What is ATAK?
ATAK stands for Android Team Awareness Kit. The app shows everyone involved in an operation the same map with positions, markers, photos and messages.
Origins
Where ATAK comes from
ATAK was developed by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), originally under the name Android Tactical Assault Kit. Today the US government’s TAK Product Center maintains the software and distributes it through tak.gov.
The civilian version, ATAK-CIV, is free and open source and available on Google Play and tak.gov. Police, fire services, civil protection and aid organizations use it worldwide. ATAK-MIL and ATAK-GOV are reserved for armed forces and government agencies.
What ATAK does in the field
The app answers four questions that come up in every operation.
Where are my people?
Every responder appears on the map with position, heading and status, on all devices at the same time.
Positions · Groups · Status
Where is the danger?
Draw hazard areas, exclusion zones and obstacles. Every marker shows up for everyone at once, including in vehicles.
Markers · Drawing · Tactical symbols
What is happening now?
Drone footage, cameras, sensor readings and messages appear at the spot on the map where they originate.
Video · Sensors · Chat
What is the plan?
Plan sectors, routes and assembly points, and share documents as a data package. Offline maps keep working without a network.
Planning · Data packages · Offline maps
Chat and groups Messages to everyone, to groups or to individual team members.
Data packages Share maps, photos, plans and settings as one package.
Mesh radio Positions and messages with no mobile network at all.
Measuring and navigation Distances, bearings, elevation profiles and routes.
What a TAK system is made of
For a shared picture across several units, the app is usually joined by a server, radios and extensions.
ATAK, iTAK, WinTAK, WebTAK
The same picture on Android (ATAK), iPhone and iPad (iTAK), Windows (WinTAK) and in the browser (WebTAK). iTAK has fewer features than ATAK.
TAK Server
Distributes positions, messages and data packages across network boundaries and manages users, groups and certificates. Devices on the same Wi-Fi network can work without a server.
Federation
Connects the servers of two organizations. Each side keeps its own server and decides which groups share data.
Mesh radio
LoRa radios on 868 MHz pass positions and short messages from device to device without a mobile network. The data rate is too low for photos and video.
Plugins
Extensions bring in drones, radios, sensors or specialist applications. A plugin has to match the installed ATAK version.
Cursor on Target (CoT)
All TAK applications exchange their data in this open XML format. Every message carries an identifier, a type, a time and a position.
Why ATAK?
Unlike proprietary situational awareness software, ATAK is not owned by a commercial vendor. Its source code and data format are open.
- No license fees per user or device
- Other software can read and write CoT
- No vendor can raise prices or discontinue the product
- You can run everything yourself on your own infrastructure, without outside servers or service providers
- Organizations with their own servers work together through federation
Proprietary systems are ahead on support and on getting started quickly. We take care of both.
A learning path in six articles
The articles build on each other, so it is best to read them in order. The TAK glossary explains the terms.
PDF to print
Checklist for introducing ATAK
Two pages with the questions to settle before you introduce ATAK. After you submit the form, the download link appears right here.
- Goals and scenarios
- Devices
- Server and hosting
- Data protection and DPA
- Radio and mesh
- Maps
- Training
- Operations
Frequently asked questions
Is ATAK free?
Yes. ATAK-CIV and TAK Server are open source, and iTAK and WinTAK are free. You pay for server operation, devices, setup and training. Costs and process
What is the difference between TAK and ATAK?
TAK (Team Awareness Kit) is the umbrella term for the apps, the server and the plugins. ATAK is the Android app. There is also iTAK for iPhone and iPad, WinTAK for Windows and WebTAK in the browser.
Do we need a server for ATAK?
Not necessarily. On the same Wi-Fi or mesh network, devices exchange positions and messages directly. You need a TAK Server to work over mobile networks, to manage users and to work with other organizations.
Does ATAK work on the iPhone?
Yes, with iTAK from the Apple App Store. iTAK is the official TAK client for iPhone and iPad. It connects to the same servers as ATAK but has fewer features.
Talk to our experts
Considering ATAK for your organization? We will get back to you with a suggested appointment. The first consultation is free.