TCCK, how the digitisation system for land forces works

Secure communications, awareness of the situation and information, agile command capabilities and total control of your resources: these are some of the needs arising from new and evolving defence scenarios, characterised by complex operations linked to both conventional and asymmetric threats. In this context, the deployment of advanced systems and innovative technologies for Land Command and Control is crucial, allowing the Armed Forces to meet new challenges and adapt to changing scenarios.

The Targeting and Communication Command Kit (TCCK) software was created with this aim in mind, in order to digitalise the operational scenario and targeting systems, facilitating multi-domain integration following a net-centric approach. The Command Post and JTAC/JFO versions of the system are developed at the Leonardo Electronics site in Rome, a centre of excellence for developing and producing defence technologies. Initially developed for the Italian Army’s FORZA NEC programme, it quickly took on an inter-force connotation.

Forza NEC (Network Enabled Capability)

Emerging from the synergetic work between Defence and Industry, the project aims to reduce communication and information acquisition times, historically critical in military operations, by introducing advanced information technology.

The initiative aims to digitalise the Italian Armed Forces by creating an innovative solution that enables the complete integration of various Army platforms, including the already operational ones, into a unified architecture. Leonardo serves as the prime contractor, system integrator and systems authority for architectural requirements. 

Today, the TCCK significantly enhances effectiveness, meeting the targeting requirements of the Army, Navy and Air Force in increasingly dynamic and complex environments. Its potential can be applied to all platforms and systems in service.

How does the TCCK work?

The system includes a Command and Control component, a communication suite (Satellite and Radio), and electro-optical sensors equipped with markers and laser rangefinders. Operators can use these tools directly via handheld devices or equipment mounted on vehicles.

Command and Control center

Featuring advanced technology, analysis, and data fusion technologies that manage a large volume of real-time information, the TCCK facilitates the sharing of the operational picture at all levels, along with the identification and acquisition of targets. The system enables the coordination of targeting across a multitude of systems operating in three domains (land, sea and air), optimising their effects. The design allows for deployment across various forces operating in the field.

Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC)

Qualified operator that coordinates the actions of military aircraft involved in close air support and other offensive air operations from a forward position.

Joint Forward Observer (JFO)

Operator assisting the Joint Terminal Attack Controller in executing air strikes.

Synergy between skills

The Targeting and Communication Command Kit’s hallmark is its maximum interoperability with various defence systems across all domains. It provides added value that facilitates its effective deployment in inter-force and multinational contexts.

This feature, highly prioritised during the design phase, was realised through the collaboration of Leonardo experts with the Army, Navy, and Air Force during development. This synergy of skills has produced a flexible and versatile system, whose operational effectiveness is certified by the numerous platforms used to carry out continuous tests and simulations in the field:

• USAF aircraft
• Air Force aircraft
• Artillery systems in service with the Italian Armed Forces and several NATO countries

Interoperability encompasses all technologies in the sensor-to-shooter cycle, including radar, electro-optical systems, and communication, radio and satellite suites based on Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR).

Flexibility and user-friendly approach

The Targeting and Communication Command Kit is compatible with Leonardo technologies, like LINX and NOX, for medium and long-distance target detection and location, as well as third-party technologies. This compatibility allows for easy deployment in multinational operations, facilitating cooperation between systems from different countries’ Armed Forces using the Variable Message Format (VMF) communication protocol.

Variable Message Format (VMF)

Protocol employed in military operations to facilitate the exchange of vital information between tactical systems. Operational and tactical data types, such as positions, trajectories, maps, navigation data, mission data, and surveillance and intelligence reports, are exchanged between systems and nodes connected via Tactical Data Links (TDL).

The ability to communicate via radio (HF-VHF-UHF) and satellite allows for interaction with other systems, facilitating the sharing of a live, continuously updated operational picture that includes the tactical situation and the ‘geography’ of targets of interest.

Graphical representation of TCCK system operation

The TCCK, developed by incorporating the latest and most advanced technological and digital standards, features an intuitive and user-friendly next-generation human-machine interface. Its modular and scalable architecture makes it flexible software that can be installed on tablets, laptops or other compact devices. This ensures immediate usability for frontline operators and caters to their varied operational requirements.

The Targeting and Communication Command Kit (TCCK)