Blue Force Tracking (BFT) is a military technology used for real-time situational awareness and command and control of military forces. It enables commanders to track the locations of friendly forces, enemy units, and other assets on the battlefield in near real-time. Here are some key points about Blue Force Tracking:

The primary purpose of Blue Force Tracking is to provide commanders with an accurate and up-to-date picture of the battlefield, allowing them to make informed decisions and effectively coordinate military operations. By tracking the location and movement of friendly forces, commanders can avoid fratricide (friendly fire incidents), minimize the risk of collateral damage, and enhance overall operational effectiveness.

Blue Force Tracking systems typically use a combination of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology, satellite communication, and digital mapping software to track and display the location of military units and assets in real-time. GPS receivers installed in military vehicles and equipment provide precise location data, which is then transmitted via secure military communication networks to command centers and other users.

Blue Force Tracking systems consist of several components, including:

• GPS receivers: Installed in military vehicles, aircraft, and other assets to determine their precise location.
• Communication systems: Used to transmit location data and other information between vehicles, command centers, and individual soldiers.
• Command and control software: Enables commanders and operators to visualize and analyze the location data, track movement patterns, and make informed decisions.
• Display units: Used by commanders and soldiers to view the location of friendly forces and other relevant information on digital maps.
  Blue Force Tracking is used in various military operations, including reconnaissance, surveillance, convoy operations, and infantry maneuvers. It is particularly valuable in complex and dynamic environments where situational awareness is critical, such as counterinsurgency operations, peacekeeping missions, and large-scale military exercises.

  The use of Blue Force Tracking offers several benefits to military forces, including:

  • Improved situational awareness: Enables commanders to have a real-time view of the battlefield and make timely decisions.
  • Enhanced force protection: Helps prevent fratricide and minimize the risk of friendly fire incidents.
  • Increased operational efficiency: Facilitates better coordination and synchronization of military operations, leading to improved mission success rates.
  • Reduced logistical requirements: Allows for more efficient deployment and movement of forces, optimizing logistics and resource allocation.
  Overall, Blue Force Tracking is a critical technology that enhances the effectiveness and safety of military operations by providing commanders with real-time situational awareness and enabling better coordination and decision-making on the battlefield.

Program Executive Office (PEO) Command Control and Communications Tactical (C3T)
Program Manager Mission Command

1997:

Task Force XXI Advanced Warfighting Experiment (AWE)

2000:

4th Infantry Division, 1st Brigade, equipped

2003:

Army budget document for 2003:

The Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade and Below (FBCB2) is a digital battle command system that provides information to support a brigade task force. Its primary purpose is to accurately and quickly disseminate and display friendly and enemy unit locations, and to communicate orders, overlays, and graphical tactical control measures throughout the force. The system consists of a small-rugged computer and a display, and uses the Tactical Internet for line-of-sight communications (either Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) or Enhanced Position Location and Reporting System (EPLRS)). It can also be configured using L-band satellite, thus it is known as FBCB2 Blue Force Tracking (BFT). The system also has a connection to a Global Positioning System receiver for self-location and feeds into the Global Command and Control System.

 

Joint Requirements Oversight Council Memoranda (JROCM) 161.03 (2003) and 163.04 (2004), designated FBCB2 as the future battle command system for Joint forces at brigade and below.

2005:

Army Budget document for 2005:

• FBCB2/Blue Force Tracking (BFT) is a digital, battle command information system intended to provide commanders, leaders, and soldiers with integrated, on-the-move, near real-time battle command information and situational awareness from brigade to vehicle level.
• Three principal components are the hardware, software, and either a Tactical Internet (Terrestrial FBCB2) or L-band satellite (Blue Force Tracker) communications means.
• FBCB2 provides a capability for developing and distributing orders, friendly locations, operational graphics, combat reports, and free text messages.

November 2008: More than 67,000 systems fielded

2011:

Army budget document for FY2011:

In FY11, the Army and Marine Corps conducted a Limited User Test (LUT) of Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2) Joint Capabilities Release (JCR)/Blue Force Tracker 2 (BFT2). The test demonstrated the system is operationally effective for combat operations. Commanders and units experienced improved situational awareness and improved transfer of orders and graphics compared to previous versions of FBCB2/BFT1.

During the LUT, FBCB2 JCR/BFT2 demonstrated a 275-hour Mean Time Between Essential Function Failure (MTBEFF) compared to its requirement of 700 hours. The demonstrated MTBEFF translates to a 77 percent probability of successfully completing a 72-hour mission without an essential function failure compared to the requirement of 90 percent. The reliability demonstrated during the LUT is equivalent to that of the existing deployed version of FBCB2, which Soldiers have found acceptable to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

FBCB2 JCR is a networked battle command information system that enables units to share near-real-time friendly and enemy situational awareness information, operational maps and graphics, and command and control (C2) messages. . FBCB2 JCR/BFT2 is a technology upgrade from FBCB2/BFT to provide improved capability and ensure interoperability between Army and Marine Corps forces. The improvements include updated computer hardware and software, improved satellite connectivity, and the addition of communications security (COMSEC) devices.

FBCB2 JCR is fielded in both mobile and command post versions. It is supported by the following transmission means:

• BFT2 - satellite support for mobile operations
• EPLRS - terrestrial radio support for mobile operations
• Tactical Internet - network support for command post operations

Army and Marine Corps commanders use FBCB2 JCR/BFT2 to provide integrated, on-the-move, near-real-time battle command information and situational awareness from brigade to maneuver platform.

Units employ FBCB2 JCR/BFT2 to gain near-real-time situational awareness and C2 capability intended to assist in the accomplishment of their combat missions.

2013:

JBC-P is the Army's latest incarnation of the widely fielded mounted friendly force tracking system known as Force XXI Battle Command Brigade-and-Below/Blue Force Tracking, or FBCB2/BFT. Displaying blue and red icons over a digital map, FBCB2/BFT has provided lifesaving situational awareness information to Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Today, that blue force tracking information is being delivered down to dismounted Soldiers through the Army's handheld mission command system known as Nett Warrior. Composed of an Android handheld device connected to a tactical radio, Nett Warrior allows dismounted leaders to see their own location, the locations of their fellow Soldiers and the locations of known enemies on a moving map. Recent work between the JBC-P and Nett Warrior project offices has improved the interoperability of these two systems, filling a critical gap in mission command between mounted and dismounted Soldiers.

2015:

RDT&E Budget Item Justification, Army 2015:

Project D593, Joint Battle Command - Platform (JBC-P) funds the Systems Engineering, Software Development and Testing of JBC-P. Joint Battle Command - Platforms (JBC-P), which includes Blue Force Tracking (BFT) and Army Aviation, and provides true Joint force Command and Control (C2) Situational Awareness (SA) and communications (e.g., terrestrial, celestial) capability at the platform level through command center locations (e.g., Network Operations Centers (NOC), Tactical Operation Centers (TOCs), Brigade Command Posts) and enables mission accomplishment across the entire spectrum of military operations.

The Joint Battle Command - Platform (JBC-P) program is the cornerstone of joint forces Command and Control (C2) Situational Awareness (SA) and communications. JBC-P provides secure Blue Force Tracking capability in Platforms and Command Posts, providing soldiers and commanders a map-based Common Operating Picture of the battlefield, and as a result, reducing fratricide.

The JBC-P Capabilities Development Document in lieu of Capabilities Production Document (CDD ILO CPD) was Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) approved March 2013. Completed Initial Operational Test & Evaluation (IOT&E) as part of Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) 13.2 in 3QFY13. The IOT&E tested the JBC-P system software on existing FBCB2 hardware (non-dismountable vehicle systems) and future production-representative hardware. The MDA authorized entry into Full Rate Production (FRP) and deployment for JBC-P V1.4, December 2013, conditional on achieving Army Interoperability Certification (AIC) and Joint Interoperability Test Certification (JITC) prior to fielding.