4th Stryker - Communications Mobility

How the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team Leverages WAVE Unified Communications Software to Achieve its Mission

In Brief

With the capability of being rapidly deployed over long distances and with a mission to move infantry to the battlefield quickly and in relative security, the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division is a prime example of the U.S. Army's efforts to create a leaner, more agile force. Yet the very mobility and flexibility that defines Stryker operations also highlighted the shortcomings of existing hardware based communications systems. In order to complete the mission and protect its 4,000 soldiers, 4th Stryker chose to deploy WAVE, a unified communications lifeline as mobile and advanced as the unit itself.

The Challenge

One of the newest units of the U.S. Army, the 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division is a technologically-advanced, tactically-mobile unit. As such, its 4,000 service men and women are often placed at the very front of the battlefield. The situations in which they find themselves and the challenges they face are dynamic and unpredictable, changing quickly and frequently. Under these conditions, the timely transfer of accurate information between field and command units is nearly always a matter of critical importance.

As dramatic advances in technology have been made, an increasingly comprehensive view of the battlefield and the locus of decision making has moved ever closer to the source of intelligence. Likewise, command personnel at every level have become aware of even the smallest situational changes with increasing immediacy.

Along with select other units, the 4th Stryker had advanced its communications capabilities in the last few years with a tactical operations communication system that allowed field units on radio networks to communicate directly with command personnel at Tactical Operations Centers (TOCs). Unfortunately, the system relies on a series of proprietary hardware components, presenting significant complications and shortcomings that could leave troops dangerously isolated.

Using this hardware-based system requires each TOC and field unit to manage multiple pieces of equipment, hindering precious agility and creating a great deal of inflexibility in the layout of new positions. This system also requires a significant bandwidth overhead and its standard switching unit only allows eight radio networks to interconnect. With each battalion handling up to 12 networks, units are forced to either carry even more hardware, or as was more often the case, leave those networks unmonitored.

The standard radio system's non-IP architecture and its reliance on proprietary hardware was increasing the risk to troops and hindering mission success. To ensure that its soldiers in the line of fire had the most accurate information and timely, appropriate support, the 4th Stryker needed an interoperability system as light, mobile and agile as the brigade itself.

The Solution

WAVE has been independently selected and successfully deployed by a number of units throughout the U.S. Army. Based on this mission-tested status and discussions with the Twisted Pair Solutions team, 4th Stryker determined that only WAVE could meet their requirements for bridging the gap between radio networks on the battlefield and the established IP networks where higher-echelon decisions are made.

WAVE capitalizes on the simple power of software to provide a unified network worthy of 4th Stryker's advanced nature. WAVE minimizes the physical hardware load and the equipment footprint within each TOC, allowing frontline War fighters to quickly move from one area of operations to another and establish secure communications even when conventional line-of-sight radio systems are unable to do so.

WAVE software also allows 4th Stryker to achieve secure and reliable unified communications between battlefield networks of differing capability and performance. TOC communications personnel can quickly configure WAVE to support any network type, enabling full communications interoperability across multicast, unicast and mixed-mode networks while keeping bandwidth requirements to a minimum. At the same time, WAVE offers the potential to connect an unlimited number of users at all levels of the Army's hierarchy, whether across the battlefield or around the world and irrespective of their communications device. As an interoperability solution, WAVE presents an unprecedented ability to exchange mission-critical information to and from the front lines in real-time, allowing for faster, and more informed decision-making before, during and after the mission.

Entirely standards-based, WAVE grants the 4th Stryker vital flexibility by integrating easily with commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware. The brigade chose to build the system using Cisco routers for their superior reliability and resistance to overheating. If necessary, existing hardware-based radio components can also be incorporated into the system, optimizing taxpayer investment.

Overall, a fully operational WAVE system is deployed at brigade and battalion level TOCs, seven in all. Each of the 4th Stryker's six battalions currently monitors a combination of FM and TACSAT radio networks. In addition to facilitating vertical communication, WAVE also enables battalions to share network access horizontally among them with the click of an icon, enhancing situational awareness and tactical coordination.

At the brigade level, personnel now experience mobility and access previously unimagined. Brigade commanders can monitor, manage and participate in communications from any TOC or in the field using virtually whatever equipment is available, from radio equipment to IP phones and laptops.

According to one representative of 4th Stryker, WAVE functionality and quality is so high that a key brigade commander has refused to communicate using any other channels. And after nearly two years of use, confidence in WAVE is so high that they proposed it become the US Army's standard for unified communications technology.

Customer Pain Points

Lack of Communications Mobility. The Army's standard hardware-based communications equipment system is not optimized for fast moving IP-enabled elements and requires a large, rigid, cable-laden footprint at Tactical Operations Centers.
Limited Scalability. Capacity restrictions with the Army's standard communications equipment means battalions either have to carry more communications hardware than desired or restrict the number of networks monitored.
High Bandwidth Requirements. In already taxed networks, the Army's standard communications equipment requires a disproportionately large amount bandwidth for voice traffic.

Solution Features

Highly Mobile. A software only solution that `lightens the load' and keeps logistical overhead to a minimum.
Location Independence. Capitalizes on recent developments in wireless classified networks and the worldwide prevalence of IP networks to seamlessly connect parties no matter where they are in the world.
System-of-Systems Architecture. Uses standards-based software to avoid the unnecessary complexity, limitations and expense of proprietary hardware solutions.
Extensive Interoperability. Creates a tightly integrated communications environment, eliminating borders, boundaries and limitations by uniting all communication devices regardless of technology, manufacturer, frequency, or operator.
Complete Survivability. Provides groundbreaking redundancy and self-healing properties, including autonomous offline operations, peer-to-peer communications and automatic failover.

[ top ]