NSWC Panama City Division showcases Waterside Symposium

NSWC Panama City Division showcases Waterside Symposium

By Shauna Love-vonKnoblauch, NSWC PCD Public Affairs

Members of the Joint Interoperability & Irregular Warfare Division (E20) from Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) held a technical demonstration, April 5.

The Waterside Symposium took place at NSWC PCD detachment, a Joint Expeditionary Command and Control (JEXC2) test range, to showcase the new leading edge Navy Enterprise Tactical Command and Control (NETC2) design that the Navy Lab is developing.

The predecessors to the NETC2 design have a long history at NSWC PCD and John Bush, Joint Interoperability & Irregular Warfare Division technical project manager, provided insight into the evolution of these systems.

"I was part of the original 12-person team for the Expeditionary Warfare Testbed in 2002. It led to NSWC PCD getting Deployable Joint Command and Control (DJC2)," said Bush. "DJC2 started in 2003, shortly after the JEXC2 portfolio was established to support other customers who were looking for Deployable Command, Control, Communications and Computer (C4) systems to meet the expeditionary needs for Joint Task Forces and first responders."

NETC2 is part of the JEXC2 portfolio. The Shore and Expeditionary Integration Program Office (PMW 790) is the sponsor and Naval Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) was the main customer for the Waterside Symposium event. The symposium was designed to allow each of the NECC communications departments to see/experience the NETC2 design in action.

Brian Snellen, NSWC PCD NETC2 project manager, described the equipment used in the demonstration.

"NSWC PCD used a PacStar baseband kit that will replace the existing Rapid Response Kit and NETC2(V)1 Systems. This new kit was pulling services [email, voice, software] from the Navy Expeditionary Tactical Entry Point (NExTEP), which was designed and developed here at NSWC PCD in E20 to provide services directly to NECC units. The NExTEP is capable of hosting the multiple NECC users and can provide dedicated resources to those users during future missions," Snellen said. "During the Waterside Symposium, the users were able to view emails being sent, utilize chat for rapid internal conversations, and software downloads to demonstrate the system functionality. The event's final demonstration showed attendees the technology that will integrate with the ExCON 2.0 solution, another NSWC PCD designed and developed capability for afloat Command and Control on the move."

The NECC N6 captain had a vision to demonstrate new technologies to his subordinate commands. Snellen arranged and coordinated the event and invited members from NECC and PMW 790 to attend, including both Explosive Ordnance Disposal commodores and all their respective commanding officers as distinguished visitors.

"The end goal of this event was to gain input from the different N6 commands that will allow NSWC PCD to develop a better product for the warfighter," said Snellen. "This is the future vision of how NECC will fight and NSWC PCD is the main integrator for the NETC2 Family of Systems. This will enable NSWC PCD to rapidly deliver this solution to the warfighter and ensure warfighting dominance."