CENTRIXS Enhances Communication Between Indonesian, U.S. Navies
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS060718-11
Release Date: 7/18/2006 6:41:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Brian Brannon, Commander, Task Force 73 Public Affairs
SURABAYA, Indonesia (NNS) -- A secure, real-time communications system provided vastly increased interoperability between the U.S. and Indonesian navies during the Indonesia phase of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) July 11-18.
The Combined Enterprise Network Regional Information Exchange System (CENTRIXS) allows instantaneous ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication and document exchange in a chat-based Web environment.
“One of the objectives of CARAT is coordination,” said Cmdr. Greg Stephens of Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/Commander, Task Force (CTF) 73’s Navy Reserve Detachment 610 in San Antonio. “One of the best ways to facilitate coordination is to make sure we have communications, and that’s where CENTRIXS comes in.” Stephens is serving as a liaison officer in Indonesia.
The advantages of secure text-based messaging over traditional forms of naval communications such as radio, flashing light and semaphore is enormous. Written exchanges eliminate translation errors across language barriers and allow the information to be printed out for distribution and subsequent reference.
During the Indonesia phase of CARAT, a portable CENTRIXS system was installed aboard the Indonesian navy frigate KRI Karel Satsuitbun. The system consisted of a laptop computer, an Iridium satellite phone, and a small antenna mounted to a mast. Signals were transmitted via satellite and the Pacific Region Network Operations Center (PRNOC) and rebroadcast to the other CENTRIXS users, including U.S. Navy CARAT Task Group ships USS Tortuga (LSD 46), USS Crommelin (FFG 37) and USCGC Sherman (WHEC 720) during the Indonesia phase.
A larger system was installed ashore at the CARAT Indonesia headquarters site. This system consisted of a 250-pound rack-mounted electronics suite, two laptop computers, and a portable International Mobile Satellite Organization terminal to ensure connectivity.
Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Edward Tovar of CTF 73’s Navy Reserve Detachment 610 in San Antonio stood watch on the CENTRIXS system at the headquarters site in the Action Speed Tactical Training building at the Indonesian navy Eastern Fleet Command base in Surabaya. He said the system is robust and easy to operate.
“Just as long as we keep a constant ping, we know we’re up on the link,” Tovar said. “It’s pretty much like any instant messenger service, like Yahoo or MSN.”
The ability to directly communicate the positions and status of cooperative warships and initiate maneuvers allows exercise participants a high degree of situational awareness while increasing operational clarity and safety for all involved.
The system was used extensively throughout the five-day at-sea phase of CARAT Indonesia.
Lt. Col. Muhammad Ali, an Indonesian navy operations officer in the CARAT headquarters, said he was impressed with the capabilities of CENTRIXS.
“It’s very good. It’s real-time. It’s very quick to have reports from ship-to-shore and also shore-to-ship, and we can chat just like text messaging on a cell phone,” Ali said.
CARAT is an annual series of bilateral maritime training exercises between the United States and six Southeast Asia nations designed to build relationships and enhance the operational readiness of the participating forces. Indonesia is the third phase of the summer-long exercise series.
Previous phases of CARAT 2006 have taken place in Singapore and Thailand. The series will continue through August, with exercises in Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
For more on CARAT, visit www.clwp.navy.mil/carat2006.
For related news, visit the Commander Task Force 73 Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/clwp/.
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