Fairfax, Virginia, Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Before the end of the fiscal year, the U.S. Navy intends to deliver an early version of the Information Warfare Platform (IWP) to two ships, the USS Lincoln and the USS Bataan. According to an article in the February issue of SIGNAL Magazine, the service then plans to field more comprehensive systems to the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning will be among the technologies that enable the IWP’s capability, which will allow the service to acquire, test, install and field technologies at a faster, more affordable rate while also enhancing cybersecurity.
Installing the IWP on the two ships will be a major step toward digitizing the fleet, says John Pope, the Navy’s acting program executive officer for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence and space systems. “It looks good on paper. It looks good when we do it in the lab environment. We’ve done some limited testing with one ship already. Lincoln and Bataan are going to be where we take it to sea,” he explains.
Introduction of the IWP isn’t the only move the Navy is taking toward modernization. In another February SIGNAL Magazine article titled “Navy Sets New Course for Information Technology,” Aaron Weis, the Navy’s chief information officer, relates that the service is undergoing a sea change in its organizational approach as it works to extend technology and capabilities upgrades across the breadth of Navy and Marine Corps operations.
The improvements in technology will change the trajectory of information management, Weis says, because the Navy and Marine Corps haven’t had an overarching vision and strategy for some time. “The opportunity is to create capability across the two services that will change the overall outcome so that we’re leveraging information management for competitive advantage,” he states.
Improvements in both the technologies and strategies for developing and using new capabilities will be among the topics discussed at WEST 2020, which takes place March 2-3 at the San Diego Convention Center. The AFCEA International-U.S. Naval Institute conference theme, Are We Ready to Confront Great Power Competition?, reflects the discussions that will take place about a variety of challenges the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are facing.
The event opens with a Sea Service Chiefs Town Hall with participants Robert O. Work, former deputy secretary of defense; Adm. Michael M. Gilday, USN, chief of naval operations; Gen. David H. Berger, USMC, commandant, U.S. Marine Corps; and Adm. Karl L. Schultz, USCG, commandant, U.S. Coast Guard.
Topics that will be discussed include workforce, procurement, C5ISR readiness and advanced technologies. The conference also will feature the Innovation Showcase and the Navy Information Warfare Engagement Zone.
Additional information about WEST is available online. Active duty government and military personnel are invited to attend free of charge.
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