
intelligence and mission command, but it's about the threat.
The threat is the pacing item for all of us,
and that's what we're targeting our efforts on.
It's addressing the threat, and then only using those
Army research and development dollars for only those things
the Army can do, and Pat will talk to you
a little bit more about that.
The big things, the game changers, electronic warfare
and cyber, those are kinda the big threats
that we think we're gonna be faced with.
People talk about congested, contested, regardless.
What we have to be able to do is be able to assure
network com activity from home station to that soldier
on the edge with assured network transport, and be able
to show that we can protect the integrity of the data
from home station to that soldier on the edge,
and that's really what we're working towards
Jim talked to you, Jim Mangus,
about all those characteristics and attributes,
and the technical requirements.
We're really, early on, we're trying
to get after the simplicities in fixing
our joint war fighting capability.
The longer the term effort is what Pat and his team
are looking at, and they've taken a lot of time
over the past few months to really look at
the science of technology portfolio
and see what is most promising and to make sure
that between Dave Bassett and our other PEOs
that we are fostered to transition, 'cause in many cases,
that's one of the biggest challenges with the science
and technology portfolio is we're not ready for transition,
and then some of their efforts don't get realized.
And so Pat, with that, I'll turn it over to you.
- Okay, I think the mic's working,
so the network was working fine with an SOP.
Step one was actually turn it on, so that's on me.
So, just a couple things about the network for us
before we go on to the next page.
Remember what Pete Gallagher just said.
In the contested environment, that's why our network's
not working, contested environment.
The threats down there on the bottom right,
often times you'll hear the acronym CEMA, C-E-M-A,
Cyber and Electromagnetic Activity.
There's the two main threats to keep talking about
down there.
Electronic warfare.
The last 15 years, there hasn't been a big threat.
We've kinda sorta fallen asleep at the wheel a little bit.
We've learned a hard lesson over in the Ukraine.
We've gotta pay more attention to jamming,
both defensive and of course offensive,
we can always get ahead of the line.
Cyber, where we're going in the future.
Something about cyber, there's offensive cyber
and there's defensive cyber, they're both very important.
Thinking about artificial intelligence, where we're going.
AI has been a tough one, it's been around for 30 years,
but the technique's up in the last year,
it's been incredible.
Back in the day, I think there was a guy named,
Russian named Kasparov, who was trying
to beat a computer in chess.
I think the computer finally beat him like 20 years ago.
I heard the other day that Google took four hours
to put together an AI system that beat the best
computer gaming system we had at winning chess,
so that's pretty amazing to me.
So again, we're gonna talk about digital work lines and that
when I go to the next chart please.
Okay, the operational view here.
What Pete said is very true, the six CFTs,
if we're enabling all six CFTs, which are indicated
here at the bottom, they all rely on information.
We're there to help all of 'em.
As you can see the different pieces of network there.
I'd like to give you one example on why it's important.
You can talk about fast voice and fast data
and position navigation and all different commands,
think about long range percent of fire.
We're gonna strike at 499 kilometers.
That thing is not a big bird, so there's not a lot
of space on there, the squad space is very limited.
It can't be inundated with data and feeds coming in
and processors, so we have to pass the long range
precision fire, a small amount of data,
but that small data needs to be very precise and spot on.
Think about an autonomous ground view
on the other hand, it's gotta collect everything.
It's gotta have real time video
being sent back to a controller.
It's gotta know what sensors are collecting what,
it's gotta know what the threat is,
so that's a different domain.
However if you think about that,
the long range percent of fire
where you could have an autonomous platform back there
providing that information, but it takes space
up to the LRPEF, so providing a very specific data
about where the threat is and where the threat has moved
to a long range precision fire after.
So it's a bunch of different data domains.
We have to network that works together better.
Moving over to the right there, that's a list of
all the different things, we already started at,
our tactical support, the cross functional team.
All four lines of info you saw on the previous page.
The color code is there, the green, the pink, and the blue,
map back to the four lines, to three of the four lines
of that to joint interoperabilities not listed here.
They mapped the key lines and these lines of infrastructure.
We stop at a few things, if you're staring at that.
Autonomy and intelligence, that's the important thing.
Think about the iPhone you have now.
If you happen to lose the signal on wi-fi,
it'll go back to the base signal.
it'lL trade that back and forth without having to worry
about it, it's all autonomous, it's done very quickly.
That's a great thing for the soldier out there,
it truly is.
Resiliency, think about, we need the ability
to be anti-jam, low probability of intercept,
but probability protection, and be able to,
at any time jam signals.
