TACP Vehicles to get Communications Upgrade

[DA SWO]

Communications systems upgrades are coming to the Air Force's tactical air control party vehicles,C4ISRnet reported Aug. 25. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center awarded iGov a $52.5 million contract to perform the work, slated to be complete by Jan. 28, 2021. According to iGov, the company "will modify Humvees to provide TACP users with embedded software and systems for critical voice, data, and video communications. The mobile communications system effort will allow joint terminal attack controllers to control close air support aircraft from the safety of an armored vehicle while coordinating and conducting joint CAS missions.

Bold face part; guess the guys in charge are not familiar with infantry/dismounted operations.
I am glad they are getting some attention/money, but our (DoD as a whole) belief in gear/technology as the end all answer keeps biting us in the ass.

 

[AWP]

Communications systems upgrades are coming to the Air Force's tactical air control party vehicles,C4ISRnet reported Aug. 25. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center awarded iGov a $52.5 million contract to perform the work, slated to be complete by Jan. 28, 2021. According to iGov, the company "will modify Humvees to provide TACP users with embedded software and systems for critical voice, data, and video communications. The mobile communications system effort will allow joint terminal attack controllers to control close air support aircraft from the safety of an armored vehicle while coordinating and conducting joint CAS missions.

Bold face part; guess the guys in charge are not familiar with infantry/dismounted operations.
I am glad they are getting some attention/money, but our (DoD as a whole) belief in gear/technology as the end all answer keeps biting us in the ass.

They had the GRC-206 "pallet" before the GWOT. This is probably nothing more than bringing new tech to an existing capability. To be fair, I don't think the -206 was being used in 2005 having been overtaken by technology, but the basics of what's described is a modern version of the -206. As for implementation and value on the battlefield? Way outside of my lane.

 

[Gunz]

I'm all for giving our guys the latest and greatest...but, yeah, there are places Humvees can't go. Sometimes I think when we've gone total gear-freak to fight in a certain environment tunnel-vision sets in when it comes to thinking about having to fight somewhere else. What about the organic comm stuff JTACs have to hump up and down the mountain? Any upgrades planned for that?

 

[Snake]

Are they planning on only putting these systems in Humvee's or does this include the new JLTV?