The New Digital Kill Chain

Understanding ITN Capabilities and Benefits to the FA Enterprise

By MAJ Matthew Huff and CPT Christopher Drew

Article published on: November 1, 2025 in Field Artillery 2025 E-edition

Read Time: < 14 mins

Introduction

On a cold February night in the desert, a few fire supporters conducted a final last check on their radios before crossing over the berm. The year was 1991 and only one battalion out of the hundreds of thousands of Soldiers and Marines assembled for Operation Desert Storm had been issued new radios for the occasion.¹ Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS), designed to synchronize and integrate communications across the spectrum during the height of AirLand Battle, has left an incredible impression on the Army through over 30 years of conflict. The two main benefits of SINCGARS were its impressive encryption capabilities and the fact it supported up to 16 kilobytes of data traffic—unprecedented for the time.² This new capability, along with hundreds of others fielded during the 1980s and 1990s, was a significant factor in the rapid defeat of the Iraqi Army. While shooting and communicating will remain a central pillar in war for the foreseeable future, this dynamic has changed drastically in recent years. In an era of increasing digital competition, the requirements for encryption have increased exponentially alongside the amount of data sent between a growing number of command nodes. With that in mind, the beloved RT-1523 (ASIP) series of radios and entire communication ground communications architecture of relying on SINCGARS is being transformed.³ To win the next war, the entire Field Artillery Enterprise must once again check our radios and master the system of the future: the Integrated Tactical Network (ITN).

Capabilities and Equipment

Managed by the Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T), ITN is defined as “a simplified, independent, mobile network solution that is available down to the small-unit dismounted leader to facilitate mission command, situational awareness and air-to-ground integration.”⁴ Two key aspects differentiate ITN for brigade and below digital communications from its SINCGARS-based predecessor. First, software-defined tactical radios with dual-channel capabilities enable leaders to use multiple waveforms simultaneously with continually upgraded encryption. Second, using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) waveforms and components enable Soldiers to conduct both Line of Sight (LOS) and Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) fire missions in multiple unique ways. Instead of issuing a one-size-fits-all communications package, ITN gives commanders a variety of options to access lower and upper tiers of communication depending on the situation. Between the 82^nd Airborne Division’s rapid response to COVID-19 and activations due to unrest in Iraq, the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the Russian-Ukrainian War, it became clearer than ever—units need flexible communication options in response to operating in unique and austere conditions.⁵

Unlike a typical fielding period where all brigade combat teams (BCTs) would ultimately acquire similar equipment and capabilities, the Army decided to rapidly issue ITN equipment over the course of a decade in two-year capability set (CS) increments to assess the effectiveness and update the fielding packages. Beginning in 2021, the Army fielded ITN to four Infantry BCTs and three Expeditionary Signal Battalions. CS21 includes radios which allow users to have access to traditional SINCGARS, High Frequency (HF), Warrior Robust Enhanced Network (WREN) Tactical Scalable MANET (TSM), Mobile User Objective System (MUOS-SATCOM) and much more.

The 3^rd Brigade, 82^nd Airborne Division (3/82) fielded equipment included AN/PRC-163 and AN/PRC-168 leader radios alongside larger AN/PRC-162 radios. The AN/PRC-163 is a handheld leader radio that connects SINCGARS and TSM waveforms to transmit voice and data across networks. The AN/PRC-162 is a two channel manpack radio that is capable of SINCGARS, TSM and MUOS waveforms to transmit voice and data across networks. While SINCGARS allows for traditional LOS communications with voice and data transmission, TSM and the use of the Tactical Radio Integration Kit (TRIK), helps create a BLOS bubble where communications can extend indefinitely. Lastly, MUOS is the next generation satellite communications that allows users to send voice and data transmissions to almost anywhere in the world. The multitude of wavelengths allow organizations to create and modify a communications plan based on the specific mission variables applicable to the task at hand. However, for Field Artillery units to create a plan, they must understand the capabilities and how to successfully operate each system.

As the direct support (DS) Field Artillery battalion (FA BN) for 3/82 ABN, 1^st Battalion, 319^th Airborne Field Artillery Regiment (1-319^th AFAR) began the process of using ITN by analyzing how the newly-field fires equipment would nest within the brigade’s CS21 fielding. In addition to the equipment above, forward observers were now outfitted with Precision Fires-Dismounted (PF-D)—fires software loaded on a Galaxy S-20 end user device (EUD)—and AN/PRC-163 radios to send digital fire missions, geometries, videos, pictures and messages to the Battalion Fire Support Elements (BN FSEs) over the SINCGARS or TSM waveform. The BN FSE, which is the center of gravity for digital fires, use SRNC-4G laptops with Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) software or a Dell Latitude 5414—a substitute AFATDS explained later in this article—with AFATDS software to connect with a AN/PRC-162 radio to control fire mission processing, disseminate products and for mission planning. The AN/PRC-162 radio gives the organization the flexibility to control two networks simultaneously, have BLOS capability and transmit data packages much faster than SINCGARS. With these capabilities, 1-319^th AFAR approached the process of designing a new kill chain.

