ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- From pioneering new data relay systems on the KC-46 Pegasus to prototyping agile communication platforms across the mobility fleet, Air Mobility Command (AMC) is taking bold steps to modernize connectivity and ensure decision advantage for the Joint Force.
During the U.S. Air Force’s 2025 Department-Level Exercise (DLE) series in July 2025, AMC Mission System Operators executed a successful test of the Taclane Augmented Roll-on Beyond Line-of-Sight Enhancement System (TARS) onboard a KC-46. The demonstration marked a significant milestone in expanding the Pegasus’ role in command-and-control connectivity and advancing AMC’s contribution to the Joint Force’s Maneuver Battle Management System.
“This test was all about confirming the full path of data relay and validating that we can keep passing critical mission data,” said Staff Sgt. Michael Hagebusch, 22nd Operations Support Squadron mission system operator.
The test built on an initial trial conducted at Pease Air National Guard Base in May, which first proved the KC-46 could receive an IP-based Joint Range Extension Application Protocol connection to its tactical data link. By extending and securing connectivity, AMC crews now have greater capacity to sustain communication throughout contested environments—whether airborne or on the ground during refueling operations.
“This allows us to operate in ways that have never been available to us in the past,” said Master Sgt. Kyle Bone, AMC Mission System Operator Program manager. “Now, even while aircraft are parked doing refueling operations, it’s operating as part of a tactical data link mesh network.”
A mesh network ensures resilient communication by automatically rerouting signals through alternate paths if one device goes offline. This redundancy is critical in austere or denied environments, allowing crews to maintain awareness and continue supporting the fight.
“TARS can collect and rebroadcast real-time information to overcome perceived area denial tactics like jamming,” Bone added. “It’s the next step in countering near-peer challenges.”
A Startup Approach to Connectivity
At the same time TARS testing advances tanker connectivity, AMC’s Commander’s Initiative Group is charting the future of mobility communications through its Airlift/Tanker Open Mission System (ATOMS) prototype program.
Formed after Operation Allies Refuge revealed gaps in command situational awareness, the group is a small, cross-functional team of pilots, engineers and software developers tasked with delivering decision advantage through rapid innovation.
“We’re the command’s little startup company — small, agile, and built to deliver decision advantage,” said Lt. Col. Paul Tucker, AMC CIG director and a C-17 Globemaster III pilot by trade.
The ATOMS kit itself is built to be modular and flexible with network and server capabilities. Together, these components effectively bring internet-like connectivity and computing power directly onto the aircraft. The system connects through multiple beyond-line-of-sight satellite communication providers, without being locked into a single vendor option. That flexibility ensures crews can maintain secure communication in contested or denied environments.
ATOMS provides every crew position with secure tablets integrated with tactical data. It also enables a secure chat platform allowing crews to receive real-time mission updates, cargo changes and air refueling tasking without relying on vulnerable voice communications or other unencrypted systems.
“Instead of scrambling after landing, crews know changes before they hit the ground,” Tucker said.
Beyond enhancing situational awareness, ATOMS is deliberately designed to be user-friendly. Its interface resembles a smartphone, displaying simple red or green indicators for system status, with one-touch access to key apps and a straightforward shutdown sequence. This simplicity reduces training demands and ensures that crews can focus on flying the mission instead of troubleshooting complex systems.
By marrying modular hardware, flexible connectivity and intuitive design, ATOMS transforms mobility aircraft into data-sharing nodes for the Joint Force, ensuring decision advantage extends from the command level down to the tactical edge.
Integration Across the Joint Force
Both ATOMS and TARS are designed to align with broader Air Force and Joint modernization initiatives and Joint modernization initiatives by connecting aircraft into key join force networks like the DAF Battle Network, Joint Fires Network, and Joint All Domain C2.
This interoperability means mobility platforms are no longer simply enablers of others’ missions—they are nodes of information dominance, passing and receiving data that shapes decisions across the battlespace.
Building for the Future
From TARS mesh networking on the KC-46 to ATOMS prototyping across the fleet, AMC is pursuing multiple, complementary paths toward one objective: ensuring connectivity and decision advantage in tomorrow’s fight.
The lessons learned from DLE testing and global exercises are shaping formal requirements that will feed future modernization efforts that are resourced and scalable.
“We’re cautiously optimistic,” Tucker said. “Requirements are written, funding is in play, and competition is on the horizon.”
Whether through KC-46 advancements or CIG-driven prototypes, AMC is building the connected mobility force the Joint Force needs—resilient, adaptable, and ready to operate in contested battlespaces.