After receiving heavy enemy rocket and mortar fire at a military base in Afghanistan, U.S. troops were able to use their iPhones and an app called Tactical NAV to capture enemy forces targeting Coalition and Afghan troops.

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Coalition and Afghan forces under intense enemy rocket and mortar fire, and unable to use their military-issued equipment, successfully utilized their iPhones and an app called Tactical NAV during a nighttime raid to capture enemy insurgents targeting military personnel.

U.S. Soldiers prepare for a nighttime mission in response to an enemy rocket and mortar attack at an undisclosed Coalition and Afghan base in Afghanistan. (DoD Photo/Undated). More

"I'm currently deployed to Afghanistan, and we took heavy enemy rocket and mortar fire in the middle of the night. We had to respond using a quick reaction force (QRF) to kill or capture the insurgents firing at the base. We didn't have any checkpoints, only a rough sketch of the route, and the grids where we were taking fire from," said a U.S. Soldier, whose name is being withheld for operational security reasons.

The Blue Force Tracker (BFT) they were trying to use was not functioning correctly, so the Soldier then quickly pulled out his iPhone and utilized Tactical NAV. He was then able to accurately pinpoint where the insurgents were located and then direct the QRF to the enemy's location.

"It was pitch black, and the roads were super tight, so we got lost. But, by using Tactical NAV, we were able to get to the building where the insurgents were located. The app [Tactical NAV] was ridiculously helpful the entire night, as we were taking heavy PKM, rocket, and mortar fire the entire time. Using the app, we were able to find the insurgents using Tactical NAV's main map screen, and by using the app's accuracy, we communicated the grid coordinates to the tactical operations center back at base," the Soldier said.

Former U.S. Army Capt. Jonathan J. Springer, a multi-tour combat veteran, developed the application on his third combat tour to Afghanistan. He said he was grateful that Tactical NAV worked in this particular instance. He added that most importantly, the app helped save the lives of his fellow service members, and also assisted in the capture of the insurgents responsible for the attack on Coalition and Afghan forces.

"I just wanted to let everyone know how helpful this app was during our missions in theater – especially on this particular operation. Tactical NAV simply works," the Soldier said.

Springer said he was humbled and appreciative of what the Soldier said to him via secure communication methods.

He also credited reading President Donald J. Trump's book 'Think Big and Kick Ass: In Business and in Life' on his Afghanistan deployment for giving him the guidance needed to kickstart his business venture with Tactical NAV.

"Helping our service members accomplish their mission while also saving lives in the process is what Tactical NAV is all about. I don't care about the cost that it took me to get this developed; you just can't put a price tag on saving the lives of our nation's heroes. It's all worth it," said Springer.

BOILERPLATE: Created to save U.S. military lives, Tactical NAV was the first MGRS-focused app on the Apple App Store and Google Play and was developed during a combat deployment to Afghanistan in 2010 by U.S. Army Capt. Jonathan J. Springer. Tactical NAV has proven to be effective in both combat and training environments, and it's trusted by tens of thousands of military warfighters worldwide.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Tactical NAV, LLC

Jonathan J. Springer

+1 260-494-3923

+ 84 98 175 5333

jonathan@tacticalnav.com

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SOURCE Tactical NAV