U.S. Marine Corps Enlists Panoram for Next Generation Command Center The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force (I MEF) Command Center (MCC) is a high-security 23,000 square foot facility located at Camp Pendleton, California. Panoram Technologies was selected by the Marine Corps to provide advanced display and media control systems in five of the key rooms that make up the MCC, including the Auditorium, Current Operations Center (COC), Operation Planning Team Room (OPT), Intelligence Operation Center (IOC) and G2 conference room. The purpose of the MCC is to achieve a wide range of command objectives while introducing emerging technological solutions, shaping initiatives and promoting transformational concepts, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the Marines' warfighting capabilities. This involves the development of tactics, techniques and procedures that enhance situational awareness before and during an operation. Referred to as a “reach-back” type facility, the center allows commanders to “reach-back” to headquarters for advanced analysis and decision support about combat operations using headquarters' more sophisticated technology, rather than relying solely on the deployed resources available in the field. This reflects a transition away from previous strategies, which proved to be cumbersome, expensive and less integrated than was desired. In the past, data was generated, gathered and processed locally. Today, with cross compatible, network-centric system capabilities, the situational information can be accessed globally, analyzed, processed and results sent back to any theater of operations in the world. This is the next generation of command & control and the Marines are just the right kind of organization to bring these advanced ideas into a deployed and functioning reality. To bring these goals into operation, Panoram worked closely with the Marines to integrate a full range of innovative display technologies. A giant screen was installed at the front and center of each room, enabling the display of large panoramic overviews or segmented arrays of smaller information windows. The windows can display both secure and non-secure images, including public information. A plethora of information is essentially useless if it cannot be accessed easily and simply. Panoram's highly touted and proprietary facility control system, called Integrator 2000, provided exactly what the Marines needed. A single operator controls what is seen on one of the many displays in the facility using a rapid drag-and-drop, icon-based interface. When a commander makes a request to add a source to a screen, the operator simply selects it from a palate of sources and drops that icon onto the display it is to appear on. This is a simple action that belies the complexity of matching the characteristics of each video source to the characteristics and capabilities of each display in the room. Panoram's facility control system takes care of this and adjusts all the technical parameters so that the source simply appears where it is wanted. The system is so effective that the Marines were able to reduce their manpower allocation for system control from 12 Marines to three. This results not only in tremendous cost savings but also puts another group of Marines into operations rather than support. “As with all of our projects, a major objective with the I MEF Command Center was to implement rather sophisticated technology in a way that does not ever become complicated or difficult to use,” explained Panoram's Director of Technology. “All of the I MEF display systems are now operated entirely by the Marines themselves, with a minimal amount of training. A user-friendly control system is an essential part of the solution.” The “Big Screen” that heads the room is only part of the information visualization menu. Large plasma monitors, touch screen whiteboards, video teleconferencing systems, surround sound audio and a number of Panoram's unique triple monitor PV series desktop displays are all part of the information access system. The Operations Planning room has a specialized capability of displaying holographic-like stereo-optical (true 3D) imagery. One of the conference rooms in the MCC is equipped with a self-contained dual-projector, rear screen display system (called a Panoram TD Series Display). With a 10' wide X 4' tall screen, this system is scaled perfectly for more intimate conference style planning, yet provides many of the advanced functions of the larger systems, including the facility control system, picture-in-picture capabilities, and stereo surround sound. Here again, the operator of the system makes use of a triple-headed Panoram monitor for local reference and control. Another unique feature integrated into the MCC is the ability for each of the rooms to share visual information. Video can be pushed or pulled from one facility to the other. This kind of inter-operability between those functions promises to be a powerful capability in today's network-centric digital battle space. Inaugurated in July 2002, “The MCC stands as evidence that amazing C4ISR capabilities can be integrated in a relatively short period of time if you use a forward-thinking approach in the procurement and project management process,” said Cal Leuning, Panoram Director of Government Solutions. “We really have to give a lot of credit to the Marines for taking a non-traditional spiral development method. With this type of technology, it's infinitely better for an integrator to conduct an ongoing dialog throughout the design and implementation process, rather than just delivering a rigid solution for a rigid set of bid specs.” Scott Steedley, I MEF Science Advisor, further explains, “In the development of the MEF Command Center, what we found is by bringing the operators and operational expertise that's resident at the MEF together with the developers, scientists and technologists, we were able to greatly reduce the time period that this type of project would normally entail. We actually went from a concept development up to a full operational capability in a five month time period.” Built from the ground up, the MCC was completed under the leadership of General Michael W. Hagee, Commandant of the Marines Corps. Hagee served as Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton during its construction and was selected by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to receive his fourth star shortly after the inauguration of the MCC. Officiating at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the dedication/opening of the facility, General Hagee reflected on the transformation brought about by the MCC's technology, comparing it with the conventional use of hard copy maps and pins. “When you walk into this command center that you see before us today, it's going to be something quite different. We are not going to have maps. Information is going to be fused electronically, so that the planners do not have to worry about fusing that information. They can worry more about doing the actually planning.” Considered a first for the Marines, the Command Center represents a cornerstone in a new era of electronic battle planning and management. “The Marines have always embodied the great tradition of being first while being excellent,” said Theo Mayer, President and CEO of Panoram. “We are very proud of our role in helping these forward thinking warfighters to realize their vision of the MCC and we look forward to many more on-going technology adventures with this incredible team.” Download printable PDF

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