Summary
All branches of the U.S. Military have been developing a new approach to acquiring and implementing command and control (C2) solutions, sometimes referred to as Next Generation C2 (NGC2). NGC2 will focus on open and standard architectures, rapid iteration of requirements, industry collaboration, and competition, to create agile, and adaptive C2 through data-centric open architecture.
REDCOM has utilized these design principles for years with Sigma, a software and hardware suite built for interoperability, longevity, and agility.
Air Force Tactical Air Control Parties (TACPs) assist forward companies through kinetic strikes and strike cells. This involves a single operator being in near-constant contact with several companies simultaneously. By utilizing REDCOM’s Sigma C2 Console, and a digitalization system, analog radios can be accessed through a laptop, and the TACPs can organize and access radios into call groups, streamlining communications, and allowing TACPs to perform all their duties through a single device.
The Challenge
TACPs must be constantly connected to several units throughout a theater to provide support through kinetic strikes/strike cells. To do this, they need to receive accurate information and organically create strike cells at the same pace as the Army’s advancements. Further adding to the challenges, companies often have different communication devices, requiring complex and bulky setups for TACPs.
The Current Solution
The current solution is to have TACPs maintain a complex setup for each unit they support. This results in the Controllers managing several communication devices cluttering their workspace and requiring access to radio networks for manually processing PACE plans. This also requires Controllers to be the relay point between units, limiting how quickly information can be transferred.
The REDCOM Solution
Since Sigma is platform- and transport-agnostic, it can be easily implemented and provide efficient C2 management to existing systems without requiring upgrades or replacements. In this scenario, the TACPs had an existing digitalization system for their analog radios but did not have the means to organize and interact with them from a laptop. By installing the Sigma C2 console, TACPs were able to organize their respective units into call groups and contact them through a laptop.
Not only does the tactical controller have more space to work, but it also provides their units with point-to-point communication and a simplified process for swapping radio networks. With the digitalization system and the Sigma C2 Console, TACPs only need to interact with a single laptop, letting them focus on providing support to their units instead of managing complex radio networks. This provides both TACPs and their companies with manually processed auto-PACE-compliant parameters.
About REDCOM Sigma
Designed to support U.S. DoD modernization strategies, REDCOM Sigma is a complete software-based Command & Control solution with voice, video, chat, and conferencing. REDCOM Sigma® increases the warfighter’s operational flexibility while reducing size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements at the tactical edge. REDCOM Sigma is based on open standards with a focus on interoperability, flexibility, and ease of use, and is listed on the DoDIN Approved Products List (APL).
REDCOM Sigma Key Benefits
- Voice, video, chat, console, and radio interop in a single software instance
- Military-grade software built for the tactical edge
- One platform for controlling all IP and RF comms
- Interoperable, standards-based, and fully scalable
- Intuitive user interface is incredibly easy to use
- Reduces complexity, lifecycle costs, & training time
Sophisticated simplicity
As more technology gets pushed down to the tactical edge, there is a corresponding increase in complexity and risk. At REDCOM we prefer the sophisticated simplicity approach. This means our software is designed from the start to be intuitive and seamless, making it easy for warfighters to learn, memorize, and understand the software.
New users can be trained on Sigma in hours or days — not weeks. Not only does this drastically reduce training costs, but it also improves the tooth-to-tail ratio (T3R) by enabling the team on hand to confidently implement, operate, and maintain core C2 functions without the need for IT specialists or field service reps.
