{"id":28270,"date":"2022-07-25T19:11:30","date_gmt":"2022-07-25T19:11:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2022\/07\/25\/us-army-tests-aerial-tier-communications-in-jersey-devils-stomping-ground\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:05:16","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:05:16","slug":"us-army-tests-aerial-tier-communications-in-jersey-devils-stomping-ground","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/land\/2022\/07\/25\/us-army-tests-aerial-tier-communications-in-jersey-devils-stomping-ground\/","title":{"rendered":"US Army tests aerial tier communications in Jersey Devil\u2019s stomping ground"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The Jersey Devil, a legendary creature believed by some to inhabit the remote Pine Barrens in southern New Jersey, is said to communicate using a high-pitched, blood-curdling scream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This summer, scientists and engineers descended on the area, not to hunt for the mythical beast, but to experiment with communication technologies meant to reinforce U.S. Army capabilities in difficult terrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Officials said weeks of testing at the fourth annual Network Modernization Experiment<\/a>, or NetModX, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst brought the service\u2019s aerial tier network one step closer to reality, where it could be used to bounce battlefield information across valleys, neighborhoods and other isolated areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe really saw how the aerial tier could extend our network, but we wanted to do some further evaluations,\u201d Army Brig. Gen. Jeth Rey, director of the Network Cross-Functional Team, told reporters July 21. \u201cNetModX and EDGE were really able to help us in that, and now we\u2019re going to introduce it back into Project Convergence 22, which will allow us to potentially take it further and get it into the hands of our soldiers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aerial tier networking \u2014 one of dozens of focuses at the experiment \u2014 ensures connectivity by using airborne assets such as drones to overcome large, signal-impeding obstacles including mountains and buildings. Unlike satellites, which take time to arrange<\/a> and can be jammed or destroyed, aerial tier gear can be deployed quickly overhead when and where soldiers need it, providing a critical link to friendly forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Army is investing in the aerial tier network as the U.S. postures itself for larger-scale fights with world powers, the sort of conflicts that spread troops out and demand rapid information sharing. To that end, the Army has identified network modernization as one of six pressing priorities; others include long-range precision fires, air-and-missile defense and next-generation combat vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The location of NetModX, amid countless trees and other challenging landscapes<\/a>, provided real-world conditions that the research community and industry leveraged. Realistic data and insights, officials said, are paramount to developing technologies best suited for a future fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\t