ARMY
CONSIDERING COMMAND AND
CONTROL TOOLS FOR DISASTER
RESPONSE
November
5, 2007
The Army National Guard is
testing systems meant to augment
command and control capabilities
during natural or man-made
disasters and increase the
service’s ability to execute
rapid mission changes, according
to a Guard General.
After Hurricane Katrina, all
disaster responders want to
get maximum efficiency from
their assets, Brig. Gen. Les
Eisner, assistant adjutant
general of the South Carolina
Army Air National Guard, told
Inside the Army Oct. 26. Small,
widely deployable command
and control tools that help
commanders track vehicles
and other resources are proving
themselves capable of streamlining
response efforts, Eisner said.
The capability being sought
allows commanders to communicate
with and to track their commodities,
personnel or equipment on
a graphically depicted map
that shows where assets are
moving within a particular
area of interest, he said.
For example, if a bridge is
out, or a new priority emerges,
then assets can be redirected
accordingly, Eisner explained.
This sort of technology “has
and is allowing us to track
assets better, and then as
things change -- and they
invariably do -- you can quickly
redirect assets to a more
needed area,” he said.
Some of the satellite-based
command and control devices
being explored include systems
from Outerlink and Comtech
Mobile Datacom Corp.
Outerlink’s system is a commercial
off-the-shelf solution that
entails antennae and receivers
for aircraft, as well as a
portable unit that can be
plugged into a truck’s cigarette
lighter and set up in minutes,
company President and CEO
Andrew Joseph told ITA last
month.
“Because it’s a nonclassified
commercial capability, you
can put it on civil or nonmilitary
vehicles and integrate them
into a military view very
quickly,” said Joseph. “They
can literally go give some
guy that has a bass boat that’s
going down a flooded street,
say ‘Here, turn this thing
on and we’ll tell you when
we need you to go somewhere,’
and he pops up on the map.”
A satellite-based system is
important because cellular-
or radio-based communication
devices can easily be knocked
out or overloaded during a
disaster, he said.
The Outerlink portable systems
cost around $10,000 and the
aircraft systems a little
over $15,000, Joseph said.
Comtech’s Movement Tracking
System is another variant
being tested, Eisner said;
it is also being used on some
of the South Carolina Guard’s
trucks as well as other Army
vehicles.
MTS includes a mobile unit
for vehicle mounting and a
control station configuration
for command center operations.
The system provides two-way
text messaging and position
reporting between mobile and
fixed assets -- messages are
transmitted via commercial
satellites in near real-time
and vehicle locations are
displayed on computer maps,
according to Comtech’s Web
site.
In June, federal, state and
local agencies -- under guidance
from the Army National Guard
-- participated in a simulated
disaster response that utilized
several command and control
technology solutions.
“Based on the outcome of the
testing and evaluation of
these different technologies,
there will be hopefully a
plan put forward to potentially
procure some of these systems,”
Eisner said.
The South Carolina Guard has
bought some of Outerlink’s
units for its helicopters
and is flying them in test
configurations, Joseph said.
Comtech has received a total
of $53 million in orders for
its MTS systems, according
to a statement the company
issued last month.
Meanwhile, the National Guard
Bureau and its chief, Lt.
Gen. Steven Blum, are exploring
how technologies like these
can leverage the Guard’s response
time, Eisner noted.
Several states, like Florida
and Virginia, are also “looking
at technologies that will
allow the adjutant generals
to support the governor and
keep track of their assets;
be able to change, redirect
assets,” he said.
Blue Force tracking proves
its worth every day in theater,
said Eisner. “Why don’t we
track command and control
vehicles, water trailers,
logistics support, all the
other stuff that has to go
with supporting the civilian
population in a natural or
man-made disaster?” -- Daniel
Wasserbly
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