The Integrated Tactical Network (ITN) is delivering a tactical network that is providing expeditionary, mobile, simple to use and hardened capabilities – now from air-to-ground and division-to-edge – for enhanced situational awareness and seamless command and control.
Description
As a critical component to the Army’s Unified Network Plan, the ITN continues to revolutionize the way commanders and Soldiers communicate. The ITN incorporates the Army’s current tactical network environment (applications, devices, gateways, and network transport) with commercial off-the-shelf components and transport capabilities.
ITN technologies enable communications through a Sensitive but Unclassified-Encrypted (SBU-E) enclave for a network that is more secure and resilient by offering units multiple network communication pathways when faced with contested or congested communications environments. Since the majority of tactical information below the battalion level is perishable in nature and unclassified, the SBU-E addresses the need to cut the line between having a secret, Type 1 encrypted network to a network that is still encrypted and safe.
The SBU-E also allows for better mission partner interoperability, which is a critical capability because the Army will never fight alone.
As the Army adapts and evolves its network to reduce complexity and tailor capabilities at echelon, the ITN’s flexibility is allowing higher echelons to take on complex network planning and management, while retaining necessary network capabilities for commanders at lower echelons who are focusing on the fight.
The 82nd Airborne Division, 25th Infantry Division, and 101st Airborne Division, Air Assault, have successfully incorporated the ITN at their division echelons.
As part of the Army’s experimental modernization concept, called “transformation in contact,” the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) (2-101) conducted Large-Scale, Long-Range Air Assault exercises to help the Army refine the new ITN Aerial Toolkit. The kit incorporates a radio in the crew compartment serving as the communications node connecting a Tactical Assault Kit (TAK)-enabled tablet to dismounted Soldiers, to enable shared chat and position location information over SBU-E.
With the addition of Mobile User Objective Systems (MUOS) Manpack satellite communications radios to select aircraft, pilots and commanders added beyond line-of-sight voice and data capability to their arsenal.
Fielding the ITN at the division echelon was made possible following six years of iterative DEVOPS and fielding to 11 brigade combat teams, six security force assistance brigades, and several division enablers. The Army will continue to field and iterate the ITN across the force for the foreseeable future.