Since July 2016, the Marine Corps has rolled out 1,100 units of its next-generation blue force tracker. While end users may not have noticed much of a change, the new device is more robust on the back end and sets the stage for a future round of upgrades.
The Joint Battle Command-Platform, or JBC-P, is an outgrowth of a joint Marine-Army effort that dates back to 2003. Service leaders say it gives commanders enhanced command, control and situational awareness.
JBC-P makes a number of improvements upon the prior iteration, most notably the inclusion of an inline encryption device.
"Previously, the transmissions were almost in the clear," said Capt. Jamie Claflin, JBC-P project officer at Marine Corps Systems Command. In the new version, "the end user can feel better about operations security, knowing that the information is protected as it moves from system to system."
The Marines first acquired blue force tracking from the Army through an urgent universal need statement in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. As a program of record, JBC-P has fielded to the M88 tank retriever, Assault Breacher Vehicle and High Mobility Multi-wheeled Vehicle. It is the Marine Corps' primary command, control and situational awareness tool for the battalion and below, giving commanders a real-time view of friendly forces.
The latest version delivers interoperability with other military services via the Joint Tactical Common Operation Picture Workstation, something that was not available in the original blue force tracker, Claflin said. It also offers faster satellite links.
Most significantly, the release of JBC-P takes what had been a joint-services effort and makes it more firmly a Marine-specific enterprise. While Army still leads the program, an Authority to Participate spells out the Marine Corps' evolving role.
By delineating the Marines’ formal requirements, the agreement ensures Marine Corps needs will be built into future software and hardware iterations, said Ignacio Filgueira, lead engineer for JBC-P at MCSC.
The JBC-P will lay the groundwork for that next evolution.
"We’ve made the hardware improvements. Now we want to make the software changes," Filgueira said.
Increment II
JBC-P Increment II is slated to field in fiscal 2018 to additional Marine Corps platforms, including the Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement, Logistics Vehicle System Replacement, Assault Amphibious Vehicle, Light Armored Vehicle and High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
Planners say that next round of upgrades will include changes more readily visible to the end user.
For example: The system relies on a set of installed definitions to send different message types, such as situation reports and medical evacuations. The next version will have a greater variety of preformatted message types, including more ground-based messages, Filgueira said.
Planners also want to revamp the present interface. "It will take on more of a modern day, video-game look and feel," Claflin said. "It will be more in line with the things modern day Marines grew up with."
Designers also plan to make the interface more intuitive and user-friendly.
"The layout of the buttons has changed to the side of the screen, so if a vehicle is moving through rough terrain, the user can hold the side of the display and still work the system with just their thumb," Claflin said. "Before, it was harder to use the system when you were on the move."
The next increment also could include a terrestrial capability, which would allow users to run the system via data-capable tactical radio at times when satellite links are degraded or unavailable. It also is slated to include a "chat" function for rapid text-based communications.
"That’s important because it lends itself to the way modern day Marines interact with each other," Claflin said. "It’s pretty commonplace for Marines to communicate with texting and chat, so the system needs to evolve to provide that same capability. It’s something soldiers and Marines have wanted."