The New Digital Kill Chain

1-319^th AFAR spent the last two years integrating these new systems and experimenting to develop tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs)—as there is no current doctrine for digital fires using ITN. After training and testing through countless home station training events and a Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) rotation, the battalion generated a way of successfully conducting digital fires (See Figure 1). The focus for the digital kill chain starts at the BN FSE. Below that, platoon forward observers (PLT FO) and company fire support team (FiST) echelons. The observer should pass the call for fire in any means necessary and available with the goal of being fully digital but acknowledging this is not always feasible. This is due to both the network architecture as well as equipment limitations with the current fielding. Regardless of the situation, the digital kill chain must begin at the BN FSE. From that point through to the shooter, each echelon deals in data messages transmitted via AFATDS. The battalion had great success displaying this methodology at JRTC rotation 23-07.⁶ Fire mission transmissions over a TSM network were four times faster than traditional digital fires over SINCGARS FM. When seconds count for both the maneuver elements on the ground and in the electromagnetic spectrum for potential detection, this is a significant advantage. But beyond simply making fire missions faster, ITN bolsters additional capabilities for the DS FA BN and the BCT.

Expanded Benefits to the FA Community

ITN adds capability and capacity for the battalion via weight reduction, access to echelon above brigade (EAB) artillery assets, adaptability to a specific environment and increasing integration of mortars into the Fires enterprise. Weight of equipment and power requirements are always a planning consideration for operations, especially for a light Infantry division. CS21 enables users to carry less overall weight by having multi-function radios. The AN/PRC-163 is a dual band radio that enables the user to talk SINCGARS and TSM both voice and digital through the PF-D and EUD. The AN/PRC-162 has all those features in addition to offering BLOS capability through the MUOS constellation. Having these radios reduces the number of radios end users are required to carry. Additionally for the FA community, AFATDS computers are a consideration as the MILTOPE computers traditionally used are heavy and bulky—again not always great for a battalion in direct support to light Infantry.1-319^th AFAR found a solution in using a live-fire certified alternative computer. The Dell 5414 laptop offers a lightweight, semi-ruggedized computer that is nearly three times less weight than the MILTOPE variants, offers significantly longer battery life and is easy to replace due to the reduced cost of the computer. The battalion acquired enough to equip each fire direction center (FDC) and BN FSE with one by searching across the BCT for unused systems. While the Army is looking towards the next generation of AFATDS computer, this offers an interim solution that adds redundancy and capacity to the enterprise. ITN added new capabilities to the battalion beyond just adding capacity for the AFATDS systems and lightening the load for Paratroopers.

In addition to a weight and power reduction, ITN offers access to assets not seen before in the direct support FA BNs. With the added capabilities in CS21 of the MUOS waveform and the TRIK boxes—which offers an encryption and waveform translation feature, the BN can now talk to EAB fires assets. In large scale ground combat—where the Army is now focused—command and support relationships may change often to appropriately weight the changing main efforts. These capabilities allow units to change relationships rapidly because they will not be limited by encryption or types of radios that are fielded across the Army. 1-319^th experimented with this concept by establishing communications with both 18^th Field Artillery Brigade (FAB) as well as a non-organic division headquarters while supporting the Project Convergence Capstone Four experiment. In addition to accessing EAB assets, ITN has integrated the brigade’s fire support systems to levels never seen before. The fires enterprise internal to the brigade—fire supporters, the FA BN and mortars—can now seamlessly talk and pass digital missions. 1-319^th AFAR executes full digital missions internal to the battalion regularly, but in the past six months, it has also executed two fully digital live fire exercises with mortar platoons from different maneuver battalions (See picture below.) While the mortar systems currently rely on the mortar fire control systems, a somewhat antiquated system, for digital fire missions, the future replacement is an application on the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) system. This addition will streamline digital missions for mortar integration. Digital connectivity adds not only speed to executing fire missions but offers increased accuracy by enabling the FA BN to push meteorological updates to the mortars, something that is often overlooked by mortar platoons.

