Kratos has developed an innovative leader/follower technology that allows manned and unmanned vehicles to perform cooperatively in tactical convoy operations using our Multi-Platform Appliqué Kit (M-PAK). The M-PAK system is used in convoy operations to prevent accidents, lower vehicle operating costs, and eliminate the need for expensive armor plating and bulky driver protection systems and can be installed in almost any military vehicle.
The system uses velocity, heading, and position information transmitted from a manned leader vehicle to the unmanned follower vehicles over a dedicated radio link. The system is radio link independent, so any communication link can be used to transmit the data. During convoy operations, the leader vehicle transmits its own velocity, heading, and position information to the Follower vehicles using data packet messages called eCrumbs (short for “electronic breadcrumbs”). The eCrumbs are transmitted at a rate of two messages per second to let the follower vehicles know precisely where the leader is as it travels along its intended route. The M-PAK system is able to operate in urban environments, mountainous areas, tunnels, heavy foliage, etc., and can also operate in harsh weather conditions such as rain, snow, sand, and dust.
