WIN-T SNE increases communications reach

General Dynamics said in an 8 January release that the Warfigher Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) Soldier Network Extension (SNE) increased communications reach and improved call-for-fire response time significantly.

These results were found by a US Army field artillery team during a WIN-T Increment 2 Development Test 2. The soldiers were part of the 4th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment (4/27), 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. The SNE was found to have supported call-for-fire mission 'threads' during the Network Integration Evaluation 15.1 and the Development Test 2. The tests took place at Fort Bliss, Texas, and White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico in October and November 2013.

Legacy line-of-site (LOS) radios were used by fire support officers and forward observers before the SNE to transmit counter fire and fire calls at the far edges of a mission area. They only work when the radios are in each other's line of sight, making communication difficult when soldiers work in mountainous or remote locations.

The tests saw the team use SNE satellite communications to exchange information from any location within the Brigade's mission area.

Capt. Sean Williams, the team's battery commander, said: 'Before, we were constrained by terrestrial location systems; since this is a satellite-based system, there is much greater range to digitally call for fire and process fires missions on the battlefield.'

Chris Marzilli, president, General Dynamics Mission Systems, added: 'Every day, digital-savvy soldiers discover new capabilities using the SNE. With recent improvements that make the SNE easier to learn and use, soldiers find creative ways to increase their mission effectiveness while improving their safety.'