What is TAK?
Depending on the line of work, TAK can be called either Team Awareness Kit which is commonly used on the civilian side, and then Tactical Assault Kit for the military side of things. Additionally, the TAK applications come in many flavors as well – civilian, government, and military annotated by the -Civ, -Gov, and -Mil application extensions. Regardless of its use, TAK provides the same core capabilities in both practical applications. As a geospatial mapping and situational awareness tool at its core but can be greatly expanded through its adaptation of various plugins that either enhance or enable capabilities. This has allowed TAK to support the needs of its operators as a very flexible platform for command and control. Finally, as a government open-source software, you can develop your plugins for your employment of TAK to meet your needs.
Who uses TAK?
TAK is primarily used within the U.S. military but has also seen widespread use throughout law enforcement and recreational environments. Organizations such as the U.S. Forest Service, Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Colorado Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting (CoE) just to name a few.
Where can I get it?
The software suite is available for download and utilization via the TAK.gov website. Additionally, TAK products such as the TAK Server and ATAK can be freely downloaded via the code repository GitHub.
How can I learn more?
If you would like to learn more about TAK the TAK.gov website has a wealth of documentation and resources for members. Additionally, websites such as CivTAK hosts a public community of information as well as available public servers for testing.