Vanguard Magazine

Sponsored Content military personnel in real-world exercises is invaluable in the development, delivery, and deployment of capabilities and solu- tions. Being in proximity to each other throughout testing and integration allows for real-time, on-site help for soldiers. This upholds mission efforts, while also gather- ing key data points to bring back to inte- gration and testing labs for future develop- ment. The relationships built during live exercises are integral to the success of fu- ture communications and support beyond initial field testing. Having an entire Field Support Team on location for development, testing, and field trials, also facilitates architectural and network design changes and can help en- sure mission success after deployment by removing the "perfect scenarios" that can occur in a lab. The real-world feedback loop and assistance in establishing the use cases for the system are immeasurable. Boots on the Ground: A Successful Case Study General Dynamics works alongside sol- diers and contributes to real-world exer- cises to iterate and develop capabilities for the evolution of the Dispersed Brigade Command Post (CP) Concept. Their Field Support Team worked with troops at CFB Petawawa during Exercises Unified Resolve 23 (Phase II and III), Royal Sum- mons, and Titan Shield (Latvia) to support the Canadian Army Latvia OPERATION REASSURANCE deployment plan. Members of the Signallers squadron had designed their own network to host a series of Military off-the-shelf (MOTS) and Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) capabilities to conduct innovative experi- ments. However, in order to sustain and deploy those resulting capabilities, they would have to exist on the Land Com- mand Support System (LCSS) network. The necessary integration and testing was conducted in support of deploying the ca- pability against a tactical network – in this case, General Dynamics' network: TNaaS – that would be resilient and sustainable. The integration work with Signallers and the Brigade groups required the use of various commercial technologies and the ability for them to communicate on a homogenous system and the mission net- work. The Field Support Team deployed to CFB Petawawa to support making this system work. Being on location meant getting the requirements directly from the soldiers and soldiers getting immedi- ate feedback when seeing changes imple- mented during the same exercise. "We see great advantages in working alongside soldiers in situ and being able to integrate their wants and needs almost in real-time to ensure the end product meets their requirements," says Steve O'Brien, TSIL Lead – LEISC, General Dynamics. Being embedded at CFB Petawawa al- lowed the full contingent of experts in the Field Support Team to better understand the pain-points, find solutions, and imple- ment them quickly. Good For Soldiers The flexibility and ability of the Field Support Team working directly with the end-user enabled an alignment between the right expertise, resources, and innova- tion. The creativity, technical proficiency, and transparency about what worked and what didn't led to successful outcomes and greatly reduced delivery timelines. General Dynamics' integration approach, paired with end-user engagement, allows the development of unique solutions and ca- pabilities, including integrating products selected by end-users. Ultimately it's about delivering what Ca- nadian soldiers need in a timeframe they haven't seen before. Digital transforma- tion is highly complex and requires highly skilled engineers and technical specialists to enable its evolution. Fortunately, com- panies such as General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada have the right expertise to lead the charge. As such, a new era is being championed through a fusion of industry expertise and end-user collabora- tion, where soldiers' mission objectives are not just met but exceeded. www.vanguardcanada.com FEBRUARY/MARCH 2024 23 P E R S P E C T I V E

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