Experimental Equipment Enhances TACP Capabilities Published Feb. 13, 2009 By Captain Mary Stief HQ AFRL WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) Airmen tested lab-developed equipment concepts during Northern Edge 2008, a joint training exercise hosted by Alaskan Command. TACP Airmen, whose job it is to navigate miles of often rugged terrain in order to call in air strikes enhancing combat operations, routinely carry close to 100 lbs of equipment. AFRL's experimental equipment decreases this cumbersome load by 10-15 lbs. Designed to facilitate lighter, faster, more effective TACP missions, the AFRL-engineered technology utilizes a renewable integrated tactical energy system--a lightweight, self-contained, battery-powered generator--capable of producing enough energy to power all of the TACP equipment. Airmen use the system's head-mounted display to identify potential downrange threats and a small, ruggedized MR-1 notebook computer to view, store, and send information directly to pilots. Conducted at locations across the Pacific Alaska Range Complex, Northern Edge is one of a series of US Pacific Command exercises that prepare joint forces to respond to crises in the Asia Pacific region. The 30 TACP Airmen who participated in this year's exercise field-tested AFRL's experimental equipment for potential use in future operations, evaluating its utility in various land navigation and close air support training operations conducted during the event. The feedback received from the TACP participants throughout several rounds of testing will assist the lab's efforts to improve the equipment prior to its use in actual combat situations.