Persistent Systems, LLC (“Persistent”), a global leader in mobile ad hoc network (MANET) technology, announced today that its secure, highly scalable network successfully supported Project Convergence-Capstone Five (PC-C5), a Combined Joint All-Domain Command-and-Control (C-JADC2) experiment.
Hosted by U.S. Army Futures Command, PC-C5 brought together all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces—along with foreign military partners from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, and New Zealand—for an operationally relevant, two-phase experiment at locations around the West Coast and the INDOPACOM theater.
“Over three days, we successfully integrated our transport-agnostic global communications fabric – the Wave Relay® MANET – into the Army’s existing Mission Command applications architecture, uniting decision-makers, tactical teams, and systems,” said Brian Spurlock, Vice President of Growth and Strategy at Persistent. “At PC-C5, Persistent networked a wide range of units and platforms—from Army armored vehicles to the Air Force’s Tactical Operations Center-Light (TOC-L) and high-altitude balloons – bringing the vision of C-JADC2 to life.”
Networking Combat Formations
For the Army component of PC-C5, Persistent Systems provided the Wave Relay® MANET connectivity for tactical combat formations executing one of the most challenging military operations – a combined arms breach of a mined wire obstacle. This marked the first time Persistent’s MANET connected M1A1 tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles with dismounted soldiers, enhancing the Army’s ability to execute complex combat maneuvers.
“In combined arms breaches, rapid mobility and large-scale communication can be a challenge,” Spurlock said. “At PC-C5, the Wave Relay® MANET provided a highly mobile, scalable communication fabric – from the edge to the enterprise.”
Accelerating Decision Making
Persistent also provided networking support to the Futures Directorate of Air Force Combat Command. The company integrated its MANET-Cloud High Mobility Radio (MCHMR) – previously validated in June at Valiant Shield – with the new Air Force battle management system, TOC-L.
“By combining MCHMR with the TOC-L, the Air Force was able to move radar and high-bandwidth sensor data to Army shooters in seconds,” said Adrien Robenhymer, VP of Air Force and Intelligence programs at Persistent. “This marks a dramatic shift from large, fixed, and expensive legacy systems.”
Additional Testing and Integration
Beyond core experiments, Persistent engaged in additional networking opportunities at PC-C5:
- Collaboration with the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s J6 Directorate, using the event as a technology risk-reduction opportunity ahead of Northern Edge.
- Transmitting data from high-altitude balloons back to Fort Irwin, demonstrating Persistent’s ability to link distributed assets across large operational areas.
“At PC-C5, Persistent showed that its robust, secure, scalable networking technology can meet U.S. military CJADC2 requirements today,” Spurlock said.
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