The MCTSSA Naval Integration Team has made great strides over the past several years in improving Naval C5I System readiness. Through a systematic testing approach, the Naval Integration Team has developed and implemented an end-to-end C5I shipboard System-of-Systems Operability Test (SOT) that is now a standard pre-deployment evolution for MEUs and embarked SPMAGTFs. The team’s Subject Matter Expertise across all Marine afloat C5I systems has been crucial in verifying interoperability, designing afloat integration engineering solutions, and identifying systemic naval integration shortfalls.
With the recently declared Initial Operational Capability of the Marine F-35B and its inaugural MEU deployment, MCTSSA has focused recent efforts on F-35B C5I integration on L-Class ships. In this realm, MCTSSA has expanded support to encompass shipboard integration testing of F-35B with Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), Common Aviation Command and Control System (CAC2S) Afloat, and Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS). Leveraging F-35B capabilities into these shipboard C5I systems has become increasingly more complex and important in the current operating environment.
MCTSSA’s MAGTF Afloat Integration Environment (MAIE) continues to expand capability by adding realism to its afloat testing environment. Recent efforts include developing a software-defined network solution to replicate the shipboard network architectures of any L-class ship for testing purposes. The team is also exploring how to leverage software defined radios and has begun working closely with the Navy’s Digital Modular Radio (DMR) program office.
In 2019, the MCTSSA Naval Integration team won the Marine Corps Systems Command Commander’s Excellence in MAGTF Engineering Award.