US Army to Have Global Network Connectivity by 2024

The U.S. Army expects to have a secure unified network.

Lt. Gen. John Morrison, deputy chief of staff of the Army G-6, said during the AFCEA TechNet Augusta conference that the anticipated network will deliver connectivity wherever soldiers need them. Morrison, a previous Potomac Officers Club event speaker, also shared that soldiers will have global connectivity on the unclassified network by the end of the 2023 calendar year and global access to the secret network by the end of summer 2024.

Morrison said the network is currently deployed in the Pacific area of responsibility, DefenseScoop reported.

The deputy chief of staff’s announcement comes after another Army official said the service will focus on network operations centralization and network flexibility for the fiscal year 2024. According to Mark Kitz, Army program executive officer for command, control and communications-tactical, there are numerous opportunities within his office’s portfolio to deliver new capabilities to support flexible networking and data processing.

It also comes after the Army started considering consolidating cybersecurity and network service delivery tasks under the Army Cyber Command. The decision would transition the Army’s network infrastructure from a siloed, theater-centric model into a more efficient and secure one.