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U.S. Marine Corps Enlists Panoram for Next Generation Command
Center
Inaugurated in July 2002, 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.
“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.”
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