Now the commercial market is marvelous.
We're gonna work together with the commercial market
in many ways, and commercial market's not that focused
on anti-jam, the defensive is to be focused on anti-jam,
but the general commercial market is not.
So, that's something we work with the defense industry on.
And finally, situational understanding.
I mean, the words are simple, right?
Information is power, so we need to be able to
share information around quickly,
effectively, efficiently, and protect against
any sort of cyber threat or cyber missed in there.
So, we look down that list
of the different things next that you're familiar here,
and with that, I think we're ready to take any
questions, feedback, comments? - Just, I talked about
the science and technology aspect of it.
As General Mangus said earlier, about 21 March of last year
is when we began this journey with General Millie,
and we spent a lot of time and a lot of energy,
and a lot of, burned a lot of brain cells,
really digging into the problems with the network,
and we explored several different courses of action
before we came up with the network modernization strategy,
and this was, even before the CFTs were even in a concept
that were being rolled out, and one of the things
we didn't take a good hard look at was
the science and technology portfolio.
And so, for the last 150 days or so,
between Pat and his team, my team, and under the leadership,
under Secretary McCarthy, and the Vice and Mr. Kelly
from the DUCEP, we spent a lot of focused effort and a lot
of focused energy taking a look at every single project and
program inside the science and technology portfolio.
And Pat and his team did a magnificent job of realigning.
And divesting of programs, they're not going to deliver.
Okay and really focusing the attention and the energy
and the collective energy on the threat.
And it's been significant to watch this
unfold over the last several months.
And working with Pat as a teammate and a battle buddy
and the great men and women up in Aberdeen that represent
CERDEC and all the other teammates are the all the rest of
the ARDEC's because the network touches everything.
And there's a lot of talent out there really trying to
unpack this and make sure the most promising solutions
don't get caught in the valley of death.
And we are focused on those things that will deliver and
then making sure that the program offices are ready to run
side by side and we can actually take
some of this stuff across the finish line.
Because as the Secretary said and the under the Vice,
this is about getting capabilities it he hands of our
soldiers, it's gonna help them win and fight.
Or fight and win.
That's really what it's all about.
So I appreciate the team work from Pat,
he's one of the newest members.
He came to us from AMC.
He joined the team.
You know as we built this team of teams over the last,
as a venture we've been working it for about a year.
But one of the things that the network cross function team
has been focused on is focused integration
and disciplined innovation.
But it's also about continuity and momentum.
Okay?
So Dave Basset came to the table, you know as PEOC3T
he came over from ground combat vehicles.
He was back in the network business but he was coming in
you know, and we had to make sure he hit the ground running.
PEOEIS, enterprise information system.
A new PEO on the team.
PEOEIWS it's consistent and that's good.
PEO soldier, one of our most critical teammates in this
integrated tactical network.
They just switched out so Anthony Potts came over
from PEO aviation and then
Cummings is heading out to ground combat
vehicles and we got Tony Potts on our team the PEO soldier.
So all this change and all this turbulence as we've gone
through SNT, Pat coming in new, one of my big concerns was
continuity and momentum through all of this.
Because we're moving with speed.
We got to get everybody up to speed, hit the ground,
and hit the ground running and Pat's been a great teammate
and it's been awesome to kind of go through this with you,
the SNT portfolio, not only what are we doing with the money
in 18, what should we be addressing in 19?
But it's really about setting that program objective
memorandum for 20-24 to make sure we've got the funds where
we need it to get after the capabilities we need the most.
Okay?
So with that we'll open it up for any questions.
Any questions?
- Okay yes, thanks Tom.
So my question is about how things are gonna get blended.
So you've got Dave Basset, these guys PEO, they're working
programs right now.
You've got the Army Rapid Capability office
is also generating requirements.
And now we have the cross functional teams that are also
generating things that need to be done.
So somehow that has to be passed with funding to a PM to
execute so how does that prioritization occur?
What gets dropped, what gets picked up?
How does it all work?
- So that's a very good question okay?
So the question as I see it now.
Did everybody hear the question?
Okay.
So Under Secretary McCarthy talked about that
a little bit today.
So we have the Rapid Equipping Force, Fort Belvoir,
Virginia, and they are all about rapidly equipping force out
there that are in the fight,
that need capabilities immediately.
And that Rapid Equipment Force is doing that.
And in some cases, some of our priorities for the network
if it's readily available, we've got somebody going out on
the fly, we're going to have to explore the usage
and the utilization of the Rapid Equipment Force and get
those capabilities out there.
