As part of its network modernisation programme, the US Army is addressing the physical configuration of its command posts (CP) with the joint government/commercial command post integrated infrastructure (CPI2) programme.
At the Association of the United States Army 2019 (AUSA 2019) annual conference in Washington in October, Elbit Systems of America revealed its Rhino CP shelter that will provide the basis for its contribution.
Lieutenant Colonel Rodney Bilbrew, product manager, CPI2, told Jane’s that the programme is line of effort (LOE) four in the overall army network modernisation strategy. It is intended to reduce the vulnerability and improve the survivability of CPs in future conflicts against peer or near-peer adversaries. He said that, partly because of the fixed configurations used in the past 15 years of conflict, the current CP configurations were too big, relied too much on tentage, and were too slow to move. CPs need to have a smaller footprint and must be more mobile and more agile, with a reduced electromagnetic signature in order to reduce the ability of an enemy to target key mission command nodes, he added.
Lt Col Bilbrew said this had resulted in a decision to shift from a tent to a platform-based configuration that will integrate government- or commercial-off-the-shelf equipment (GOTS/COTS). The CPI2 programme will examine solutions for formation-specific CPs for every level from battalion to corps.
The interior of the Elbit Systems Rhino command post shelter as supplied to the IDF and displayed at AUSA 2019. It will form the basis of the Elbit Systems of America SBCT CPI2 solution. Communications and IT workstations are behind the camera. (Giles Ebbutt)
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