The Modular Command Post System (MCPS) is a modular tent system for mobile or temporary tactical operations centers, developed in the early-mid 1990s by the United States Army. The tents are designed to be utilised as a free-standing shelter. When used with a bootwall, it can be attached to other types of U.S. Army shelters and tactical vehicles such as variants of the HMMWV (Humvee). [1] [2]
The MCPS is a modular, configurable system utilising standardised interchangeable components that allow the easy transportation, erection and dismantling of a variety of temporary structures. They are suitable for deployment in a number of climates, and provide blackout protection for use within forward deployed areas. MCPS tents are available in two colours, camouflage green and desert tan. [1] [3]
Each "unit", i.e. the set of components that comprise one tent, can be configured as: [1] [3]
When erected, individual MCPS units measure 11 ft (3.35 m) by 11 ft (3.35 m). They are secured to the ground using guy lines and tent pegs. When not in use, units are packed in a dedicated packing containers, which are strapped to a wooden pallet for storage and transportation. [1]
Each MCPS tent comprises four exterior fabric walls of identical dimensions that can be arranged as desired. Wall sections are suspended from the roof with a series of male/female quick-connect fasteners, as well as strips of hook and loop fasteners (i.e. velcro). The roof contains two ventilation vents and a stove pipe opening. Walls are available with or without ECU/SHC ducts. [1]
A covered entry way is an integral part of the entrance wall and provides environmental protection and aids good light discipline. When two or more tents are joined together, a rain gutter connects between tents to help water run off. Eight 12-inch steel tent pins (pegs) are issued per unit for staking down the tent frame leg assemblies. Eight 24-inch wooden tent pins are issued for staking down the tent guys lines. [1]
The system is designed for ease of assembly and minimal labour requirement, utilising quick release fasteners and fixtures throughout. The design distributes loads efficiently, with lighter support systems than conventional tents and comprises: [1]
Erection (set-up) and dismantlement (strike-down) of MCPS units can be accomplished by two persons, with quoted set-up and strike-down times of 20 and 15 minutes respectively. [1]
Light coloured wall liners can be fitted to the inside of walls to aide light diffusion and provide basic insulation. They can also be used as outside walls during warm weather and during daylight. Wall liners are either: [1]
Insulated wall liners are also available for in extreme operating conditions. A light coloured floor can be laid and attached to the walls with a series of male/female quick-connect fasteners. [1]
Bootwalls are the means by which an MCPS tent is connected to another type of shelter or a tactical vehicle. [Figure 3] depicts a rigid wall shelter (RWS) bootwall for which the components are as follows: [4]
Like the MCPS tents, bootwalls are available in both Camouflage Green ("Class I") and Desert Tan ("Class II"). [4]
MCPS components are supplied and shipped in dedicated packing bags. Three different types of bags are required for each MCPS unit: [1]
Once packed, the bags can be strapped to a standard wooden pallet for storage or transportation.
MCPS units can be fitted with standardised command post equipment of: [1]
Lighting sets and mapboards are suspended from the tent frame.
MCPS tents are available in two different types: [1]
The Type I MCPS is the original design equipped with uninsulated wall liners only, and does not have provisions to accommodate a convective space heater (SHC) or ECU ducts. Door openings are offset from the centre, and are fitted with a standard TEMPER vestibule. Type I units are free-standing only i.e. they cannot be attached to vehicles or structures others than other MCPS tents, to which they be attached together to form a complex of multiple units as depicted in [Figure 4].
The Type III MCPS is a later design fitted with plain and window walls that may accommodate SHC and ASH ducting, and full set of insulated liners is shipped with the tent. An entrance wall with a centrally located door opening may be fitted with a standard TEMPER vestibule, or replaced with a bootwall to attach the tent to vehicles or other structures.
Both Type I and Type III MCPS units can be configured as stand-alone tents, either as individual units or joined together to form a complex of multiple units. [1]
When used with appropriate bootwalls, Type III MCPS units can be attached to other U.S. Army shelters including: [2] [4]
Type III MCPS units are connect to tactical vehicles through the use of a vehicle-specific bootwall that replaces a side wall or end wall. Bootwalls are available for: [2] [4]
Various companies manufacture MCPS units according to US Department of Defense contracts. Manufacturers include: [5]
The rugged construction and versatility of MCPS units make them popular with civilian buyers. They are often sold through camping equipment suppliers, military equipment surplus stores and through auctions and auction sites. They are also used by aid agencies for disaster relief and humanitarian aid missions, such as after earthquakes or for internally displaced persons in countries experiencing war. [5]
Official specifications are as follows: [1] [3]
A backpack—also called knapsack, rucksack, pack, booksack, bookbag, haversack or backsack—is, in its simplest frameless form, a fabric sack carried on one's back and secured with two straps that go over the shoulders; but it can have an external or internal frame, and there are bodypacks.
