Sgt. Victor Aguirre, 509th Signal Battalion (rear), observes Spc. James Lagerstrom adjust cables on a satellite dish on communications gear associated with the U.S. Army Africa Forward Command Element.
In August, U.S. Army Africa (USARAF) plans to roll its Forward Command Element (FCE) onto a C-130 aircraft for a trip to Ghana. The USARAF FCE is similar to a tactical operations center, having sophisticated Internet and video teleconference capabilities. It is a flexible command post that responds to deployment requests through U.S. Africa Command. The FCE fulfills an Army requirement for a command post platform vehicle with a SIPRNET NIPRNET Access Point satellite terminal. The Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNET) is a U.S. Department of Defense network for the exchange of classified information and messages at the SECRET level. The Non-classified Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNET) is used to exchange sensitive but unclassified information between internal users as well as providing users with access to the Internet.
The USARAF’s FCE includes additional equipment from its Army-fielded Standardized Integrated Command Post System – specifically with one a “Trailer Mounted Support System Medium system” and associated network, video, and radio systems. USARAF also added two networks to the ECP: a CENTRIX-ready network for use by coalition partners; and a commercial Internet network for use by non-governmental organizations as well as inter-governmental and inter-agency partners that may not have authorization to work on NIPR or SIPR networks. Working with the Department of the Army DA G3/5/7 Land War Net, DA G6 Communications and Information Services, and the Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T), USARAF designed the ECP to be rapidly deployable, highly mobile, self-powered, and self-air-conditioned. It is designed to provide networks and radios to command and control operations, and to function in a joint, interagency, intergovernmental, and multinational environment. n August, the FCE will get a chance do a live shakedown test of its communications equipment in Ghana. This deployment exercise will be USARAF’s first opportunity to deploy the ECP, including loading it on an Air Force aircraft and flying it to a mission area. (Source: www.army.mil, Rich Bartell)
