SIMACOP: Small Units Management C4ISR System

Current military command and control information systems aim is to elaborate the common operational picture (COP) focused on the higher hierarchical levels, from battalion level and upwards. However, in majority of present conflicts, including peacekeeping missions, many operations are carried by small units like platoons and downwards. It would be extremely useful a command and control tool which: (i) allows obtaining the COP at platoon and squad level; (ii) facilitates command and control decisions from different tactical locations; (iii) allows shared awareness based self-synchronization among platoons and (iv) acquires individualized data from troop units, particularly video flows and geolocation. In this paper, a practical research in this field is described based on the development of a command, control, computers, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconaissance (C4ISR) multimedia system designed to proof the most advanced concepts in current C2IS (command and control information systems) development.