Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) Enterprise efficiently and effectively completed a major upgrade and installed a new baseline of the Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) in record time, April 1, on USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) while forward deployed in Japan.
The CANES program is the Navy’s next generation tactical afloat network. CANES represents the consolidation and enhancement of five shipboard legacy network programs to provide a common computing environment for more than 40 command, control, intelligence and logistics applications.
To rapidly meet changing warfighter requirements, technical experts across NAVWAR enterprise worked together to deliver CANES Hardware Version 1.2 and Software Version 3.0 (HW 1.2/SW 3) to Reagan, strengthening network infrastructure, improving security, reducing the existing hardware footprint and decreasing total ownership costs.
“The threats to our mission – and our nation – are evolving too rapidly for us to remain comfortable in the established pace of defense acquisition and technology transition,” said Rear Adm. Christian Becker, NAVWAR commander. “We must accelerate internal processes, from identifying and maturing advanced technology to developing, delivering and sustaining systems that enable information superiority across all warfare areas. Increasing speed to delivery, the CANES HW1.2/SW3.0 team quickly delivered a critical capability to the warfighter, enabling the ability to fight and win the wars of the future.”
This effort, led by NAVWAR Fleet Readiness Directorate Installation Program Office (FRD 200), Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific Yokosuka and Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (PEO C4I) and Space Systems, included support from:
- Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic
- Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Services (PEO EIS)
- Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS)
- Naval Ship Repair Facility (SRF)
- Japan Regional Maintenance Center (JRMC)
- Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet (AIRPAC)
- Naval Network Warfare Command (NAVNETWARCOM)
“As the NAVWAR organization that is closest to the fleet, it is our goal to translate fleet expectations for delivery of time-critical products and services into actionable and repeatable activities,” said Mike Spencer, FRD executive director. “In the case of Reagan, we successfully executed our goal in record time. In close collaboration with our partners across the enterprise, we accelerated the delivery of the new CANES baseline, providing the fleet with the most advanced C4I capabilities available, so that they are able to effectively meet current and future mission requirements.”
Despite logistical, technical and current coronavirus challenges, NAVWAR enterprise successfully completed this comprehensive software reload and technical refresh with intensive C4I alterations in less than four and a half months, resulting in the fastest installation on a force level ship to date, returning valuable time to the warfighter. The overall effort included the installation of 52 racks of equipment across the platform and an upgrade of over 2,400 workstations throughout the ship.
“The Reagan installation employed several innovative techniques for shortening the installation time, said Susie Hartzog, NIWC Pacific department head for communications and networks. “This included pre-installing several of the shipboard applications in a San Diego facility prior to shipment to Japan, as well as deploying a pre-built and reusable temporary local area network infrastructure on the Reagan, allowing for the rapid migration of existing data.”
These innovations – along with automation – resulted in minimal downtime for sailors who still needed to perform their regular duties, even during the installation period.
“Automation was foundational to the rapid imaging of workstations as well as the installation of applications on the network using a novel Hosted and Connected System Integrated Manual (HACSIM) technique,” said Hartzog. “Getting the ship installation done more quickly means Reagan is back to mission capable in short order.”
CANES HW1.2/SW3.0 provides an afloat, modern data center utilizing hyper converged infrastructure and software defined storage along with a new systems management suite that significantly improves usability and sustainability for the fleet.
“CANES is one of the PEO’s critical information warfare systems for afloat units,” said John Pope, acting PEO C4I and Space Systems executive director. “It provides the necessary infrastructure to ensure systems work seamlessly and warfighters are able to get the right information at the right time. This updated CANES baseline addresses end of life issues from previous hardware and software baselines as well as providing improvements to systems management, cybersecurity and resiliency. With an updated architecture and infrastructure, we have enabled a major fleet improvement that includes increases in compute, storage, memory and network performance from previous baselines.”
Additionally, the new CANES HW1.2/SW3.0 provides users with training in a virtual environment, increasing the number of users with access to CANES training from 240 to 840 users annually.
NAVWAR enterprise has installed CANES HW1.2/SW3.0 on 5 ships, with plans to upgrade over 100 ships and submarines to the new baseline. Moving forward, NAVWAR will continue to focus on delivering systems that paces evolving technology and threats while delivering unparalleled capability to the warfighter for years to come.
NAVWAR identifies, develops, delivers and sustains information warfighting capabilities and services that enable naval, joint, coalition and other national missions operating in warfighting domains from seabed to space. NAVWAR consists of more than 11,000 civilian, active duty and reserve professionals located around the world.
