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U.S. Army Improving Mobile Command Posts

A new effort aims to improve combat command center mobility and survivability.

The U.S. Army has kicked off a new effort to modernize expeditionary command posts. Credit: U.S. Army

The U.S. Army intends to improve expeditionary command-post capabilities by providing mobile, scalable and survivable platforms, the service announced. The Army recently authorized the implementation of the Command Post Integrated Infrastructure, or CPI2, effort in December to address mobility issues and to ensure communications hardware and mission-command application integration across platforms.

The Army has established several technological goals, which include:

• Leveraging secure wireless technology for rapid connectivity.

• Improving mobility.

• Employing intelligent power systems and microgrids to decrease sustainment demands and reduce noise signature.

• Enabling scalability to integrate into a larger command post infrastructure.

• Reducing physical and electronic footprint to improve survivability by maintaining cover and concealment.

• Ensuring low probability of detection and targeting resulting from light and electromagnetic emissions and power signatures.

The service is executing CPI2 in three phases, with the first two phases resulting from an approved directed requirement that addresses initial CPI2 capability. The third phase will establish CPI2 as a program of record.

Phase 1 will equip selected units with mobile platforms, secure wireless and intelligent power solutions. Units will conduct their own integration of systems onto platforms to inform future command-post designs. Phase 2 involves the Army's Project Manager (PM) Mission Command leading and executing the prototype activities of five brigade sets of command-post solutions. Units will then provide assessments of the solutions to inform the program of record.

PM Mission Command will lead the effort with Product Director Strategic Mission Command at the helm. Involvement from other PEOs, the Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Army Test and Evaluation Command and industry will be required to achieve success. The Army will invite industry to compete and participate in certain aspects of the integration effort via a process known as other transaction authority, a rapid, cost-effective and collaborative acquisition process for prototyping activities.