Acquisition Strategy Options For COTS Hand-held Devices in Support of Digital Interoperability

Abstract

USMC doctrine embodies the concept of combined arms: the integration of air and ground combat capability to achieve maximum effect on the battlefield. The expeditionary nature of the USMC requires tight integration of its combat capabilities and effects, to include during transit of forces to the objective area. Emerging commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) handheld communications/computation devices offer a means to rapidly evolve the tactical coordination capability between air combat elements and ground combat elements. Acquisition strategies to expedite the procurement of such devices and achieve economies of scale with respect to cost and acquisition/contracting efforts were identified.