Search:

Clarification: Army to Create ‘Hybrid’ Network of Incompatible Blue-force Trackers

3 2,008

Regarding the February 2008 story, “Army to Create ‘Hybrid’ Network of Incompatible Blue-force Trackers,” I would like to offer the following clarifications:

• Our architecture is nowhere near operating at full capacity at this time. The success of blue-force tracking has created great demand for more systems. We are currently making improvements that will keep the network more than capable of handling the increasing numbers of BFT platforms expected to be fielded over the next several years.

• Feedback from soldiers points out occasional periods of “longer than normal” time to send messages to one another. This is not a symptom of network overload, but most often occurs when longer messages are sent, when satellite line of sight is interrupted, or when periodic platform-level computer “cleanup” is required.

• While we do have two variants of our system in the field today (one uses line of sight radio, one uses satellite communication), and they are not integrated into one “box,” they are compatible with one another. We have an extremely dedicated team of folks that tie these two networks together. This network operations team ensures that all of our worldwide users can talk, 24/7.

Lt. Col. David Grauel, USA
Project Manager, Blue Force Tracking

Please email your comments to SErwin@ndia.org

Email this article

Print this article

Submit Your Reader's Comment Below

*Name
*eMail	The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
*Comments
	Please enter the text displayed in the image. The picture contains 6 characters. *Characters
*Legal Notice	NDIA is not responsible for screening, policing, editing, or monitoring your or another user's postings and encourages all of its users to use reasonable discretion and caution in evaluating or reviewing any posting. Moreover, and except as provided below with respect to NDIA's right and ability to delete or remove a posting (or any part thereof), NDIA does not endorse, oppose, or edit any opinion or information provided by you or another user and does not make any representation with respect to, nor does it endorse the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement, or other material displayed, uploaded, or distributed by you or any other user. Nevertheless, NDIA reserves the right to delete or take other action with respect to postings (or parts thereof) that NDIA believes in good faith violate this Legal Notice and/or are potentially harmful or unlawful. If you violate this Legal Notice, NDIA may, in its sole discretion, delete the unacceptable content from your posting, remove or delete the posting in its entirety, issue you a warning, and/or terminate your use of the NDIA site. Moreover, it is a policy of NDIA to take appropriate actions under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and other applicable intellectual property laws. If you become aware of postings that violate these rules regarding acceptable behavior or content, you may contact NDIA at 703.522.1820. I have read the Legal Notice.