Page 8 - Aerotech News and Review 9-18-15

Defense News

Global cess the mission command capabilities, such as
Command Post of the Future, and secure reliable
voice, video and data communications provided

Response by the Army’s common tactical communications
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world with little to no notice and they need as
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forces had previously been without robust com-

successfully munications or had little bandwidth to support
mission command applications during flights
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employs “EMC2 enables mission command for the
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situational awareness and informed decision
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post’ initial operational capabilities of EMC2 in May Army photograph
and served as the EMC2 operational unit for
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members supported the JFE exercise, conducted Enroute Mission Command Capability during the Joint Forcible Entry exercise at the National
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Mission Command Capability, or EMC2, during
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Dragon Spear, a Joint Forcible Entry, or JFE, WKHWK5DQJHU5HJLPHQWUG%DWWDOLRQWK RULQWKHDLU´+HQGHUVRQVDLG³1RZWKH\FDQ
PRYHWRFRQWDFWZHOOSUHSDUHGWR¿JKWRQDU- more diverse sources of critical information,
exercise involving a parachute assault by the 2nd Special Forces Group (Airborne); and the Air ULYDO´ ZKLFKWKH\FDQV\QWKHVL]HLQWRWKHNQRZOHGJH
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During the JFE event, EMC2 assets success- that they need to make the best decisions pos-
and the Assault Command Post of the XVII Air- Special and conventional forces teamed VLEOH/DTXHWVDLG
ERUQH&RUSV fully provided live, unmanned ariel vehicle, or
8$9IRRWDJHRIWKHREMHFWLYHVRYHUODUJH/(' During the JFE exercise, the GRF used EMC2
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screens located throughout the plane, to the para- to reach back and maintain active communica-
and establish a lodgment to prepare for the on- surgents, terrorists, criminal elements and con- WURRSHUVHQURXWH7H[WEDVHGPHVVDJHVDERYH WLRQEHWZHHQKLJKHUKHDGTXDUWHUVWKHGURS]RQH
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the screens gave updates on the weather, enemy,
command post,” provided mission command and situational awareness needed to help defeat these DQG³WLPHRQWDUJHW´ the airborne commander was able to commu-
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secure voice, video and data communications to 7KLVLQIRUPDWLRQZDVDEOHWREHSXVKHGRXWWR nicate with the Air Force commander and stay
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commanders and Soldiers en route to the drop SRVW´EHFDXVHLWLVMXVWWKDW7KHV\VWHP¶VVXLWH other aircraft that didn’t possess EMC2’s Fixed informed about events such as a plane not tak-
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Installed Satellite Antenna, further expanding ing off or paratroopers that didn’t make it out of
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ness and collaborate with their higher headquar- command and communications capabilities they
WHUVDQGMRLQWSDUWQHUV>ZKLOHLQÀLJKW@DOOWKH tionary) platoon leader, who oversees the opera- the airborne commander continuously in contact
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*;9,,,$LUERUQH&RUSV $UP\¶V(0&SURJUDP ability to quickly gather and diffuse knowledge Additionally, since airborne commanders can
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%\OHYHUDJLQJWHFKQRORJLHVVLPLODUWRWKRVH %HFDXVH RI WKH LQFUHDVHG EDQGZLGWK WKH now plan, prepare and brief missions while en
time can now become prep time, allowing lead-
used by today’s commercial airlines to provide system provides, GRF commanders can now route, they can deploy sooner than before by
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tap into mission command applications and XQWLOWKH\H[LWWKHGRRU´/DTXHWVDLG DLU 3HWHUVRQ VDLG ,QFUHDVLQJ WKH H[SHGLWLRQ-
al Response Force, or GRF, of the XVIII Air- XWLOL]HVHUYLFHVVXFKDVVHFXUHYRLFHRYHULQ-
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ternet protocol, also known as SVOIP, phone
enabled Soldiers to connect with tactical services as it regionally aligns its force to prepare for

such as chat and network portals to increase the unexpected multiple contingencies in today’s
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situational awareness of leaders across the corps,
“Having that much more time and information
regardless of where they were physically located
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EMC2 extended this capability to other aircraft 'UDJRQ6SHDUWKHQGVKRZHGWKDWWKH\ZHUH
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ready to win, and we demonstrated the variety of
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tion between leaders in the air, which led to the Army photograph by Amy Walker

Soldiers being better prepared to accomplish Airborne soldiers can
communicate with other
aircraft through data
and voice radios that
are part of the Enroute
Mission Command
Capability.

Army photograph

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Enroute Mission Command Capability during the Joint Forcible Entry exercise at the National
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8 Aerotech News and Review September 18, 2015

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