Case Study: United States Air Force achieves secure, high-speed flightline access and centralized Wi-Fi with HPE Aruba Networking

United States Air Force Worldwide Network Takes to the Air

The United States Air Force needed reliable, secure wireless access on runways and flightlines so technicians and medical staff could retrieve critical technical and patient information across more than 100 bases. A prior multi‑vendor solution proved too costly and complex, and the Air Force required a streamlined platform that met stringent DoD security standards (including FIPS 140‑2), supported legacy gear, seamless roaming, centralized management, and a wide range of client devices.

The Air Force selected Aruba’s centralized mobility platform—Aruba 6000/800 controllers with AP61/65/70 (and AP60/AP70 for extended coverage)—using thin APs, GRE/IPsec tunnels and a FIPS‑validated client. This delivered centralized encryption, RF and user management, simpler remote deployments, lower total cost of ownership and secure, uninterrupted access on flightlines and in medical facilities, improving maintenance efficiency and patient care.

United States Air Force