More Navy ships get Overmatch networking following Carl Vinson tests

SAN DIEGO — Project Overmatch networking capabilities have been upgraded and rolled out to an additional number of U.S. Navy ships following testing last year with the Carl Vinson carrier strike group, according to Rear Adm. Doug Small.

Project Overmatch represents the service’s contribution to the Department of Defense’s larger connect-everything-everywhere campaign known as Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or CJADC2. Details about the project have been scant since its inception in 2020, a move experts say is necessitated by Russian and Chinese monitoring.

Small, the leader of Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, on Feb. 14 told West conference attendees in San Diego that much was learned from the trials with the Carl Vinson, and that enhancements have since been made.

“It’s never something we’re done with. It’s a constant learning and a constant improving process,” Small said. “Not only have we fielded it, we’ve updated and re-fielded and delivered over-the-air capability based on what it is that sailors need.”

He didn’t specify what corners of the fleet are now imbued with the advanced networking and data handling associated with CJADC2.

Navy officials in the past have said Project Overmatch’s rollout would first concentrate on the Indo-Pacific — a vast region where the U.S. may butt heads with China — and then expand globally. Project Overmatch was also expected to play a role in the Large Scale Exercise 23, which featured 25,000 sailors and Marines as well as aircraft carriers, submarines, logistics support and simulated units.

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, speaking at the same event, said the service is seeking fleet-wide connectivity to support distributed maritime operations and “to achieve decision superiority and lethality at machine speed.”

Distributed maritime operations aims to scatter warships across larger distances and make them both harder to find and harder to target.

“Through Project Overmatch, we’re building a software-defined network solution and modern software pipelines to provide as many pathways as possible to connect and share information,” Franchetti said.

The Navy sought $192 million for Project Overmatch in fiscal 2024.