15th MEU tests new tablets, communications tools on Ospreys

Marines deployed to the Middle East and Asia-Pacific region U.S. 5th Fleet Persian Gulf are The 15 Marine Expeditionary Unit is conducting the first to field test a new deployed testing of a new roll-on, roll-off communications suite that gives troops in the back of aircraft unprecedented access to information and communications while in flight. 

Members of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit are now able to receive and send and receive text, photo, audio and video messages on handheld tablets  audio communications from the back of an MV-22B Osprey or heavy-lift helicopter, said Maj. Chuck Buckley, the MEU’s communications officer. It's made possible by a new roll-on, roll-off communications device called the Called the Digital Interoperability Package, which maintainers can bolt the new system into aircraft to provide Marines in transit with the ability to receive and send text, photos, video and audio communications, said Maj. Chuck Buckley, the MEU’s communications officer. That is critical to keeping Marines on long flights to objectives appraised of the situation on the ground with up-to-the-minute intelligence.

The MEU now has six kits installed on two CH-53 Super Stallions and four  4 MV-22 Ospreys. Each of those aircraft received a simple modification in order to accommodate the pod, which that allows for plug and play of the kittakes a pair of Marines about 15 minutes to set up, "Two Marines during sustainment training got to the point where they were able to take  it out of a helicopter and have it operational in another helo in 15 minutes," Buckley said.

Before deploying in May, the MEU tested the suite, which uses a communications pod in the back of the aircraft to link wireless tablets with an operations centers that can provide a picture of what's changing on the ground as they're en route. The Marines took off from the amphibious assault ship Essex off the coast of California and flew to Flagstaff, Arizona, on a mock mission to recover a downed aircraft and crew. "During our workups, one thing we did from the [amphibious assault ship] Essex was an exercise where we ran [Tactical Recovery of Aircraft and Personnel] from off the coast of California into Flagstaff, Arizona," he said.

The But, by outfitting the aircraft with new communications equipment allowed the , Marines during that exercise were able to receiver incremental updates beamed straight to individual tablets. It provides far more detail than radio communication, and allows commanders, air crews and Marines riding in the back of the aircraft to communicate about what's changed on the ground as they fly to their objective.  on the ground is an advance light years ahead of trying to communicate with traditional radios. It facilitates communication from command centers to field commanders in flight, between Marines in the aircraft and even between aircrews by translating different signals so various communications systems can talk to each other seamlessly.

"For our Marine in those planes, iIf your combat radius is 450 miles ... vice 70 or 80 miles, your information requirements have changed drastically [during transit]," said Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, the deputy commandant for aviation. "You can now travel say 2,000 miles with a tanker. What has changed on that battlefield in that time you have been in the tanker? A lot."

The MEU has tested the already used the system during on several exercises, including one in Kuwait in which a where the battalion landing team used it to call for artillery fire. During those types of fire-support missions, a Google maps-like application capability already installed on the tablets allows ed Marines to zoom, pan and see their locations on a digital map.

That could mitigate risk of calling for fire delivering supporting fires on the wrong location because of misunderstood verbal communications over radio. In the past, Marines have even used paper maps to get fires approved by their chain of command, Buckley said. 

In November, the MEU will use the system during MALUS ,an amphibious exercise conducted with the Malaysian military off their coast and on their beaches. During that test, enemy There, they will use it to beam enemy locations will be beamed to Marines in transit, allowing them and allow Marines to game plan from in the aircraft.

The system has already been tested experimented with by Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One during exercises in Arizona and by students at at the Infantry Officers Course during mock raids in California at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. But, leaders like Davis called for data and experiments in the field, – like those now being carried out by the 15th MEU.

As the Marine Corps y continues to testing the system, officials they will make incremental improvements. It is built on an open architecture, which will allow them to add additional applications. Leaders are also working to determine whether every Marine in the back of an aircraft should have a tablet, or if they should be reserved for fire team or squad leaders. 

Following the MEU's field tests, Next, developers will work to tag personnel and gear that ride in aircraft with radio frequency identification or RF ID. That will ould allow a commander in an operations center to see exactly where Marines are and make decisions based on real time locations of his men and gear and whether or not they are still on the aircraft, Buckley said. That could be particularly useful on cargo resupply runs.

Buckley said the 15th MEU is just the first of many deploying units to test deploy with the new technology as the Marine Corps works to refine the system. For example, they are still trying to work out the density of tablets — whether there should be one for every Marine, fire team leader or squad leader. He and his leaders will brief the 13th MEU on lessons learned before that unit e 13th deploys with it in early 2016.