Marines to evaluate new mobile command center.

The Marine Corps has a new mobile command and control operations center designed to allow commanders to digitally collect, process and disseminate tactical data.

General Dynamics Decision Systems says it will deliver 355 unit operation centers to the Marine Corps by 2010. The company was awarded the contract in April 2002.

One of the first of 15 UOC systems will be used for production-readiness testing by the 6th Marine Regiment at Camp Lejeune, N.C, where Marines also will evaluate how it solves command and control issues identified during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

"Battlefield commanders will have the power to decide and the certainty to act, using information on digital smart boards rather than paper maps," said Brig. Gen. William Catto, head of the Marine Corps Systems Command. "UOC will re-host current Marine Corps mission application software...