Curtiss-Wright Demonstrates Tactical Networking & Command Capabilities During Exercise Scarlet Dragon

Curtiss-Wright recently demonstrated the Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (C-UAS) capabilities of its PacStar Modular Radio Center during the U.S. Army’s Exercise Scarlet Dragon.

Held from September 11-17, the scenario-based exercise conducted by the XVIII Airborne Corps focused on countering UAS threats ranging from single drones to swarms. Dozens of defense industry vendors were invited to showcase technologies spanning sensors, drones, and communication hardware and software as the Army seeks new capabilities to detect, track, and defeat aerial threats.

In C-UAS missions, the speed of data collection, processing, and routing is vital for enabling rapid decision-making and assigning countermeasures. Configured as a Unified Tactical Interface, the PacStar MRC provided route, switch, compute, and transport capabilities to aggregate and disseminate data from company to brigade levels, establishing a clear common operating picture.

Throughout the exercise scenarios, the system networked with more than 45 other vendor technologies. It received sensor data, relayed it to partner systems for processing, and translated the relevant data into a unified threat picture federated across company, battalion, and brigade levels.

Jimmy Wagner, Senior Systems Architect, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions, said, “Supporting XVIII Airborne Corps during Exercise Scarlet Dragon provided an opportunity to demonstrate how an integrated, resilient network can enable the C-UAS mission at the tactical edge. By connecting geographically dispersed sensors, systems, and operators, we were able to move critical information across the network and provide the connectivity needed to support timely decision-making. The success of the exercise demonstrated that it’s not about any single technology; it’s about bringing multiple capabilities together into a tailorable, scalable solution that supports the warfighter and their mission.”

The PacStar MRC functions as a COTS modular, expeditionary, and rugged radio, voice, and IP-integrated solution. Designed to integrate military and civilian radios into compact, rugged chassis suitable for vehicle-mounted, soldier-carry, or fly-away applications, its modular architecture supports custom mix-and-match configurations combining server, router, switch, and radio modules.

To ensure consistent battlefield connectivity during the exercise, the MRC deployment incorporated several Curtiss-Wright PacStar 400-Series products:

• PacStar 424 Tactical 5G Gateway Router: Integrates 5G, Wi-Fi, and SATCOM routing capabilities for high-speed connectivity to intelligence feeds and command updates.
• PacStar 453 GPU-Accelerated Server Module: Designed for high-performance computation in remote or distributed environments.
• PacStar 451 Server Module: Provides in-theater computing for forward operating bases, executive communications, and vehicle mounts.
• PacStar 446 26-Port GigE Cisco Switch Module: Handles ground and airborne networking across C4ISR, cybersecurity, IoT, and sensor applications.
• PacStar 467 Tactical Radio Gateway: Delivers cross-domain interoperability across various radio manufacturers, allowing operators to manage devices via drag-and-drop interfaces.
• PacStar 400-Series Smart Chassis & Radio Chassis: Accommodate up to four or five modules or radios each, operating standalone or inside SAVE-compatible and rack-mount frames for vehicle, transit case, or fixed installations.

Housed within a ruggedized chassis measuring 9”x21”x14” and weighing approximately 65 lbs, the modular configuration essentially acts as a field-deployable tactical data center. During the exercise, it also demonstrated interoperability with external industry hardware, seamlessly integrating Persistent Systems’ Wave Relay MPU5 MANET radio, a key piece of communications technology currently utilized across Army command and control infrastructure.

While Exercise Scarlet Dragon evaluated technology specifically for C-UAS operations, the architecture on display directly aligns with the Army’s Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) initiatives. Designed to replace legacy, function-isolated C2 systems with unified data across all operational domains, NGC2 aims to accelerate decision cycles, allow all echelons to run modern warfighting applications and artificial intelligence, and maintain resilient communications over vast distances.