U.S. Army Tests Next-Generation Command and Control System

Reference News Network, October 14 report According to a report by the American Wall Street Journal on October 3, U.S. soldiers equipped with a complete set of new gear conducted exercises in Indonesia to test the equipment. Each soldier had a smartphone fixed to their chest, displaying their real-time location along with that of their unit. They also carried radios that support wireless networks, which interconnected to form a mobile network, converting voice into digital signals, allowing soldiers to communicate through headsets. This equipment is just a small part of the U.S. Army's grand project to modernize battlefield command and control systems.

The project is called the "Next Generation Command and Control System" (NGC2), aimed at introducing the latest communication, mapping, and artificial intelligence tools from Silicon Valley to the troops.

Army leaders stated that with the prevalence of inexpensive drones and precision missiles, large and fixed-deployed forces and equipment are easily targeted. In this context, the NGC2 project is of great significance. The project aims to ensure reliable communication among dispersed and mobile combat units, allowing commanders to grasp the battlefield situation in real-time, enabling quick decision-making and faster strikes on targets.

Over 80 companies are providing technical support for NGC2, with products ranging from satellite internet terminals installed on armored vehicles to underlying data architectures—this data architecture allows originally independent weapon systems and sensors to achieve seamless information sharing. Army officials and defense contractors claim that this technology is expected to reduce the time it takes for forward-deployed infantry to identify targets and prepare rear artillery for firing from hours to minutes.

However, deploying NGC2 across an Army with approximately 450,000 active-duty personnel presents significant technical challenges. Army officials stated that this work will continue until 2032.

Drones on the battlefields of Ukraine and the Middle East are rapidly reshaping modern warfare, and the Army's actions reflect an urgent need for adaptation. Preliminary testing of the NGC2 concept has already begun in 2024, and relevant officials stated that the Army has started to promote this technology across the entire force.

Daniel Driscoll, who recently stepped down as Army Secretary, mentioned Ukraine's independently developed command and control system for drone operations, which has shown outstanding results in actual combat. Earlier this year, he said, "Ukraine's system integrates every drone, every sensor, and every launch platform into the same network. The U.S. system is not yet capable of that." This remark clearly referred to the Army's existing command structure before the implementation of the NGC2 project.

This system still has some defects that need to be addressed. A reporter from the Wall Street Journal observing the exercise received an NGC2-compatible smartphone, which experienced overheating issues at a temperature of 32.2 degrees Celsius and had to be cooled down before it could be used again. Some real-time location data also showed slight discrepancies: sometimes the system indicated that a person's location was ahead, but in reality, that person was behind.

Opinions among soldiers regarding this new technology vary. Some soldiers pointed out that operating while staring at a screen in a firefight environment is not always practical; others expressed concerns that if the new equipment fails, they would be unable to perform repairs independently. (Translation/ Xu Yanhong)