The Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) is a Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) of the United States Army headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. It is one of four such commands under the Army Materiel Command (AMC). CECOM is the Army's provider and maintainer of command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C5ISR) equipment.
CECOM has approximately 13,000 military, civilian and contract personnel across six CECOM organizations:
CECOM specializes in communications-electronics systems and equipment, to include setting up headquarters and command and tactical operations centers in remote areas to installing and maintaining communications systems in vehicles and aircraft. CECOM also provides training activities, field support for modifications and upgrades, and logistical expertise. The C4ISR Materiel Enterprise is a subset of the Army's Materiel Enterprise; one of four Army Enterprises, which also include: Human Capital, Readiness, and Services and Infrastructure.
The history of the Communications-Electronics Command began in 1917, with the establishment of a Signal Corps training facility and radio research and development laboratory at Fort Monmouth, NJ. In 1929, the Signal Corps' Electrical Laboratory of Washington and the Signal Corps Research Laboratory of New York merged with the Radio Laboratories at Fort Monmouth to form the consolidated "Signal Corps Laboratories".
In 1949, the Signal Corps Center was established, consolidating many existing signal-related functions, including: the Signal Corps Engineering Laboratories, the Signal Corps Board, Signal School, Signal Corps Publications Agency, Signal Corps Intelligence Unit, Pigeon Breeding and Training Center, the Army portion of the Electro Standards Agency, and the Signal Corps troop units.
The forerunner of the Army Air Corps and the U.S. Air Force had its roots at Fort Monmouth. In 1928, the first radio-equipped meteorological balloon soared into the upper reaches of the atmosphere, a forerunner of a weather sounding technique universally used today. In 1938, the first U.S. aircraft detection radar was developed at the Signal Corps Center. In 1946, space communications was proven feasible when the Diana Radar was used to bounce electronic signals off the Moon.
In 1962, the Army disbanded the technical services and established the Electronics Command (ECOM) at Fort Monmouth. This CECOM predecessor was charged with managing signal research, development, and logistics support. As an element of the newly formed United States Army Materiel Command (AMC), ECOM encompassed the Signal Research and Development Laboratories, the Signal Materiel Support Agency, the Signal Supply Agency (including its various procurement offices), and other Signal Corps logistics support activities.
In January 1978, ECOM was fragmented, per the recommendation of the Army Materiel Acquisition Review Committee (AMARC). Three commands and one activity were formed: the Communications and Electronics Materiel Readiness Command (CERCOM), the Communications Research and Development Command (CORADCOM), the Electronics Research and Development Command (ERADCOM), and the Avionics Research and Development Activity (AVRADA).
Reassessment of the organization shift at Fort Monmouth, begun in August 1980, concluded that while the emphasis on research and development had increased for the better, there was also much duplication of effort. Thus AMC combined CERCOM and CORADCOM to form the new Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM), effective 1 May 1981.
On 1 October 1984, the Army established the U.S. Army Information Systems Command (ISC) to consolidate information management under a single command. The U.S. Army Computer Systems Command was transferred to the Information Systems Command as a major subordinate command. In July 1985, the Computer Systems Command was re-designated the U.S. Army Information Systems Engineering Command (ISEC).
The 1993 Base Realignment and Closure Commission mandated closing the Evans Area of Vint Hill Farms Station, Virginia, consequently relocating the CERDEC (Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center) to Fort Monmouth. Additionally, CECOM gained some missions and personnel from the Belvoir Research and Development Center (BRDC).
On 1 October 1996, the ISEC became a subordinate command under the Communications-Electronics Command.
The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission ordered the closure of Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. CECOM was to move to Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The CECOM flag was cased at Fort Monmouth on 10 September 2010, and the colors were uncased on 22 October 2010, representing CECOMâÂÂs official arrival at APG, occupying the newly completed C5ISR Center of Excellence.
Comprising six primary organizations, the "C5ISR Materiel Enterprise" has two organizations from the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC), one from U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), and three from the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, or ASA(ALT). The AMC organizations include: the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) and the Army Contracting Command-APG. The Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) oversees the DEVCOM C5ISR Center. Lastly, the ASA(ALT) provides three program executive offices (PEOs): the PEO Command, Control, Communications, and Network (PEO C3N); the PEO Enterprise, and the PEO Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEW&S).
The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), including CERDEC, transferred from Army Materiel Command to the new U.S. Army Futures Command (AFC) in 2019. Accordingly, RDECOM was renamed the Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC, later DEVCOM), and CERDEC was renamed the DEVCOM C5ISR Center. The U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command and the program executive officers (PEOs) are to coordinate with AFC and its cross-functional team (CFT)'s modernization efforts of materiel.
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