Showing posts with label communications. Show all posts
Showing posts with label communications. Show all posts

Sunday, January 4, 2015

SPECTRUM Management Program

In a sign that progress is being made in the development of the Afghan National Army (ANA) into a professional military the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense will take the lead on SPECTRUM - a critical Command and Control (C2) responsibility. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) recently signed states that Afghanistan communication units will lead the way in effectively targeting insurgents and ensures special operations will continue to be conducted with full respect for Afghan sovereignty, Afghan law, and the Afghan constitution. The MOU moves forward the process where the Afghan military will successfully command and control the development of the Ministerial Spectrum Management Office (MSMO) and the transfer of the spectrum management authority from ISAF to MSMO. SPECTRUM XXI is a client/server, Window-based software system that provides frequency managers with a single info system to address spectrum management automation requirements. Read the full story by Capt. Nicole White from Resolute Support HQs in "ANSF takes lead on SPECTRUM Management Program", RS News, December 29, 2014.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Military Auxiliary Radio (MARS)

If you were in the service in "the old days" before Roshan minutes, mobile phones, Twitter, Facetime, Skype, AOL IM, E-Mail, Sniper Hill, and the many other communications devices now available then you may recall the Military Auxiliary Radio System or MARS. Soldiers used to go on year-long deployments (Vietnam and Desert Storm come to mind) and never get to make a phone call. Mail (yes, snail mail) could take months to arrive. However, as cumbersome as it seems looking back, MARS offered quite a morale boost on long deployments. MARS is still around. Read more in "MARS volunteers supporting Soldiers with radio communications", Army.mil, September 30, 2014.

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Capability Set 13 (CS 13) - a Comms Package to Aid SFAATs in Afghan Mission

A new "on-the-move communications" network will deploy with soon-to deploy SFABs (BCTs) to Afghanistan. The comms package, called Capability Set 13 (CS 13) will allow Security Force Assistance Advisory Teams (SFAATs) to stay in contact with adjacent and higher units while staying mobile across the battlefield with their Afghan units they are advising. The first two BCTs to use the comms network will be 3rd and 4th Brigades of the 10th Mountain Division.

Learn more about CS-17 in "First unit readies for Afghanistan with new network", Army.mil, March 7, 2013. Learn more about the Capability Set 13 here: www.bctmod.army.mil/CS13/index.html.