Active Army units have been testing a Lockheed Martin web-based system that combines the power of Google Earth, Command and Control web applications and existing tactical communications systems to deliver a common operating picture of the battlefield to any network user with a laptop.

Command Web provides users with a web-based view of the mission command picture to both the commander in the tactical operating center as well as warfighters in the battlespace.

"Command Web extends the collaborative capabilities of mission command systems for those who don't have the real deal," said Lt. Col. Thomas Bentzel, the Army's product manager for Tactical Mission Command. "It's got great potential for expansion and convergence with other systems."

The Command Web system is being tested by soldiers in theater to validate the system's architecture, requirements and user interface design.

Both the Army and Lockheed Martin are using feedback from the testing to refine requirements and prioritize ongoing development for future system rollouts that will continue to expand, ultimately providing as much as 80 percent of current mission command functionality via the web environment.

"Command Web brings the big picture down to the company level," said Jim Quinn, vice president with C4ISR Systems for Lockheed Martin IS and GS-Defense. "It also provides any user with access to the Army's tactical network with actionable data to support their missions"

Designed with a standard Army Battle Command Systems interface, Command Web mimics the functionality, naming conventions and other attributes of the Army's primary common operational picture viewer that is used in all theaters.

With its web-base capability, Command Web significantly reduces the logistical support footprint for the operational user. The system's software developer's kit enables rapid third-party development of new warfighting capabilities.

Basing the system on the National Security Agency's Ozone framework offers a non-proprietary, government-owned solution that allows for maximum interoperability.

Since the Ozone framework is also used by the web version of the Distributed Common Ground System - Army (DCGS-A), the Army's ISR enterprise, it lays the groundwork for future interoperability across the intelligence and operations communities.