The US Air Force has awarded L3Harris a contract to deliver a common tactical edge network (CTEN).
CTEN will comprise defense networks and commercial resources to support the service’s advanced battle management system and joint all-domain command and control (JADC2).
It is expected to bolster aerial interoperability between the US and allied forces by providing a high-speed data connection and sharing similar to the commercial internet.
CTEN will initially be employed across air force aerial platforms currently operating with near-obsolete network platforms to enhance data and communication relay across the service.
“CTEN’s data fusion will enable warfighters controlling multiple platforms to think and operate as one, greatly shortening the decision cycle,” L3Harris said.
Breaking Barriers
L3Harris is part of the US Air Force’s CTEN consortium to support collaborative software development, architecture design, systems integration, and software maintenance for the future CTEN system.
“This is a significant step in solving for the broader JADC2 challenge, and we are committed to maximizing interoperability and processing speed,” L3Harris Air Force Vice President Ron Fehlen stated.
“CTEN will ultimately deliver commercial-like capabilities that will break down the barriers between open and closed systems.”
Currently, L3Harris is managing and producing various multi-domain networking solutions for US aerial defense assets, including the E-4 Advanced Airborne Command Post, MQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance aircraft, MQ-9 Reaper drone, and U-2 Dragon Lady high-altitude reconnaissance jets.
