C4ISR: Shore Facility Upgrades
Command Centers
The C4ISR domain is currently upgrading Coast Guard Command Centers with installation of CG-C2, a new Command and Control System. Recently, the Coast Guard issued full authority to operate the Deepwater CG-C2 system at its district command center in Miami and San Juan, two of nine planned command center installations. CG-C2 provides enhanced mission planning tools and facilitates rapid exchange of information through a common operating picture among Coast Guard commands, cutters and aircraft. Additional tools allow for further communication with federal, state and local authorities.
CG-C2 is now being installed in San Juan, Puerto Rico, soon to be followed at major Coast Guard commands in Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington, Hawaii, California, Alaska and Louisiana. Communications upgrades, which will provide improved communications circuit management at Command Centers, will be provided at a later date.
Communications Area Master Stations (CAMS)
The C4ISR domain is replacing six 30-year old tube style HF transmitters with new solid state high-powered HF transmitters at the Communications Area Master Stations (CAMS) in Virginia and California. The old transmitters have become very difficult to maintain and cost for spare parts have skyrocketed more than 500% in the last five years. The new transmitters require less cooling, less floor space, are more reliable, and less expensive to maintain. The new transmitters also add new ALE capability to the CAMS. When using ALE, the system automatically conducts a scan of pre-defined frequencies and establishes a communication circuit on the frequency with the best link quality, thus reducing the operator work load of manually trying to find the best frequency.
Training Center (TRACEN)
On March 15, 2007, Coast Guard Vice Adm. Vivien Crea formally dedicated the new building signaling a historic first in the Coast Guard for high-tech training.
U.S. Coast Guard crew members train on Deepwater C4ISR equipment in an environment built to resemble the operations center onboard a National Security Cutter at the Training Center in Petaluma.
The state-of-the-art training facility, which was named in honor of the late Coast Guard Master Chief Charles Calhoun, will give its students proficiency in C4ISR---command, control, computers, communications, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance---leveraging Coast Guard technology to the interoperable intelligence and communications standards of the Department of Defense and other government first responders.
“We’re proud to add advanced shipboard training operations training to our already acclaimed technical and support schools,” said Capt. Brian Marvin, commanding officer of the training center. “We’re proud of our performance-based standards, where students learn on the very latest equipment used in our fleet.” The Integrated Coast Guard Systems helped provide content to develop the course curriculum, which was converted into Coast Guard training format.
In addition to training Coast Guard National Security Cutter crewmembers, the facility will also train Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship crew. With both the Navy and Coast Guard preparing to use the same C4ISR capabilities, the Calhoun Building is a center of knowledge for National Fleet Policy missions.
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