The U.S. Air Force has launched the Tactical Operations Center-Light Major Release 2, or MR2, which is an upgraded version of its mobile command center. The upgrade is part of an effort to connect people, systems and data across the military, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center announced Tuesday.
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What Is TOC-L?
The Tactical Operations Center-Light, or the TOC-L, is a portable battlefield command system that collects information from various sources to provide a picture of the situation in the air. The USAF’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, and Battle Management, or PEO C3BM, which is in charge of Advanced Battle Management System, or ABMS, that supports integrated command and control across military operations, oversees the TOC-L.
Major Release 2 Upgrade Details
The MR2 prototype includes over 40 next-generation TOC-L systems and will function as an action hub of the Air Force’s Battle Network, using the ABMS DI to connect with different sensors and C2 systems. Compared to MR1, which is the earlier version of the TOC-L, which focuses more on mobility and compactness, MR2 also prioritizes integration with other technologies. The move from focusing on mobility to improving system integration was based on data gathered from the MR1 prototype’s first real-world use with the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, earlier tests and the system’s recent involvement in the Army’s Project Convergence Capstone 5. The CBC2 feature of the MR2 also uses artificial intelligence and advanced software, seeking to help the military with coordination and speeding up decisions.
Air Force’s Luke Cropsey, Micah Graber Share Thoughts
Commenting on the upgrade, Maj. Gen. Luke Cropsey, the executive officer for the PEO C3BM and a Wash100 Award recipient, said, “This achievement truly embodies our agile acquisition approach, setting the stage for a phased deployment where we can rapidly field operationally relevant upgrades based on feedback from the field.”
Lt. Col. Micah Graber, the materiel leader of the ABMS Deployable Systems Branch, said that the MR2 prototype seeks to “enhance portability, survivability, mobility, and ease of use through reduced size, weight, power, while featuring improved usability and maintainability to reduce training time and improve operational readiness.”
