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Only Mobile C4I System in Europe Housed at Sigonella

Navy NewStand

Story Number: NNS030410-16
Release Date: 4/12/2003 2:26:00 PM

By Journalist Seaman Stephen Weaver, Naval Air Station Sigonella Public Affairs

SIGONELLA, Sicily (NNS) -- Outside a group of big green tents, a fire is brewing in a small charcoal grill, ready for whatever the busy Sailors inside want to cook.

But something is already "cooking" on the inside of these tents.

High speed Sailors from Naval Air Station Sigonella (NASSIG) are "burning up" the airwaves in what is known as a Joint Mobile Ashore Support Terminal, or JMAST. The JMAST system operating from NASSIG is the only one of its kind in Europe.

JMAST is a self-contained, mobile Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) system. It provides Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe with the ability to command and control assigned forces via video, voice and data media forms during all aspects of joint military operations. JMAST provides deployable connectivity for a joint task force commander, with Naval forces afloat, and other services.

Sailors, in coordination with Space and Naval Warfare System Command (SPAWAR) engineers, are conducting Systems Operational Verification and Testing (SOVT).

"It essentially can be compared to sea trials on a newly commissioned ship," said Chief Electronics Technician (SW/AW) Mike Kendall, officer in charge of the NASSIG JMAST system and the Tactical Communications Support Unit. This testing phase will prepare the JMAST system for future endeavors. "After the first week of May, we'll be fully deployable and ready to go operational in as little as 24 hours," Kendall continued.

The capabilities of JMAST are boundless, and as Kendall explaines, it comprises a lot of "creature comforts" of home.

"For the equipment inside, we have the entire myriad of communications that you can imagine," said Kendall. JMAST is equipped to handle Extremely High Frequency, Super High Frequency (SHF), commercial, INMARSAT (International Maritime Satellite Organization), High Frequency Data/Voice, Link 11, Very High Frequency and may other modes of communication.

JMAST isn't just for naval systems; it can operate with many other systems. "A lot of that is the interoperability buzzword," said Kendall. "For example, we're buying some equipment right now that's used by the Army that we'll be putting in these tents for something that may be coming soon. We really aim for interoperability."

But interoperability doesn't come cheap. "It's extremely high-tech," said Kendall. He said the SHF equipment alone costs $600,000. The entire JMAST system has a $4 million price tag.

JMAST can deploy anywhere in the European area of responsibility to reach out and touch somebody, "which can be theoretically as far as almost Bahrain," said Kendall. "We can be asked to go in and take over another JMAST elsewhere, as well."

All this equipment is operated and maintained by a group of 24 knowledgeable Sailors.

"The amount of knowledge that they're required to have is phenomenal," said Kendall. "I don't even think they realize how much they're really doing."

JMAST is not a special program, so the Sailors working on it are straight from the fleet. "We're talking about some pretty amazing stuff happening with a very small amount of manpower," he said.

"It's hard because there are so few of us here right now," said Information Technician 2nd Class Holly Boice. "We all have to jump in if we have to and help other people out."

Setup began on the system at the end of February. These Sailors are just getting to know the new system. "It's really new for us. It's a big change," said Boice. "We've kind of been at a standstill for the past year and a half. We just got this delivery, and it's a big adjustment with all this training."