Tactical military communications

The evolution of Army tactical communications systems, starting with the formation of the Signal Corps in 1856, is outlined. The use of mobile subscriber equipment (MSE), the single channel ground and airborne radio system (SINCGARS), and the maneuver control system (MCS), among others, to support American troops in Operation Desert Storm is described, and a representative sample of signal unit employment is presented. The fundamental goals of near-term efforts at the Army Signal Center to complete the planned Army tactical command and control (ATCCS) architecture, to enhance the integration of the systems composing that architecture, to prepare for and maintain compatibility with developments in the strategic environment, sustaining base, and tactical user community are discussed.<<ETX>>