When the President and First Lady of the United States stepped aboard USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) to celebrate the Navy’s 250th Birthday during a high-profile Sea Power Demonstration, much of the world was watching. Behind the scenes, ensuring seamless and secure communications for the Commander-in-Chief and his team was a quiet but powerful capability: Flank Speed Wireless (FSW), formerly known as Sailor Edge Afloat and Ashore (SEA2), a capability led and delivered by Program Executive Office for Digital and Enterprise Services (PEO Digital).

Originally developed to provide Sailors with reliable wireless connectivity at sea, FSW proved to be more than a quality-of-life initiative, it became a mission-critical enabler. During the President’s visit and subsequent speech aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), FSW allowed the White House Communications Agency (WHCA) to integrate with shipboard technologies to maintain secure communications for the President, First Lady, White House Military Office, U.S. Secret Service, and senior Department of Defense leadership.

“This event proved that our investments in Sailor-focused digital infrastructure are also strategic assets,” Navy Enterprise Networks (NEN) Deputy Director, Capt. Frederick Crawford said. “Flank Speed Wireless was designed to serve Sailors, and it’s now proving itself mission-critical in high-stakes national operations.”
 

From MWR to Mission Enabler

FSW began as SEA2, an afloat connectivity initiative launched by PEO Digital as part of the “Get Real, Get Better” campaign. The aim: improve Sailor quality of life, especially during extended deployments, by providing secure, reliable internet access in shipboard environments.

This capability directly addressed persistent challenges related to Sailor isolation, morale, and mental health, and was shaped around the realities of life underway.

“This started as a pilot effort between our afloat Sailors and the engineering community,” said Capt. Kevin White, now Program Manager for PMW 770. “As the Combat Systems Officer aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, I worked closely with our engineers to design a wireless capability that could actually function in the complex environment of a carrier. We designed Flank Speed Wireless from the deckplates up, built by Sailors for Sailors. Together, we ensured not only the design, but also the security and authorization needed to scale it rapidly across the fleet. What began on a single carrier quickly became a Navy-wide capability through the World Class Alignment Metrics [WAM] initiative.”

“We created Flank Speed Wireless to reduce barriers for Sailors trying to stay connected to family and support networks while deployed,” said FSW Architect, Damon Regan. “It's a small capability with an outsized impact on mental resilience and readiness.”
With installations now underway across the fleet, FSW’s infrastructure is not only improving quality of life, it is enabling fleet-wide operations at the highest level.
 

Engineering the Presidential Visit

Supporting the President’s embark required close collaboration across the fleet. PEO Digital, together with shipboard IT teams and mission partners, ensured that secure and resilient communications capabilities were in place throughout the event.

In a dynamic and time-constrained environment, the Flank Speed Wireless team executed a series of critical readiness activities to confirm that all necessary systems were prepared and functioning ahead of the Presidential party’s arrival.

“This kind of real-time responsiveness is only possible because of the groundwork we laid with Flank Speed Wireless,” said FSW Product Owner, Brad Terry. “We didn’t build this just to check a box, we built it to meet real-world mission demands, and that’s exactly what it did.”

A Blueprint for Fleet Modernization

PEO Digital’s success with FSW reflects a broader approach to digital modernization, one that starts with Sailors, scales for operations, and adapts to strategic demand.

“The Flank Speed Wireless story shows what happens when we focus on real user needs and deliver with urgency,” Program Executive Officer Louis Koplin said. “That’s what Get Real, Get Better is about, and it’s what digital modernization across the Navy must be.”

Whether enabling a Sailor to video call home or supporting secure comms for the Commander-in-Chief, PEO Digital’s Flank Speed Wireless stands as a powerful example of what agile, user-centered delivery can achieve for the Navy.

About PEO Digital

The Program Executive Office for Digital and Enterprise Services (PEO Digital) delivers services throughout the Department of the Navy that improve performance, security, mobility, and customer experience. PEO Digital embraces business agility to ensure quality, accelerate innovation, continuously deliver value, and meet the dynamic needs of the warfighter.

Our mission is to provide the Marine Corps and Navy with a decisive information advantage through a modern, innovative, and secure digital experience - any data, any time, anywhere.

Our vision is to deliver a world-class digital experience at the speed of mission.

Learn more at:

www.peodigital.navy.mil
https://www.linkedin.com/company/donpeodigital
https://twitter.com/donpeodigital