Air Combat Command Declares TACP Mobile Communications System Combat-Ready

The Air Combat Command of the U.S. Air Force has declared the initial operational capability of the tactical air control party mobile communications system Block 2 system as combat-ready.

The ACC announced the system’s new operational capability at the recommendation of the 605th Test and Evaluation Squadron in Florida, DVIDS reported Friday.

In 2020, the 605th TES TACP Element, along with the 14th Air Support Operations Squadron from Pope Army Airfield in North Carolina, conducted an operational utility evaluation of the MCS Block 2 on M-1165 vehicles.

The 605th TES tested the system under real-world conditions using airmen, who will be responsible for operating and maintaining the system once deployed and ready for field operations.

During the OUE, the squadron validated the MCS Block 2’s operational effectiveness and sustainability, cybersecurity and resiliency, as well as its impact on TACP and the processes, techniques and tactics of air support operations centers.

In the testing, the humvees were integrated with multi-channel communications equipment through the MCS Block 2 system. The new communications technology provided voice, data and video capabilities to TACP joint terminal attack controllers that are either on the move or at the halt.

According to Master Sgt. Jesus Torres, the senior enlisted leader of TES, the new system provides TACPs with “greater mission flexibility.”

Meanwhile, the 605th TES continues to advance USAF technologies. Currently, the squadron is conducting operational testing on the MCS Block 3, which is installed on the Army’s next-generation armored multi-purpose vehicle.