Page 40 - topcoverissue19

40 TOP COVER SPRING 2024 ADVERTORIAL

FROM THE SKY TO THE STREET: TACTICAL APPLICATION OF MOSAIC AND AIRBOX

How an app designed to help pilots navigate became a powerful tactical tool due to be rolled out across armed policing in the UK

When William Moore founded Airbox in 2008, he
had no idea that the software he had designed
would end up as a cornerstone of interoperability
for Britain’s emergency services. He admitted
that his focus was entirely on aviation, but that all
changed when he met Gerry Hill, who came with
decades of first-hand counter-terrorism experience.
William and Gerry soon discovered that they
shared a passion for protecting lives: “Originally I
was just sitting in an office trying to make navigation
easier for pilots,” explained Moore. “But Gerry
recognised the tactical application of what we had
straight away.”
That tactical experience opened the door for
Airbox to begin development of their ground-based
software, and while the aviation function remained
its own product, the underlying technology was
soon being deployed with police forces across the
UK as the MOSAIC and Airbox Track applications.

A secure, shared, real-time
operating picture
At its core, MOSAIC provides users with digital
maps on a phone or tablet which are stored on
the device and therefore don’t require an internet
connection to view. Those maps can be overlayed MOSAIC users understand the operational picture.
with geo-referenced graphics, embedded with Originally designed and deployed to support
documents linked to specific locations, or even operations across county borders, its utility was soon
annotated by the user drawing on the screen. recognised and its usage expanded.
When a data connection is available, those “Airbox Track was deployed to all Armed
annotations and each user’s location are shared Response Vehicles in England and Wales,”
instantly, with users able to select how much of the explained Roy Grassie, Operations and Delivery
detail in each ‘layer’ that they want to see at any Programme Manager at Airbox Systems. “MOSAIC
time, while adding context by securely sharing text on the other hand, allows each officer to see
messages in groups. Video feeds from a variety the complete operational picture.” As a former
of sources, including drones and even consenting firearms officer himself, Grassie is well equipped
civilian mobile phone users outside the network, to understand the potential for technologies like
can also be selected for display in discrete windows, MOSAIC and Airbox Track to support their work.
adding to the user’s understanding of the situation MOSAIC is now being procured under a
on the ground. national Police Digital Services framework, to
The result is a secure, shared, real-time operating increase interoperability between firearms officers
picture. It takes only a glance to understand the and surveillance teams, and to enable cross-
situation and your team’s place within it. organisational collaboration. The aim of the roll-out
Airbox Track was a partner application that is to enable officers to join MOSAIC networks of any
broadcast its location on a MOSAIC network. other force, providing them a secure environment to
Users who didn’t need access to the mapping coordinate using a common system. With the system
and annotation could still be tracked, helping already widely used across UK ambulance services

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