Can Marine Corps C2 Systems Support Commanders. The Future of the Marine C2

摘要

Current command and control (C2) systems are outpacing communications capabilities and may fail to meet Marine commanders' needs. To meet these demands, the Marine Corps needs to modernize its communications and to use a standards system known as Everything Over Internet Protocol (EOIP). The Marine Corps has always been aware of the importance of reliable communications. Early Marine communications relied on visual capabilities. Flags, torches, and mirrors were used to support Marine commanders. Visual methods could cover up to 184 miles from one mountaintop to another. The systems were efficient, highly portable and required no power sources, but they were slow and often left the communicators exposed to enemy fire. As technology advanced the Marine Corps shifted to analog voice communications. Analog voice communications allowed greater amounts of information to be transferred and could be used in all environmental conditions. The Marine Corps invested heavily with other Department of Defense agencies to provide analog capabilities. Large communications infrastructures were created. Switchboard systems similar to telephone company switchboards were placed throughout the world. Analog voice satellite constellations worked with Marine ground communications systems and allowed for global analog voice communications. These analog voice capabilities are currently the backbone of Marine data capabilities.