Command Post of the Future (CPoF)

Command Post of the Future (CPoF)
TransitionBriefs
Advanced Technology Laboratories • Electronic Systems Business Area
Vol. 2 No. 6
Command Post of the Future (CPoF)
The Command Post of the Future
significantly advances the understanding of the nature of command
in the information age. Many new
concepts and technologies, especially in collaboration and visualization, were developed as a result
of the program’s unique approach
to combining subject matter
experts—primarily ground force
commanders—with leading technologists.
The Advanced Technology
Laboratories (ATL) played a key role in
the development of this innovative, new
concept of operations, led the transition of
it to the U.S. Army, and deployed it to
support Operation Iraqi Freedom. CPoF is
now a primary division-level commandand-control system in Iraq and its use is
expanding to the U.S. Marine Corps’
forces at Multi-National Corps—Iraq and
Multi-National Division—North. ATL
also provided trainers, team leads, and
logistics/operations management.
CPoF reduces the time needed for
decision-making in the field and it
improves the quality of those decisions by
leveraging thought visualization; liquid
information; and deep, collaborative environment.
Thought visualization occurs when
knowledge and understanding transfers
from one individual to another without the
need of traditional explanation. CPoF
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leveraged thought visualization by creating a collaborative workspace in which
information propagated in a way that
reduced or eliminated the explanation of
actions.
Liquid information allows data to be
separate from the viewing space, which
enables the commander to place data in a
number of different displays. The data
then becomes modular in that it can be
composed and viewed in many different
ways, depending on the chosen display.
Multiple studies have shown that
deep collaboration in CPoF results in a
marked increase in shared situational
awareness.
CPoF is a client/server-based software that is a distributed, collaborative
operating environment. It provides a virtual, tactical-operations center that spans
multiple echelons and significantly
reduces or eliminates physical co-location.
Operators at all levels can feed and access
real-time situational awareness; visualize
the commander's intent and common
operational picture; participate in highlyinteractive, distributed briefings using
real-time shared information displays; and
compose and collaboratively manipulate
tactical data with other operators.
Contact:
Hugh Pearce
Advanced Technology Laboratories
856.792.9810
hpearce@atl.lmco.com