Communications Acquisition: Army Still Needs to Determine Battlefield Communications Capability.

The Army believes that battlefield commanders in the future will increasingly base critical decisions on information they receive from automated command and control system. To facilitate the gathering, processing, and dissemination of timely battlefield information, the Army is integrating five command and control systems and three communications systems into a system of systems, the Army Tactical Command and Control System ATCCS. As you requested, we reviewed the Armys efforts to ensure that the three communication systems will provide the appropriate communications capability for ATCCS. The five command and control systems component systems that are to be integrated under ATCCS are expected to provide information to control artillery monitor troop movements and general battlefield conditions control short-range air defense weapons manage combat service support, such as supply, maintenance, transportation, medical, and personnel activities and distribute intelligence information. The three communications systems are to provide voice and data communications capabilities linking the component systems and battlefield areas.