A tent is a shelter consisting of sheets of fabric or other material draped over, attached to a frame of poles or a supporting rope. While smaller tents may be free-standing or attached to the ground, large tents are usually anchored using guy ropes tied to stakes or tent pegs. First used as portable homes by nomads, tents are now more often used for recreational camping and as temporary shelters.
Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment, or MOLLE, is the current generation of load-bearing equipment and backpacks used by a number of NATO armed forces, especially the British Army and the United States Army.
Earthbag construction is an inexpensive building method using mostly local soil to create structures which are both strong and can be quickly built.
A trailer is an unpowered vehicle towed by a powered vehicle. It is commonly used for the transport of goods and materials.
A fastener or fastening is a hardware device that mechanically joins or affixes two or more objects together. In general, fasteners are used to create non-permanent joints; that is, joints that can be removed or dismantled without damaging the joining components. Steel fasteners are usually made of stainless steel, carbon steel, or alloy steel.
The Army Combat Uniform (ACU) is the current combat uniform worn by the United States Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Space Force. Within U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, it is referred to as the OCP Uniform, rather than the Army Combat Uniform.
Personal Load Carrying Equipment (PLCE) is one of several tactical webbing systems of the British Armed Forces. Dependent upon the year of design, and the decade of introduction, the webbing system was named and is commonly referred to as the 85 Pattern, the 90 Pattern or the 95 Pattern webbing.
Framing, in construction, is the fitting together of pieces to give a structure support and shape. Framing materials are usually wood, engineered wood, or structural steel. The alternative to framed construction is generally called mass wall construction, where horizontal layers of stacked materials such as log building, masonry, rammed earth, adobe, etc. are used without framing.
The All-Purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment (ALICE) is a set of load-carrying equipment adopted as United States Army Standard A on 17 January 1973 to replace the M-1956 Individual Load-Carrying Equipment (ILCE) and M-1967 Modernized Load-Carrying Equipment (MLCE). Although since superseded by MOLLE, ALICE gear is still in some limited use with the U.S. Army National Guard, State Guard, also some ground units of the Navy and Air Force.
The M136 Volcano Vehicle-Launched Scatterable Mine System is an automated mine delivery system developed by the United States Army in the 1980s. The system uses prepackaged mine canisters which contain multiple anti-personnel (AP) and/or anti-tank (AT) mines which are dispersed over a wide area when ejected from the canister. The system, commonly referred to as Volcano, is also used by other armies around the world.
The IIFS was introduced in 1988, to serve as a fighting and existence carrying system—a possible replacement for the All-purpose Lightweight Individual Carrying Equipment employed and fielded by United States Armed Forces since 1973.
The Volkswagen Westfalia Camper was a conversion of the Volkswagen Type 2, and then, the Volkswagen Type 2 (T3), sold from the early 1950s to 2003. Volkswagen subcontracted the modifications to the company Westfalia-Werke in Rheda-Wiedenbrück.
The M1120 HEMTT LHS is a M977 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck with a load handling system in place of a flat bed/cargo body. The HEMTT is an eight-wheel drive, diesel-powered, tactical truck used by the US military and others. The HEMTT is manufactured by Oshkosh Defense and entered Army service in 1982, with the M1120 variant first produced in 1999.
The MAN Category 1 is a family of high-mobility off-road trucks developed by MAN SE for the German army. Production continued through an evolution of the design with the final iteration (SX) in production until early 2019.
Hook-and-loop fasteners, hook-and-pile fasteners or touch fasteners, are a method for allowing two surfaces to be repeatedly fastened and unfastened, useful for clothing or other purposes. The fastener consists of two components: typically, two lineal fabric strips which are attached to the opposing surfaces designed to be fastened together. The first component features tiny hooks and the second component features smaller loops; When the two are pressed together, the hooks catch in the loops and the two pieces fasten or bind temporarily. When separated, which can be done by pulling or peeling the two surfaces apart, the strips make a distinctive ripping sound.
The M577 Command Post Carrier, also known as the M577 Command Post Vehicle or Armored Command Post Vehicle, is a variant of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier that was developed and produced by the Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation (FMC) to function on the battlefield as a mobile command post i.e. a tactical operations centre, usually at the battalion level. In U.S. military service its official designation is Carrier, Command Post, Light Tracked M577.