The US Department of the Air Force has tested a Command and Control Enclave (C2E) prototype designed to give operators tactical control of collaborative combat aircraft (CCA).
Held by the Ohio Air National Guard’s 178th Wing at Springfield Air National Guard Base, the event brought together industry partners to demonstrate the system in ground operations.
During the evaluations, teams put the portable C2E through simulated austere conditions to validate its mobility and footprint, ensuring it can be rapidly deployed and operated worldwide.
Following the physical tests, vendors ran dynamic demonstrations to showcase their software’s responsiveness and seamless connectivity.
“The 178th Wing’s foundational support was key to the success of this phase, allowing our evaluators and industry partners to focus entirely on technical performance,” said Lt. Col. Gregory Bieler, materiel leader for CCA software, autonomy, and teaming.
“This successful collaboration establishes a strong foundation and opens the door for future integration and testing as we continue to mature the C2E and CCA program.”
Next Phase
This first evaluation sets the stage for selecting the C2E integrator, with the chosen system expected to support Agile Combat Employment operations at the Experimental Operations Unit.
Once fielded, the systems will connect directly with production aircraft, giving service members the tools to operate more effectively in contested environments.
“Getting prototypes into the hands of our… warfighters for a swift, combined evaluation is a direct embodiment of acquisition transformation,” said Col. Eric Reagan, director of the Agile Development Office.
“This partnership allows us to accelerate the fielding of the best-value capabilities to the Department of War.”
A second prototype phase will begin soon, where vendors will be tasked with refining and demonstrating their C2E cloud capabilities.
