Naval Information Warfare (NAVWAR) Systems Command has tested a technology made to equip the USS Gabrielle Giffords littoral combat ship with bolstered cybersecurity and backup connectivity. The Commercial Cellular as a Transport (CCaaT) test aims to demonstrate the ship's cyber readiness outside the continental U.S., the U.S. Navy said Wednesday.
CCaaT provides the Independence-variant ship connectivity via 4G LTE technology to establish an alternative connection in the event of satellite communications failure. The technology also allows technical personnel to remotely address issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The initial results from OCONUS testing are positive in showing how we can leverage commercial technology to get the fleet important cyber software updates quicker and more reliably,” said Nick Freije, technical director of NAVWAR's Fleet Readiness Directorate (FRD).
NAVWAR FRD is working with Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific to further implement CCaaT technology across piers where a higher bandwidth still isn't available.
