Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical

Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical
Name	Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical
Country	United States
Branch	United States Army
Type	Program Executive Office
Role	Acquisition and lifecycle management for tactical command and control systems
Garrison	Fort Belvoir
Commander	Principal Military Deputy (varies)

Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical

Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical directs acquisition, fielding, and sustainment of tactical command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. It interfaces with Department of Defense, United States Army Futures Command, Office of the Secretary of Defense, and Congress to deliver materiel to formations including III Armored Corps, 1st Infantry Division, and other units. The office manages life-cycle efforts linked to programs involving vendors such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, General Dynamics, and Boeing.

Overview

The office oversees programs that provide tactical networking, radio, and situational awareness capabilities to formations operating in theaters like United States Central Command, United States Indo-Pacific Command, and United States European Command. It supports integration with systems developed under Joint Staff priorities and aligns with doctrine from United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and requirements set by Army Capability Manager. The portfolio spans tactical radios, battlefield management systems, and network modernization efforts tied to initiatives such as Network Cross-Functional Team and Integrated Tactical Network.

History and Organization

Established to consolidate acquisition authorities for tactical communications, the organization evolved alongside reorganization efforts reflecting mandates from Goldwater–Nichols Act reforms and acquisitions oversight influenced by the Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act. Its lineage intersects with earlier program offices at Army Materiel Command and program executive offices created after studies from Defense Science Board panels. Organizational components include directorates aligned with portfolios found in Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition, Logistics and Technology), program managers for networks and radios, and staff interaction with offices such as U.S. Army Office of Business Transformation.

Programs and Capabilities

Major programs include tactical networking suites, battle command systems, and secure radios interoperable with coalition systems used by forces in NATO and partner nations like United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. Capabilities under management cover platforms interoperable with standards promulgated by Defense Information Systems Agency, data link integration related to Link 16, and ISR payloads cooperatively developed with contractors including L3Harris Technologies. Program sets often reference architectures informed by work from MITRE Corporation and testing protocols coordinated with U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command.

Acquisition and Procurement Processes

Acquisition follows procedures aligned with Federal Acquisition Regulation guidance and milestone reviews governed by Defense Acquisition Board. Source selection and contracting utilize vehicles such as Other Transaction Authorities and indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts administered in coordination with Defense Contract Management Agency and oversight from Government Accountability Office when contested. Programs progress through Milestone A, Milestone B, and Milestone C decision points involving inputs from Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and periodic audit by Department of Defense Inspector General.

Partnerships and Industry Engagement

The office collaborates with academia including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Carnegie Mellon University on research into resilient networking and cyber hardening. Industry partnerships span primes and small businesses under the Small Business Innovation Research program and consortiums like Defense Innovation Unit. Cooperative efforts include interoperability testing with partner platforms from North Atlantic Treaty Organization member militaries and standards bodies such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers working groups.

Deployments and Operational Impact

Systems fielded have supported operations in environments including Operation Enduring Freedom and missions linked to multinational exercises such as NATO Trident Juncture and bilateral exercises with Republic of Korea. Fielding campaigns coordinate with Sustainment Brigades and require training delivered through centers like Joint Multinational Readiness Center and Mission Command Training Program, enabling formations to employ networked command posts, tactical radios, and sensor links in expeditionary operations. Operational assessments feed back to program offices after deployments to theaters managed by U.S. Central Command and U.S. European Command.

Challenges and Future Directions

Challenges include rapid obsolescence driven by advances from firms like Google, Microsoft, and startups in software-defined networking, and threats posed by actors highlighted in studies by RAND Corporation and Center for Strategic and International Studies. Future directions emphasize integration with cloud initiatives led by Defense Information Systems Agency, adoption of modular open systems architectures advocated by Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, and accelerated prototyping through mechanisms promoted by Adaptive Acquisition Framework reforms.

Category:United States Army acquisition