GDMS Demos Cross-domain Command, Control and Communication Technology at ANTX 2018

A General Dynamics Mission Systems-led team demonstrated cross-domain, multi-level command, control and communication (C3) capabilities among unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV), submarines and land-based mission operations centers. The demonstration provided technology solutions to the challenges of communicating among multiple platforms in contested underwater environments, from high-level operation planning to tactical mission execution. It took place at the U.S. Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Newport, Rhode Island, as part of the Advanced Naval Technology Exercise (ANTX) 2018.

"The 2018 ANTX demonstration shows General Dynamics’ commitment to innovating naval technology and delivering real-world solutions for increasingly complex maritime missions," said Carlo Zaffanella, vice president and general manager of Maritime and Strategic Systems for General Dynamics Mission Systems.

The General Dynamics team leveraged “big picture” theatre-level planning tools to enable cross-domain C3 of manned submarines and UUV systems. The demonstration employed real-time mission communications with a land-based, theatre-level planning command center and a submarine’s tactical-level command center responsible for tasking the Bluefin™-21 and NUWC-owned UUV mission assets.

Collaborating with NUWC’s Code 25 Team, General Dynamics demonstrated a hand-off from one AN/BYG-1 submarine combat system operating at a NUWC lab, to another representation of an AN/BYG-1 system, operated pier-side by General Dynamics. Once control by the General Dynamics command center was established, the team re-tasked UUV assets by ending their existing mission and sending a new mission to the UUVs. The real-time, C3 followed a path using a simulated unmanned aerial vehicle, satellite and actual land-based and maritime communication nodes transmitting both radio frequency and acoustic communications.