Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve Tactical Units Cut Network Deployment and Dismantle Times, Enabling Faster Base Relocations with Command Post Wi-Fi
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company (NYSE: HPE), today announced
that the U.S. Army is implementing secure Command Post Wi-Fi from Aruba
at Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve Tactical Units worldwide.
Fielded as part of the Army’s Warfighter Information Network-Tactical
Increment 1 (WIN-T), the U.S. Army’s tactical communications network
backbone, the deployment of Aruba 802.11ac wireless infrastructures will
reduce the time it takes to install and dismantle critical
communications networks from hours to minutes, increasing force agility
by expediting the mobility of troops when needed.
During combat operations, Army forces must often move or “jump” base
locations to outmaneuver enemies or avoid attacks. By using wireless
networks rather than wired, command posts eliminate the time-intensive
process of deploying CAT 5 cabling and laying specialized flooring,
improving their ability to adapt as necessary to changing conditions.
With wireless, units are more mobile and can easily maneuver, as
circumstances require, while engaging in battle or aiding in disaster
relief situations.
As the Army has developed a variety of advanced battle systems to aid in
mission command and situational awareness, the number of applications
that connect to a unit’s network has risen and the unit’s reliance upon
the network has grown exponentially. Previously, with wired networks, it
took hours after arriving at a new location to get the network up and
running, leaving a unit without access to critical information systems
and therefore, vulnerable. With the new Aruba wireless solutions, a unit
can install and begin using its network within the first hour of
reaching a site. The new wireless networks also provide greater
configuration flexibility for command posts.
A key driver behind the U.S. Army’s selection of Aruba is that it
delivers NSA Suite B, also called Commercial Solutions for Classified, a
set of publicly available algorithms approved by the U.S. National
Security Agency (NSA). NSA Suite B serves as the cryptographic base for
unclassified and most classified information, bringing information
security to military Wi-Fi networks. Another reason for the U.S. Army’s
decision to deploy the Aruba Command Post Wi-Fi solution is that it
offers integrated WLAN, VPN, WIDS and firewall capabilities, as well as
scalability and flexibility across Windows and Android platforms. The
U.S. Army also appreciated the hands-on support from sales, systems
engineering, product line management, and engineering that Aruba
provides its customers.
The NSA-accredited unclassified and classified secure Command Post Wi-Fi
solution is being supplied to the Army as kits. Each kit will include
Aruba indoor and outdoor Gigabit Wi-Fi access points (APs), which
deliver high performance in high-density environments, 7000 Series Cloud
Services Controllers with RFProtect, Policy Enforcement Firewall and
Advanced Cryptography, and AirWave for network management. The kits have
been purchased through the CHS4 contract.
“Operational flexibility is critical to modern military practices,” said
Jon Green, Senior Director of Security Architecture for Aruba. “Aruba’s
Command Post Wi-Fi solution gives armed forces the maneuverability they
need, backed by the secure, robust network access they require, to
accomplish their missions and achieve their objectives.”
About Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, is a leading provider of
next-generation networking solutions for enterprises of all sizes
worldwide. The company delivers IT solutions that empower organizations
to serve the latest generation of mobile-savvy users who rely on
cloud-based business apps for every aspect of their work and personal
lives.
To learn more, visit Aruba at http://www.arubanetworks.com.
For real-time news updates follow Aruba on Twitter and Facebook,
and for the latest technical discussions on mobility and Aruba products
visit Airheads Social at http://community.arubanetworks.com.
©2016 Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, Aruba’s trademarks
include Aruba Networks®, Aruba The Mobile Edge Company® (stylized),
Aruba Mobility-Defined Networks™, Aruba Mobility Management System®,
People Move Networks Must Follow®, Mobile Edge Architecture®,
RFProtect®, Green Island®, ETips®, ClientMatch®, Virtual Intranet AccessTM,
ClearPass Access Management SystemsTM, Aruba
InstantTM, ArubaOSTM,
xSecTM, ServiceEdgeTM,
Aruba ClearPass Access Management SystemTM,
AirmeshTM, AirWaveTM,
Aruba CentralTM, and ARUBA@WORKTM.
All rights reserved. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
Pavel Radda, +1-408-419-0294
Senior Director of Corporate Communications
Pavel.radda@hpe.com
OR
LSH Communications for Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
Lori Hultin, +1-818-879-4651
Principal
Lori.hultin@hpe.com