Finally, and perhaps the most important, is that ITN enables units to adapt properly to the environment within which they operate. The suite of capabilities that are fielded with ITN, CS21 for 1-319^th AFAR, offer the ability to create a true PACE plan for its communication architecture. Unlike with legacy systems where the PACE plan included different methods of the same transport method, (i.e. FM frequency hopping and single channel plain text) ITN offers completely different modes, such as TSM, SINCGARS, LTE services and MUOS. Furthermore, it offers an opportunity for units to conduct a deliberate mission analysis and adapt their PACE plan to environment based on both mission variables and operational variables to better protect its own forces and operate securely to shorten the kill chain. For example, if the unit is operating in a desert spread out over large distances, then perhaps SINCGARS or MUOS will best support the operation. If operating within an urban landscape where cell services are abundant, though, then perhaps LTE services will mask signals best. This ability to adapt architectures to the environment is leaps ahead of legacy systems. However, if organizations want to use ITN to its full extent, then they must learn the systems and put it into practice regularly.

As mentioned in the intro to this article, the contemporary operating environment is complex and the need to use digital fires is pervasive.⁷ Units must incorporate new systems into its operating procedures, but to do so requires a few changes in perspective and approach to training and manning. First, the radio has fundamentally changed from legacy systems. The radios fielded today are more computer, network based than a traditional radio. This change in perspective offers insights on how to operate and employ the ITN systems. Communication specialists must fight to be multi-functional experts, understanding both radio and antenna theory but also networking. Moreover, operators must work hand in hand with communications personnel to share feedback and to build a knowledge base for troubleshooting issues. Not long-ago Artillerymen were known as communications experts and often outpaced their Radio Telephone Operator (RTO) counterparts at the platoon and company echelons. This must be a truth again; fire supporters and fire direction personnel must be masters of their communication systems. Because of this required expertise, talent management demands organizations to look at their manning guidance. Too often in the past, units have prioritized putting the best personnel in lower echelon organizations internal to the company FiSTs, often at the degradation of BN and BDE FSEs. While units ought not leave company FiSTs unmanned or ill equipped, ensuring talent in communications expertise must be prioritized at the BN and BDE FSEs. This will ensure digital systems are operational and enables those experts to teach subordinate echelons. 1-319^th manned within this guidance over the past year and saw marked improvement in digital communications throughout the organization with little to no degradation of capabilities at the company level. Finally, units must have leader emphasis on digital communications. If leaders fold too quickly and fall back to legacy systems or easy transport methods like SINCGARS voice, then the organization will never advance its capabilities and use the ITN to its full potential.

Conclusion

The changing operating environment requires the Army to adapt and develop new capabilities to ensure success in the next conflict. The Army’s ITN is the current answer, but it is still in testing and fielding through a bottom-up user approach. 1-319^th AFAR focused on using ITN over the past 20 months and developed both tremendous capability and TTPs for application as well as captured successes and failures for future iterations of capability sets and any future fielding to other units. The digital kill chain that 1-319^th uses today is leaps and bounds ahead of where it was two years ago and continues to stand at the cutting edge of digital fires. Through leader emphasis and change in perspectives, a unit can achieve success and gain advantages such as access to EAB assets, integrated fires architecture inside the brigade and improved survivability in the electromagnetic spectrum. Field Artillery has been and will continue to be the King of Battle but only if it continues to adapt, experiment and share lessons learned across the community.

Notes

1. Withington, Thomas. “Life in the Old SINCGARS Waveform Yet!” Defense and Security Monitor, 17 May 2022, dsm.forecastinternational.com/2022/05/17/life-in-the-old-waveform-yet/.

2. Ibid.

3. Munoz, Carlo. “US Army Seeks ‘graceful Migration’ from Sincgars.” Janes.Com, Jane’s Find unrivaled intelligence, consultancy and advertising solutions to the defense and national security sectors., 25 Jan. 2021, www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/us-army-seeks-graceful-migration-from-sincgars.

4. U.S. Army. “Integrated Tactical Network.” PEO C3T, peoc3t.army.mil/Organizations/PM-Tactical-Radios/Integrated-Tactical-Network/. Accessed 11 Mar. 2024.

5. Ibid.

6 Joint Readiness Training Center. Operations Group, Ft. Polk, LA, 2023, JRTC Rotation 23-07 AAR V2.

7. Amerson, Kimberly, and Spencer Meredith. “The Future Operating Environment 2050: Chaos, Complexity and Competition.” The Future Operating Environment 2050: Chaos, Complexity and Competition | Small Wars Journal, 31 July 2016, smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/the-future-operating-environment-2050-chaos-complexity-and-competition.