Here’s a paper from National Defense University on ATAK’s uses against ISIL using a concept called “Remote Advise and Assist” written by members of the Department of Defense.
…the special forces soldiers that had arrived in country were already trained in an Android cell phone program developed by the U.S. Government called “ATAK,” short for “Android Tactical Assault Kit.” This
In 2014, ISIL caught the world surprise, taking over large swaths of land in Iraq and Syria in an attempt to form a caliphate. (Photo by Day Donaldson)
program allows an android phone user to maintain collective situational awareness, communicate and coordinate with other users, quickly tap out commands, text messages, enemy/friendly locations, and even full 9-line calls for fire. It is an exceptionally powerful and user-friendly program that is rapidly evolving within the U.S. military, and specifically within the U.S. Special Operations Command. With this knowledge, the special forces soldiers quickly realized that a program like ATAK combined with the existing technical competence of the ISOF could yield significant battlefield results….
