Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military From: carlson@gateway (Bruce Carlson) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: What does a Comm center need? Message-ID: <1991Feb27.022225.22937@cbnews.att.com> Date: 27 Feb 91 02:22:25 GMT References: <1991Feb18.054110.11303@cbnews.att.com> <1991Feb22.232157.4167@cbnews.att.com> <1991Feb26.012058.5985@cbnews.att.com> Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker) Organization: The Mitre Corporation Lines: 59 Approved: military@att.att.com Full-Name: News Service From: carlson@gateway (Bruce Carlson) In article <1991Feb26.012058.5985@cbnews.att.com> bcstec!shuksan!major@uunet.UU.NET (Mike Schmitt) writes: >> From: efrethei@afit.af.mil (News System Account) >> MEDELMA@CMS.CC.WAYNE.EDU (Michael Edelman) writes: > >> >This brings up the question of what is needed for a command and control >> >center. > > The 'normal' brigade CP consists of about 4 M577 command tracks. > one each for intelligence, operations, fire support and engineer. > Each track carries a 'field desk' full of all the necessary SOPs, > and forms - radio instructions etc - all kinds of radios and spares, > antennas up the ying-yang - canvas, light sets, coffe pots, heaters, > cable, wire, and a generator to power it all. Inside this "Main CP" > also sit the Air Force ALO (Air Liaison Officer) talking to the fighter > pilots and/or forward air controller, the supporting combat aviation > company's liaison (called a 'battle captain') and numerous lieutenants > from subordinate/attached units acting as LNOs (liaison officers) > anxiously awaiting to courier orders/instructions to their own units. > > mike schmitt One other item the Brigade CP has is several touch-tone telephones, which gives them direct dial access throughout the division area and may give them connectivity to Corps or higher. The telephones are connected to automatic switchboards that are primitive by AT&T standards, but still work very well. The boards can have up to 90 lines (although at Brigade I think they only use a 30 or 60 line configuration). Local numbers are 3 digits and "long-distance" to division or to other brigades is 9xx-xxx. Division Signal publishes phonebooks and it is fairly easy to locate and call anyone else in the Division. The telephone traffic trunk lines are multiplexed with other circuits and tranmitted through a grid of interconnected multichannel VHF radio systems. All VHF circuits are bulk-encrypted and classified traffic can be discussed over the telephone. Brigades also usually have a facsimile system, which is used to send intelligence summaries, diagrams, or anything else you might think of. Each brigade also has a comm center that provide over-the-counter service for transmission by facsimile or radio-teletype and for delivery by courier. Infantry battalion CPs are supposed to have a line into the brigade automatic switchboard, but very few units run the line unless they know they are going to stay in place for a while. Battalions use single-channel VHF FM radios with encryption devices for most of their commo to Brigade and to their companies. Battalions may run wire to the companies in the defense, but in the offense it is usually too time consuming. The fire support officer at battalion is an artillery officer assigned to a unit in DIVARTY and tasked as direct support to a specific battalion. He talks up to DIVARTY and down to his FIST team chiefs that are with each company in the battalion. The FSO uses a different set of radio nets than the infantry/armor staff in the CP. Bruce Carlson carlson@gateway.mitre.org Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com