[Profile] Amandine, Work Package Manager for the operation to update Tactical Data Links (TDL 3.0) on the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle

Amandine

22 March 2023 Story

“The aircraft carrier, that’s my ship alright!”, sums up Amandine, Work Package Manager (WPM) for the operation to update Tactical Data Links (TDL 3.0) on the flagship of the French navy. She tells us about the job positions that prepared her for her current mission and the coordination and scheduling challenges that go with the territory.

Tactical Data Links (TDL), a field of expertise picked up progressively   

“I discovered Naval Group’s naval defence trades back when I was a subcontracted Project Leader in software development.  I joined the group in 2017 as a Software Designer-Developer for the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle (CDG). I developed software for equipment and environmental simulators used to test SENIT Combat Management Systems (CMS).   I was subsequently put in charge of the field of simulation followed by the field of Man-Machine Interface (MMI) until November 2021 when I took up my mission as WPM for the integration of the TDL component, which is already operational on multi-mission frigates (FREMM), into the CMS of the aircraft carrier.    Tactical Data Links (TDL) enable fleet carriers such as aircraft carriers, frigates and so on, to share tracks detected by their respective local sensors.”

Coordination at the heart of the project

“My mission, along with teams on the project, is to successfully integrate the TDL component already operational on multi-mission frigates (FREMM), on the aircraft carrier CDG. Since this involves replacing its current TDL by adding the L22 link into its CMS, I need to check the compatibility of this integration with the functional principles in place within the CMS.
Three other carriers, namely the Horizon frigates, La Fayette class frigates and amphibious helicopter carriers, will also be equipped with this product. I collaborate with other WPMs assigned to the same mission, with the product WPM as well as with the Technical Coordination Manager, who supervises the four implementation and integration schedules for the TDL component, which is already operational on multi-mission frigates (FREMM), and ensures that it is uniformly integrated on each of these ships.    The upstream engineering phase i.e. defining specifications for the CDG aircraft carrier was concluded last summer and implementation in terms of coding has begun.  

Orchestrating several activities

“My job also involves managing the budget, functional scope, workload plan and a team of 25 whose activities I orchestrate during weekly stand-up meetings.  My activities cover upstream and downstream engineering, software development, network configuration, equipment, purchase and tools. I collaborate with the Architect in the upstream phase, with the Integration Qualification and Validation Manager and his team, who draft and conduct tests, with the Software Technical Coordinator and Integrators, who develop software as well as with network configuration teams who also adapt certain tools to conduct tests on the platform.   I aim to follow this project from start to finish and in a few years’ time evolve to the position of Software Development Service Manager.”