Shadow Box Solutions today announced the release of the ShadowBox Charlie, Mobile TAK DC2 Gateway, a compact, ruggedized, multi-network system designed to enable distributed command and control (DC2), joint fires integration, and long-range kill chains at the tactical edge.
The Charlie moves capabilities traditionally associated with large command posts, vehicle-mounted integration suites, and specialized tactical data-link gateways into a system small enough to deploy in a backpack at the team level or below. It bridges disparate tactical radios, networks, sensors, and command-and-control systems, allowing operational data to move between users who would otherwise remain isolated by incompatible communications architectures.
“Modern forces do not suffer from a lack of networks – they suffer from the seams between them,” Dave O’Neill, COO of Shadow Box Solutions said. He continued, “We built the Charlie to move the gateway forward to where those seams actually exist. A tactical team can now connect sensors, radios, Link 16, MANET, HF, TAK, and classified networks without the footprint and support infrastructure traditionally associated with that capability.”
A central capability of the Charlie is tactical-level Link 16 integration. When paired with systems such as the AN/PRC-161 BATS-D handheld Link 16 radio, the Charlie can integrate Link 16/J-series information with other tactical networks and transport relevant traffic using Joint Range Extension Applications Protocol-C (JREAP-C) over IP-based communications pathways. This extends Link 16 information beyond the traditional line-of-sight tactical data-link environment and into a broader distributed C2 architecture.
The Charlie also integrates TRAX software, providing tactical data translation and interoperability between Link 16/J-series data, JREAP, TAK/Cursor-on-Target, and other operational data sources. This allows information originating on one network or sensor architecture to be translated and delivered into another without requiring every participant in the kill chain to operate on the same communications system.
The system supports integration with the AN/PRC-161 BATS-D, AN/PRC-163, AN/PRC-167, AN/PRC-160 HF radio, Persistent Systems MPU5, Silvus StreamCaster, TrellisWare tactical MANET systems, and LoRa/Meshtastic-class networks, as well as other IP, serial, software-defined radio, and sensor interfaces.
This architecture also allows nontraditional and attritable systems to contribute directly to operational C2. Data originating from low-cost sensors, software-defined radios, leave-behind systems, or surrogate forces operating over low-bandwidth networks can be ingested by the Charlie and bridged into established tactical networks and dynamic targeting architectures.
The Charlie can operate independently as a disconnected tactical gateway or provide classified reachback to an Air Operations Center or SIPRNet C2 node through its integrated Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) architecture when connectivity is available. The system operates from a standard BB-2590/U battery and can also be powered from vehicle, external battery, DC, or AC power sources.
The ShadowBox Charlie expands Shadow Box Solutions’ family of expeditionary C4ISR systems and reflects the company’s focus on making sophisticated network integration capabilities smaller, easier to use, more deployable, and accessible farther forward.
About Shadow Box Solutions
Shadow Box Solutions is a U.S.-based provider of advanced communications and C4ISR integration systems, delivering customized, end-to-end solutions for defense, government, and specialized mission partners.