Doug Wiltsie and the Rapid Capabilities Office is looking at
three major areas of concern.
Electrinic warfare, cyber,
and sharp PNT, position, navigation and timing.
They are not generating requirements as a RCO.
They are trying to look about three to five years out
and really address the biggest major concerns
and figure out what's in the arc of possible
and trying to get solutions in those three lines of effort.
If there's anything we can leverage in the Network Cross-
Functional Team, or the Assured Position and Navigation
Timing cross function team that Mr. Willie Nelson is
leading, we are gonna leverage Doug Weltsie and his team.
We are not working around or against any of the PEO's.
We are working by, with and through.
So everything we're doing and working in concert with
Dave Basset and PEOC3T.
Or with Anthony Potts and PEO Soldier,
if we need to leverage our Graphic Weapon Force, we will.
If it makes sense for Doug Weltsie to pull it into his
portfolio and he can somehow cycle faster than maybe
General Basset or maybe somebody else can,
we'll work through that.
But I think what's happening with the
Rapid Capabilities Office is they're looking at
what's in the art of the possible and they're working
through the authorities and the PEO's to actually deliver.
Does that answer your question?
It does not.
Okay.
- No because what I'm talking about, how does that work?
- How does what work, the requirements?
- Okay, so we're not talking about
is how does the work get done.
So the cross functional team, for example,
is generating says, this is the way we need to go for a
certain radio or a certain capability.
Well Dave Basset's already working on things,
those guys are working full time right now.
So how does that new effort get translated
into something that get's delivered?
Do you have to reprioritize?
do you have to stop doing,
does the cross function side make that decision?
- So within the lines of info I've been given, and the
authority and the empowerment I've been given
under the Under the Vice, to aggressively execute
the Network Modernization Priorities within those four lines
of effort, two of which I'm laser focused on,
and over across the entire portfolio
I'm making recommendations not only on the immediate quick
wins and working with Dave and the team
to tackle those quick wins.
Does it require a new requirement?
If so we're gonna pull a scrum together and we're gonna
write the requirements document that needs to be adjusted.
Does it require an engineer change packet?
Dave has members of his team on my team.
And so we're working it together.
We've also got members from Jim Mangus' team and
John Morrison's team down at the Cyber Center of Excellence.
So the cross functional team is really made up of people
from TRADON, from Market Testing Evaluation Command,
from Army Contract and Command, from CCOM, from PEO Soldier,
PEOC3T, PEOINWNS, PEOEIS, I've got teammates from the
collective team and we are looking at the most pressing
priorities and if something needs to be rewritten in a
requirements document, we're gonna attack it.
If it could be an adjustment to an existing requirement,
I'm working with Dave and his PM for tactical radios and
his PM for tactical networks or his PM from Mission Command.
We are working, I mean we're up on the den with them
all day, every day.
It is a collaborative, transparent cross functional team.
And so the heavy lifting on the acquisitions side is done by
the acquisitions professionals.
We are about moving with speed through transparency and
focused integration.
Okay?
We're not, the CFT's not doing all the acquisition work.
We have our acquisition experts and they're figuring out
based on our efforts where are the priorities so they
can focus their attention on those.
Dave is there anything you want to add?
- Hey Tom, could I talk real quick?
Just a couple other things that I think are helping.
When we look at the palm years, the palm right now is 20-24
it's what we just put in.
That's five years you know, it starts two years out,
three years out, so we at the RNE community, SNT,
we have put together a priority list and want to
amend to that.
We shared it with Pete Gallagher from a Network CFT
perspective we modified that based on Pete's input.
We also had Dave Basset looking at it.
That's gonna be refined again as we go forward.
So that involves them to some extent.
And I guess my second part to try and help answer your
question is the kind of things the under said today about
the future commander, kind of what you were talking about,
is in the same command having the requirements people,
having the material developers over there, having the SNT
community kind of in between.
And I know there's talk about matrix and who does the rating
and all that.
But the fact that you're going to have these requirements
people, the SNT people, the PM's attached there.
I think it's all gonna help as part of that.
- Yeah I think it's not going to be easy.
I mean there's antibodies everywhere and we're trying
to give way together here but it really is a good group
of team mates to work with.
But thank you for your question.
Any other questions?
No other questions.
Okay I got a question for you,
who's gonna win the final four?
(all laughing)
Philadelphia, no way.
I'm team Jayhawks, thanks everybody, appreciate it.
(applause)