Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Michael Montello | An operator begins the start up procedures for the Army Airborne Command and Control...... read more read more
Subscribe
by Col. A. Thomas Ball and Maj. Adam Lange
25th Combat Aviation Brigade Public Affairs
TIKRIT, Iraq-- Outside an isolated complex in northern Iraq, the early morning darkness erupts in a flurry of rotor blades, turbine engines and thick clouds of dust. An infantry company and their Iraqi army counterparts have begun offloading CH-47 Chinook helicopters and are moving swiftly to their target buildings. Two AH-64D Apache helicopters screen the objective in an outer cordon. Overhead, close air support (CAS) loiters with precision munitions at the ready while an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) circles providing full motion video (FMV) with its optics. Pre-planned artillery fires are also impacting in a nearby palm grove to deny the enemy an escape route. Over 60 kilometers away, the infantry tactical operating center tracks the battle, sifting through a flurry of FM reports and digital message traffic to maintain situational awareness. The battalion commander has placed himself in a better position to track the battle, resourcing and influencing the fight as necessary. Operating from an A2C2S helicopter in a nearby restricted operations zone (ROZ), he monitors every aspect of the mission – from the initial UAV feeds of the objective to the impact of the artillery on the flanks of his forces. He is tracking the execution checklist, watching the Blue Force Tracker (BFT) common operational picture, and is interacting with everyone necessary using a robust suite of beyond line of sight (BLOS) communications. When the company commander calls moments later with an unforeseen tactical problem, he is in the best possible position to make an informed decision and provide the necessary guidance. Problem solved, as the sun slowly appears on the horizon. Another day is dawning in the fight for security in Iraq...
This vignette describes the daily reality of the tactical fight in Iraq. It also serves as an example of how, even in a counter-insurgency, the concept of battle command on the move (BCOTM) remains relevant. Though many of these operations are conducted at company-level and below, they are inherently complex and distributed in space and time. This requires commanders to carefully consider where to position themselves during the execution of operations. Ground force commanders in Multi-National Division-North (MND-N) have found one asset particularly well-suited to their needs. The 25th Combat Aviation Brigade's (CAB) helicopter-mounted Army Airborne Command and Control System (A2C2S) is a unique battle command platform that allows for rapid movement across the expansive MND-N battlespace. Given the proliferation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the ability to conduct BCOTM in the third dimension is especially crucial in the contemporary operating environment (COE). Unimpeded by the dangers of the roads, commanders can rapidly and safely reposition as necessary on the battlefield with the situational understanding they would maintain in a TOC. (Illustration 1)
The purpose of the A2C2S is to provide a highly mobile airborne digital command post; one that allows a commander to combat control his subordinate units, coordinate with adjacent units and higher headquarters and rapidly respond in fluid combat situations. While designed for use at the brigade-level and above for swiftly moving maneuver fights, the nature of the counter-insurgency battle in Iraq has led to its effective adaptation and utilization at lower echelons as well. Its inherent flexibility, along with the capability to bypass the growing IED threat, makes the A2C2S the BCOTM platform of choice.
There are different versions of the system in the Army based on its initial fielding and spiral development. The 25th CAB employs the A2C2S version 1.0. In this version, the passenger compartment is configured to provide five interchangeable workstations as seen in the included illustration, two common large screen displays, and an advanced voice and data suite for communications. The system allows a commander to maintain situational awareness of his area of operation using selected Army Battle Command Systems (ABCS) such as (BFT), Maneuver Control Station (MCS), All Source Analysis System (ASAS), Air and Missile Defense Workstation (AMDWS), and the Advance Field Artillery Targeting Data System (AFATDS). Each workstation also allows for the use of Microsoft Office applications as well. For communications, it provides a secure INMARSAT Satellite Phone, SATCOM radio, HF Radio, and BFT messaging for BLOS communications. Tactical LOS radios include four Single-Channel Ground and Air Radio System (SINGARS) FM radios and two Multi-band VHF/UHF transceivers. Mated to a powerful amplifier, this communications package is superior to anything in the 25th CAB fleet. A recent improvement to the A2C2S is the addition of the ability to receive Level II UAS Feeds using the One System Remote Video Terminal (OSRVT). This critical upgrade allows the 25th CAB to continue to develop innovative ways for Commanders to link information from various manned and unmanned Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Targeting & Acquisition (RSTA) sensors to their armed rotary wing assets, CAS, Artillery, or ground forces in support of maneuver objectives. During recent successful Division-level offensive operations in the Diyala River Valley in Iraq, the 25th ID Deputy Commanding General for Operations (DCG-O) was able to monitor the progress of the ground forces nightly in restrictive terrain by watching UAV FMV Feeds from inside the A2C2S.
With so many sub-systems and radios in the aircraft, a critical component to the A2C2S is the master operator that serves as a fifth aircrew member on the UH-60L. The 25th CAB utilizes two 25U Signal Soldiers, one per aircraft. Specially trained in the operation of the system and in general aviation operations, they are vital to ensuring that the system is set up beforehand to accommodate the commander's needs. They also monitor and troubleshoot during mission execution as well. The master operator always sits at the fifth station, allowing for four passengers from the supported unit. While there are many ways to utilize the remaining four stations and the two common display screens, one recent example of how the 25th CAB has supported units in MND-N is demonstrated in Illustration 2. Each station can choose the particular program or system feed they want to run at their station and switch back and forth as required. (Illustration 3)
Inside of MND-N, the 25th CAB has successfully employed the A2C2S in support of echelons from battalion to division, though most of the tactical missions have been in support of operations at the battalion and below. Due to its digitized systems, robust communications, and the improved situational awareness provided en route, the A2C2S is often utilized by the Division Commander and the DCG-O during their battlefield circulations. By organizational design, there are only two A2C2S platforms in the 25th CAB, and these reside in the Command Aviation Company of the General Support Aviation Battalion. Because the demand for this capability runs so high, it is only allocated to units in conjunction with established division priorities.
The A2C2S provides an invaluable tool to maneuver commanders, allowing them to position themselves at the critical place and time during combat operations and to execute battle command functions even while moving across the country. The 25th CAB utilizes this critical asset almost every day in support of various missions in MND-N. Large areas of operation, increasingly lethal enemy IED tactics and the complexity of operations in the COE lend themselves to BCTOM with the helicopter-mounted A2C2S. As the Army looks for the right system to perform this vital battlefield function, future applications for the A2C2S become readily apparent.
| Date Taken: | 08.05.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 10.04.2007 09:28 |
| Story ID: | 12698 |
| Location: | TIKRIT, IQ |
| Web Views: | 941 |
| Downloads: | 300 |
This work, A2CS2 and the Relevance of Battle Command, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
