Mapping Apps are Endangering Special Operators, [But ATAK is not on that List]

Here’s the article. Most of the article covers problems with APASS/KILSWITCH, and related hacking issues. The whole article is worth a read, but the most important news regarding ATAK is this:

That more rigorously tested and widely trusted program across the military branches, according to interviews with active-duty troops, is the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK), which was developed and fully vetted and tested by the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL.

(The Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK), a Finalist in the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program, is a gps communications tool that runs on a mobile device and improves situational awareness by allowing users to know where their mission partners are located, regardless of affiliation. It also improves communications through a variety of applications. Courtesy of DHS Science and Technology Directorate and YouTube. Posted on Nov 17, 2017.)

Created in 2010, ATAK appears to be the program of record for the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), according to ATAK’s website.
A program of record designation means a new technology has been subjected to such rigorous testing that it’s part of an approved budget line for the Future Years Defense Program, an annual catalogue summarizing resources and programs associated with Department of Defense operations.

There is also a civilian version of ATAK that has fewer features than the military’s, which is widely used and trusted by the U.S. law enforcement agencies.

(The Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK), a Finalist in the 2018 ‘ASTORS’ Homeland Security Awards Program, is a gps communications tool that runs on a mobile device and improves situational awareness by allowing users to know where their mission partners are located, regardless of affiliation. It also improves communications through a variety of applications. Courtesy of DHS Science and Technology Directorate and YouTube. Posted on Nov 17, 2017.)