Project Location:

Bagram Airfield (BAF), Afghanistan

Client:

Defense Communications Systems – Southwest Asia (DCS-SWA)

Client Needs and Requirements:

Bagram Airfield (BAF) is the largest U.S. Military base in Afghanistan, and the existing communications infrastructure at the base was sparse and was not meeting the needs of this critical facility. With plans for the base becoming more permanent, USACE needed the infrastructure to be redesigned and built to provide the high level of communications needed to operate more efficiently and securely. ISI was tasked in a series of communications infrastructure projects to install and commission a three network fiber optic ring and secure copper phone network that connected the entire base and all critical facilities and structures to this new backbone.

Challenges and ISI’s Response:

BAF is a very active base, and it was critical to minimize disruptions to operations during these installations.  The project required extensive excavation, road closures, and traffic detours, which were managed by ISI in coordination with appropriate personnel at the base.

In addition, many of the facilities that were being connected to this new network were highly sensitive and required extensive coordination to install and connect the new fiber optic systems into these facilities.

The Results:

ISI worked closely with the Commanding Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) to coordinate road closures, frequently working throughout the night and ligher traffic hours on critical road crossings to minimize the impact.

This project was a great success for both ISI and DCS-SWA.  The entire project took approximately 39 months and finished 3 months ahead of schedule.

The Details: