Transportable Tactical Command Communications

The Transportable Tactical Command Communications (T2C2) program is a key line item in the Army's communications and electronics equipment procurement budget. It supports the Army Network Modernization Priority and the Army of 2030 and 2040 initiatives. The primary goal of T2C2 is to provide a suite of expeditionary and mobile satellite communication (SATCOM) terminals, enabling secure voice, video, and data transmission for mission command and situational awareness in support of multi-domain operations. These capabilities are essential for small team elements, command posts operating away from headquarters, and early entry units, ensuring connectivity in austere and contested environments.

The program leverages a Suite of Terminals (SoT) strategy to meet diverse Army requirements across various formations, including Expeditionary Signal Battalion-Enhanced (ESB-E), Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB), Integrated Tactical Network (ITN) Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs), Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF), SPACE Brigade, Maneuver Enhancement Brigades (MEB), Military Intelligence Brigades (MIBs), Divisions, and Corps headquarters. This approach allows for the procurement of the most capable and formation-appropriate terminals, ranging in size from sub-1 meter to 4 meters, to support different mission profiles. The terminals provide interoperable, high-speed, high-capacity connectivity, enabling beyond line of sight (BLOS) communications without reliance on static infrastructure.

The SCOUT Expeditionary terminal, previously referred to as Lite v2, supports small command posts of up to 8 subscribers over SIPR/NIPR. It features a tri-band rigid dish antenna, offering reduced setup time, improved connection characteristics, and lower maintenance requirements compared to its predecessor.

The SCOUT Small terminal supports up to 13 subscribers and is designed for early entry satellite connections for SFAB units. The SCOUT Medium SFAB and SCOUT Medium ITN terminals support 9 and 26 subscribers, respectively, with capabilities for voice, imagery, data, video, chat, and full motion video at the battalion level.

The Ultra Lite terminal is designed for small teams at the tactical edge, providing lightweight, all-weather, early-entry communications with rapid setup and teardown times. It supports one subscriber over NIPR and three over SIPR and is the only system in the suite that fits in a single transit case, making it highly portable. The Ultra Lite requires support from the SATCOM Support Center (SSC), which offers 24/7 helpdesk support, secure commercial tunnel architecture, and access to classified and coalition networks, including routing to a Top-Secret gateway.

The Enhanced Baseband component adds additional baseband capability to previously fielded Lite terminals, expanding support to 26 users over SIPR/NIPR in line with ITN requirements. Additionally, Deployable Ku-Band Earth Terminals (DKET) serve as satellite network hubs, providing inter- and intra-theater satellite links and network hub services for forward operating bases (FOBs) that lack robust communications infrastructure. These enhancements collectively increase the operational reach and situational awareness of Army forces, while maintaining cyber security and technical relevancy.

In FY 2025, the T2C2 program line was consolidated into the broader SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS budget line, streamlining procurement and management under a unified program element. This consolidation was approved with the FY 2025 full year continuing resolution, and FY 2026 marks the first year of presenting the new funding line with retroactive adjustments for FY 2025. The consolidation aims to improve efficiency and ensure continued support for both active and reserve components in homeland defense, domestic emergency response, and military support to civil authorities, in accordance with Section 1815 of the FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act.

The T2C2 program's objectives are to enhance the Army's tactical network architecture by providing resilient, high-throughput, and low-latency broadband SATCOM services. The program office is committed to incorporating emerging technologies through a Family of Terminals contracting approach, ensuring network resiliency, capacity, and convergence. These investments are justified by the need to maintain operational superiority, support multi-domain operations, and enable secure, reliable communications for Army units operating in diverse and challenging environments.