The U.S. Navy‘s Office of Naval Research has sponsored the development of a mapping software platform for warfighters to map live-fire training areas.
The tool is built through ONR’s TechSolutions rapid-response science and technology program and designed to integrate with the U.S. Marine Corps‘ Kinetic Integrated Lightweight Software Individual Tactical Combat Handheld for Android, the Navy said Thursday.
The KILSWITCH application works to help Marines gain situational awareness through Google Maps-style graphic displays even without a server connection.
ONR aims to update the tool’s mapping feature with the use of a plug-in tool called KILSWITCH SDZ.
“Because the KILSWITCH SDZ tool is handheld and portable, warfighters can plan live-fire training while in the field versus from inside of a command center,” ONR Command Master Chief Matt Matteson said.
The plug-in tool is designed to overlay anticipated exercise areas with satellite landscape imagery to a generate two-dimensional surface danger zone map that planners can use to mark weapons locations and dangerous areas for warfighters.
Surface danger zones include ground, sea or air space where munitions such as bullets or mortar rounds may ricochet or move to before or after impacting intended targets, the Navy noted.
The TechSolutions team collaborated with the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s Digital Precision Strike Suite group to develop KILSWITCH SDZ.
