US Army preparing for ITN Capability Set 2023 critical design review

The US Army hosted an ITN demonstration at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, in June 2021. (US Army )

The US Army is moving closer to providing soldiers inside Stryker formations with the ability to operate over its Integrated Tactical Network (ITN), both inside vehicles and on foot, and recently completed a technical test with its Capability Set 2023 (CS23) insertion ahead of a critical design review scheduled for April 2022.

This technical test took place during the week of 31 January, and early, “high-level” observations indicate that this version of the ITN kit, which includes the radios, Android applications, and mission command applications, “enhanced” Stryker manoeuvre, Paul Mehney, the director of public communications at Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T), told reporters on 8 February.

“We were able to successfully import the electronic warfare feed out of Electronic Warfare Planning and Management Tool (EWPMT) programmes … and we were able to populate that on to common operational picture through the Command Post Computing Environment,” he added.

Service officials are rolling out the ITN to the force in two-year increments, including CS21 in 2021 that focused on infantry brigades, CS23 in 2023 focused on Stryker brigades, and CS25 in 2025 focused on armoured brigades. CS21 was billed as the benchmark for where the tactical network needs to be in order to fight on the modern battlefield. The service is building on this early iteration and spiralling in additional capabilities as they mature and expand fielding.

For example, under CS23 the service wants to enable soldiers in Stryker formations to be able to use the ITN while transitioning between mounted and dismounted operations, in part, by providing mobile command posts, a common operating picture, and enhanced situational awareness capabilities.