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June 8, 2012 | Strategypage.com

The U.S. Marine Corps has successfully tested a new, lightweight Andriod-based smartphone laser rangefinders and designators cum hand-held radio, for a Joint Terminal
Attack Controller (JTAC) to display for aircraft overhead with one or more targets the user has identified and designated with their GPS coordinates. While all this tech is not
ready for the rigors of battlefield use, it does demonstrate that the hardware and software are available to make the job of an JTAC (who calls in air strikes) easier. This means
faster response time, fewer errors and less time needed to train the controllers.

The marines are also testing the air controller software on tablet computers. There are a wide variety of Android smart phones and tablets to choose from, and the military
prefers some of the larger smart phones (or smaller tablets) for combat use.



The marines are also experimenting with tablets, strapped to the pilot's leg, as an easier way to communicate with the air controller on the ground during these operations. The
pilots prefer tablets and smart phones as well, and cockpits are just starting to get a lot of this touch screen technology. The air controllers and pilots would both prefer to do most of
their communicating digitally, because that means less risk of hearing something incorrectly (because of combat noise) or inputting something incorrectly. Moreover, digital communication,
via touch screen devices, would also be faster. In combat speed is a major asset.