In a story filed on Engadget, it looks like the job for the Joint Attack Terminal Controllers (JTACs) has just become easier. In checking out the source, DARPA reports that the U.S. Marines Corps Leadership are "pleased" with the successful demonstration of the PCAS (Persistent Close Air Support) System during TALON REACH last 27 March 2015.
DARPA's PCAS was created 2010 to help JTACs move from coordinating close air support (or airstrikes if you want to call it that way) with radios, paper maps, and visual confirmation without endangering troops to friendly fire. Usually this is a tedious task that sometimes takes in hour to go into position and call in a strike. And when ready, the target may already have moved out of reach and have moved in close to friendly forces to attack.
PCAS allows the JTACs and other friendly troops on the ground and pilots or air combat crews share real time information and weapons systems data. The system allows them to select multiple targets allowing air support to deliver the appropriate munitions to full effect whilst reducing collateral damage and avoiding friendly fire.
The PCAS System is comprised of two components. The first one is an Android-based tablet called the KILSWITCH or the Kinetic Integrated Low-cost SoftWare Integrated Tactical Combat Handheld (also called as the PCAS-Ground) and the Second one is integrated into the aircraft tactical systems (PCAS-Air). The PCAS also relies on the satellite, surveillance, intelligence feeds so that both components know where each other is up to the point of weapons release.
In the TALON REACH exercise, two groups of U.S. Marines went to engage enemy units. One group set-up small drones that acted as network relays allowing the users of the KILSWITCH tablets to establish communication and sending information for a hovering V-22 Osprey waiting for opportunity to strike before launching a specially mounted Griffin missile.
Such a system then becomes crucial for providing a much more responsive and effective close air support to the troops on the ground. The PCAS can cut down the response time of close support aircraft from almost an hour down to 4 minutes. Such massive reduction in response time means minimisation of risks for friendly troops to be caught in a friendly fire and ability to repel attacks and counter attacks by nearby enemy forces.
If you remember the "Broken Arrow" scene in the movie "We Were Soldiers" (2002). Lt. Colonel Moore (Mel Gibson) told his JTAC to call in a "Broken Arrow" where all available air assets were told to drop anything they can, including Napalm to prevent their positions of the troops below from being overcome by the Viet Cong and NVA regulars. They did halt the onslaught and prevented a defeat, but there were friendly casualties. With the PCAS System, today's troops may just be able to avoid such a scenario.