The Department of Homeland Security deployed a technology solution that would fundamentally change how first responders communicate and coordinate: the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK; U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate [DHS S&T], 2019).

The U.S. Air Force has issued a Sources Sought notice for TEAL Drones’ Black Widow small unmanned aerial system, signaling potential procurement of the specialized tactical drone capable of feeding live targeting data directly to airborne F-35 fighters. The notice, published April 20, 2026, by the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center under Air Force Materiel Command, carries a response deadline of April 27, 2026.

NATO EDGE 2024 — In an effort to move toward data centricity, NATO is in the process of creating a classified cloud system in which member nations can share secret information, NATO’s chief information officer told Breaking Defense.

Program Executive Office Command, Control, and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T) / Project Manager Mission Command (PM MC) is seeking information from industry to assist with the development and planning of a potential new requirement. THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE (SSN) NOTICE ONLY. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP). NO SOLICITATION IS AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME. Responses may be shared outside the Government with multiple support contractor organizations; therefore, submissions should confirm there is no issue with the release of any proprietary documentation provided

In August 2023, I attended my first meeting of the Army Requirements Oversight Council (AROC) while working for the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. On the agenda was an Operational Needs Statement (ONS) generated by Task Force Dragon in Europe.

Mathew Burnes, both riflemen with 2nd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division assigned to Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB), use an Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) during a foot patrol along the U.S.-Mexico border in the San Diego sector, Calif., March 17, 2026. The ATAK assists service members in navigating using GPS and geospatial map data overlaid with real-time situational awareness. U.S. Northern Command is working side-by-side with the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection within narrowly defined authorities

The demonstration focused on enabling a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) to control the Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor on a Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and rapidly call for direct and indirect fire on an array of targets.

Aeon highlighted several features of the system, including the ability to swap payloads without tools, allowing operators to adapt the munition to different targets or mission requirements. The company also said the system is ATAK-enabled, meaning it can integrate with the Android Tactical Assault Kit, a battlefield software platform used for command and control and targeting across multiple systems. Zeus uses ...

In 2026, the Home Guard will continue testing and trials of the ATAK system as part of the units' technical development. The system's many different functions would mean major advances in streamlining the collection and sharing of information.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is approaching a major milestone as it nears 100,000 registered users on Wickr, a secure communications platform designed to meet some of the military’s most stringent operational requirements. The rapid growth reflects the Army’s continued commitment to strengthening secure, agile and resilient information exchange across the force.