MARINE CORPS BASE TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. --
The Marine Corps has begun fielding a replacement to a decades-old communication system.
The Next Generation Troposcatter, or NGT, is a transportable, secure beyond-line-of-sight data transmission system capable of operation in a satellite communication (SATCOM)-denied or degraded environment. The NGT replaces the Tropospheric Scatter Microwave Radio Terminal, or AN/TRC-170, which has been in the field since the 1980s.
The NGT Program Office kicked off fielding and New Equipment Training (NET) at the Marine Corps Communication-Electronics School (MCCES) in Twentynine Palms, California this August. The NET included three weeks of training – the first two focusing on operators and the final week covering maintainer requirements. Participating Marines included trainers from the Air Control Training Squadron (ACTS) and Communication Training Battalion (CTB), who will train future Marines at MCCES on the system, as well as maintenance personnel from the MCCES Headquarters Company.
Marines in the operator NET were tasked with setting up the system’s antenna in under 30 minutes and ran drills throughout the week to get closer to that goal. “It seemed daunting at first,” said Cpl Beatty, CTB Delta Company Chief Maintainer. “It took us a little over an hour the first few times, and now we’re easily getting it under 30 minutes.”
The limited setup time is just one of the improvements over the AN/TRC-170. The NGT can communicate further per link than the legacy system, allowing for increased communication and less links (and less manpower) across a certain distance. The system also has a lower power requirement, cutting down on the pull from generators or the number of generators needed.
A key improvement of the system is its ability to operate on the X-band frequency range, which allows for use in the III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) area of operations and other locations outside the continental United States. The AN/TRC-170 is operable only on the C-band frequency range.
“Currently, the AN/TRC-170 cannot operate in Japan, so they have to go off-island to do that,” said Helen Jaques, NGT project officer and Terrestrial High-Capacity Communications (THC2) team lead. “The added capability of X-band enables them to train and operate in Japan.”
Transportability also factored into upgrades with the NGT. The new system comprises several kits that can be packed, stored, and transported more effectively than the AN/TRC-170.
“The AN/TRC-170 comes with a truck and trailer,” said Jaques. “The NGT is completely transportable on any type of vehicle, including the JLTV and Humvee.”
The Program Office will continue fielding to additional units and conducting NET through early 2026.
“I was a Marine for 26 years, and I’ve been [an equipment specialist] with communications for 18 years,” said Rose Boudreau, equipment specialist for NGT. “I really think it’s a very good system, and after the Marines get the NGT, they’re going to really enjoy it.”