CivTAK
Your team on one map,
in the dark, on the phone you already own.
CivTAK/ATAK training by DTD
CivTAK is the civilian Team Awareness Kit: a shared tactical map that runs on an ordinary Android phone.
CivTAK, also called ATAK-CIV, is the civilian release of the Team Awareness Kit. The military build is restricted to armed forces and authorised agencies; the civilian build is openly available, and is used by search and rescue teams, outdoor groups and enthusiasts to hold a shared map and coordinate without a phone signal.
We teach you to run it properly, at night, with other people, so your group stops losing each other in the dark.
Courses are being scheduled now.
What you can do afterwards
Set up your own device from nothing and get offline maps onto it, then repeat it at home.
Mark what you see so that other people understand it without asking.
Measure range and bearing, and agree units with your team before it matters.
Send a position to one person, or to everybody, and know which you just did.
Build a route and navigate it after dark.
Work out whether you can be seen from a given piece of ground before you move onto it.
Book a course
From an empty device to a working shared map: setup, offline maps, markers, range and bearing, team messaging and navigating after dark.
For anyone who has never run CivTAK. No military or professional background needed.
Dates to follow
Overlays and keeping the map legible, drawing and boundaries, terrain and visibility at night, and recording what actually happened.
For people who have the basics and are responsible for a group.
Dates to follow
Who teaches this
Everyone who teaches here served in the French Foreign Legion. That is where the standard comes from, and it is the reason we teach these subjects rather than only selling the equipment for them.
Day to day we are a small outfit in Switzerland selling night vision and thermal, and we spend an unreasonable amount of time thinking about how people move in the dark.
CivTAK is the software that holds a group together at night, which is the same problem our equipment exists to solve. Teaching it sits inside our trade rather than beside it.
Who it is for
Enthusiasts who want the capability
Most people who take this course want the capability itself, and the activity it serves comes second: airsoft, hunting, hiking, photography, or anything that puts a group outdoors and out of sight of each other.
Groups that have to account for people
Search volunteers, expedition and outdoor teams, and anyone responsible for knowing where everybody is in terrain.
You need to be comfortable with a smartphone. No military or professional background is assumed, and none is required.
The night session
The interesting half of this course happens after dark, and we run it under night vision. You do not need to own a device: we bring ours.
Reading terrain, working out what can see you, and navigating to something you cannot see are all different problems at night. Doing that on a shared map, through a tube, is the part nobody else in Switzerland is teaching.
What you bring
An Android phone or tablet, charged, with free storage space. This matters more than anything else on this page: CivTAK does not run on an iPhone, and a student who arrives with one cannot take part.
We keep a small number of spare devices for failures on the day. They are a safety net, not enough to run a class on, so please bring your own.
What this is not
This is DTD Systems GmbH teaching you the software. It is not official, accredited or endorsed training, we are not affiliated with the Team Awareness Kit Product Center, and the course does not award a TAK qualification. You receive a DTD certificate of attendance, which says exactly that.
FAQ
Do I need military or police experience?
No. The course is written for private individuals and assumes no background. If you can use a smartphone, you can follow it.
Does it work on an iPhone?
No. CivTAK is Android only. You need an Android phone or tablet to take part.
Do I need night vision equipment?
No, and you do not need to buy one. We bring the devices for the night session. If you already own night vision, bring it: we sell these for a living and we will help you get the most out of yours.
Is the software expensive?
CivTAK itself is free. What you are paying for is being taught to use it properly, by somebody who has already made the mistakes.
Where and when does it run, and what does it cost?
Dates, location and pricing are being finalised. Send us an enquiry and we will give you the details directly as soon as they are set.
How to book
- Send us an enquiry saying what you want out of the course.
- We come back to you with dates, location and pricing.
- You confirm your place and we send the programme and what to prepare on your device.
Enquire about a place: info@dtdsystems.ch
Team Awareness Kit, TAK and ATAK are the names of a United States Government software programme and are used here descriptively. DTD Systems GmbH is not affiliated with, endorsed by or accredited by the TAK Product Center.
Book a course
From an empty device to a working shared map: setup, offline maps, markers, range and bearing, team messaging and navigating after dark.
For anyone who has never run CivTAK. No military or professional background needed.
Dates to follow
Overlays and keeping the map legible, drawing and boundaries, terrain and visibility at night, and recording what actually happened.
For people who have the basics and are responsible for a group.
Dates to follow