CITS installation to begin at Grand Forks AFB

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Joseph Kapinos
  • 319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  The Combat Information Transport System team, along with communication Warriors of the North, have completed site surveys and systems reviews and are now ready to begin formal installation plans as briefed to wing leaders May 19.

Under local management of the 319th Communications Squadron, the CITS program office and General Dynamics, the primary contractor, will begin the installation of the new network in June.

Over the next several months, the team will install new fiber-optic cables and switching equipment to upgrade the existing network to state-of-the-art for 96 core facilities on base. Another 30 areas will be upgraded for higher priority buildings.

According to Lt. Col. Sam Bass, 319th CS commander, the upgrade won't provide base users with any noticeable increase in capabilities, but will prepare the wing and the base for new missions.

"As our warfighters' needs continue to evolve, the tasks they perform on their computers and on the network require more and more data and information to be moved around," said Colonel Bass. "It is always important to upgrade your capabilities and be ready for the challenges the future holds, especially with the new Global Hawk mission."

The new $3.8 million system will provide Airmen on the base with a high-speed network for the distribution of voice, video, data, imagery and multimedia information. It will be more robust and reliable and will continue the transition from primarily copper cable networks to fiber optic cable, which was started by the Air Force several years ago.

Completing the transition and upgrade now comes at a perfect time for the base, according to Colonel Bass.

"When this is completed, we will have ten times the capability we have today," said Colonel Bass. "And that will be needed when we begin supporting Global Hawk missions, because no weapon system places a demand on the network like that mission does, except for maybe satellite support. With imagery and video streaming across the network, the demands are high and we need a network now to handle the mission then."

The system will also give the base more built-in redundancy, which it didn't have before.
"Simply stated, this is just the next step in upgrading what we already had," said Tech. Sgt. Reed Honsey, 319th CS and base project manager. "This system will automatically reroute the signal very easily, so if a line is cut or broken, the mission can continue. In the past, we could lose several buildings, now we will lose very few if any."

"This upgrade will not protect every building on base, but like a bullet-proof vest, it protects the critical parts necessary for the network to survive," added Sergeant Honsey.

During the installation, contractors will install manholes, cable ducts, cables and network switching equipment. It will also include digging trenches and installing equipment in selected buildings. Every effort will be taken to limit the impact to base personnel according to Sergeant Honsey.

While measures will be taken to minimize disruptions, some personnel may be temporarily affected by this new upgrade to the base network. For more information regarding this effort, call Tech. Sgt. Honsey at (701)747-3273.