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August 26th, 2015

 The Military Tactical Communications Summit Is Serious Stuff w/Training In Town Hall Forum


[SatNews] The Military Tactical Communications Summit is designed as an educational and training “Town Hall” forum, where thought leaders and key policy-makers across U.S. military and U.S. civilian organizations can come together for actionable discussions and debate. The Summit will focus on a networked approach to providing communications at the tactical edge. This summit is scheduled for September 22- 23, 2015, in Alexandria, Virginia, United States.

2015 Subject Matter To Include:

  • Bringing common data and operating environments to the tactical edge
  • JIE and MPEs: Improving secure messaging  with coalition and Allied Partners in a tactical  environment
  • Cloud computing / virtualization for a tactical environment
  • Future afloat MAGTF:  network-enabled and digitally interoperable
  • pen architectures for C4I
  • Increasing high-speed transmission capacity for voice and data communications
  • Pushing cyber situational awareness data to the tactical edge
  • Spectrum management/ shared spectrum access
  • Untethering the maneuver commander
  • Hosted payloads and SATCOM - OTM
  • Shipboard and undersea C4I capabilities

Background:

The network of ‘tomorrow’ for the tactical edge should support a broad range of operational conditions and deliver robust, reliable communications to all echelons and various mission partners throughout all stages of any operation, in any environment.  Efforts towards creating common operating environments, utilizing virtualization / cloud computing, hosted payloads for SATCOM, creating a JIE and more of the TTPs helping to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of tactical comms.

Military communications networks are by definition dynamic, under stress and vitally important. The Army's focus to 'simplify'  the network along with advances with WIN-T, the Navy's SATCOM technologies and the Air Force's efforts at joint aerial layer networking will soon allow for more secure, mobile networked communications worldwide. However challenges such as  interoperability amongst legacy systems, cyber security, converging network operations tools, spectrum access,  and untethering the maneuver commander remain at the forefront.  

This event is open only to U.S. Citizens and Citizens of NATO member countries

Early Confirmed 2015 Summit Speakers Include:

  • Mr. Martin Westphal, SES, Vice Director, C4/ Cyber, Joint Staff  J6,  providing a discussion on JIE/ MPE (Mission Partner Environment) and the future impact on the Joint  and Coalition Warfighter at the Tactical Edge
  • Ms. Kerry Kelley, SES, Director of C4 Systems; CIO; and Director, Joint Cyber Center, USSTRATCOM speaking on meeting C4 requirements for the Joint fight
  • Mr. Frederick D. Moorefield Jr., SES, Director, Spectrum Policy and Programs, DoD CIO addressing DoD efforts for improving spectrum access
  • Mr. Kevin Fahey, SES, Executive Director, SoSE&I, ASA ATL  on current priorities and efforts towards creating an effective and efficient system-of-systems architecture for the tactical edge
  • Mr. Gary Martin, SES, PEO, PEO C3T speaking on expeditionary networking for the Army
  • Mr. John Willison, SES, Director, (CERDEC), S&TCD, discussing CERDEC's work in supporting and defending the network at the tactical edge (tentative)
  • Mr. Kenneth Bible, SES, USMC, Deputy Director, C4 / DCIO, HQMC  speaking on extending the network seamlessly to the tactical edge for the Marine Corps including emerging C4 technologies of interest  and increasing common applications and using cloud/ virtualization for C2 OTM
  • Col Gregory Breazile, USMC, Director, C2/Cyber & EW ID, Capabilities Development Directorate, USMC DC CD&I  discussing C2, cyber, and EW capabilities development for tactical communications for the Marine Corps
  • CAPT Chris Moss, USCG, Chief, Office of C4 and Sensors Capabilities, USCG presenting the unique mission critical C4ISR needs of the USCG and current areas for improving interoperability with  U.S. and Allied Partners
  • Mr. John Merrill, Director, Office for Interoperability and Compatibility, IC/NGFR Apex PM, DHS