Joint and Coalition Warfighters Test Technological Solutions at CWID 2010

By John J. Joyce, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division Public Affairs

DAHLGREN, Va. (NNS) -- More than 320 visitors observed 77 U.S. and coalition warfighters test new and emerging technologies on simulated military missions and national emergency scenarios during Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (CWID) 2010 at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren June 16-24.

Warfighters exchanged feedback with CWID visitors - including U.S. and coalition military officials - about the potential of 25 interoperability trials (ITs) to solve real-world information sharing problems for military and Homeland Security and Homeland Defense (HLS/HLD) forces, including first responders.

"The objective of the demonstration is to improve leader-centric, network enabled operations in an Afghanistan-based ground scenario and with a littoral Navy war scenario," said Col. James Bacchus, Marine Corps CWID lead. "In today's technology world, the best tests are against large complex networks spread across coalition networks."

This is the 11th year NSWC Dahlgren hosted U.S. forces and coalition partners to evaluate new solutions throughout the exercise.

"Providing junior service members the opportunity to test new technology under simulated conditions allows leadership to gain a perspective that may not otherwise be available," said Army 1st Lt. Jon Hays, CWID National Guard Bureau, Coast Guard and HLS/HLD Operations Center lead. "In some instances, soldiers that have experienced CWID may come across some of the technologies when fielded to units."

Warfighters at CWID sites from Lillehammer, Norway to San Diego, Calif., tested a total of 32 cutting-edge information technology trials focused on operational shortfalls identified by combatant commanders and government agencies.

"CWID not only offers an opportunity to demonstrate technologies that are a few months from being sent to the fleet, it also provides an opportunity for programs of record to plan for the future," said Cmdr. Robert Green, Naval Sea Systems Command CWID program manager, in his June 25 CWID blog post at http://usjfcom.dodlive.mil.

"One such interoperability trial is the Future Surface Combatant. CWID has given the FSC an opportunity to investigate various layouts of workstations, evaluate procedures used in providing missile intercepts, exploring different roles for the ship, and investigating technology that may be applicable to this and other ships."

The forum is the only DoD-hosted event that brings together new and emerging information technologies into a global network environment with interagency and multinational partners.

U.S. Joint Forces Command - in its role as the leader of joint capability development - coordinates assessment results to determine which CWID trials meet defined requirements and have the potential to fill identified capability gaps.

"The next step is the preparation of the final report [published later in 2010] which will provide a formal assessment of the interoperability trials based on comments and feedback from those who used them," said Green.