The hackathon’s premise was to build something using the TAK server and one of its clients — WinTAK or ATAK. I couldn’t participate in person since I was away for work, but I wanted to create something in the same spirit — a contribution that could have been my entry.
That’s how Aurora Bridge was born.
What is Aurora Bridge?
Aurora Bridge is a lightweight web application that connects the TAK/CoT ecosystem with a browser-based operational view.
It:
connects to a TAK server via mTLS,
receives and parses CoT (Cursor-on-Target) events,
displays them live on a shared map (using the same base map as WinTAK and ATAK),
computes reach, overlap, and time-to-engage for friendly units, and
lets an operator send CoT chat or marker messages back into TAK directly from the browser.
The result is a thin, easily deployable decision-support bridge between field units and command.
Why Aurora Bridge?
The main idea behind Aurora Bridge is speed — reducing the time between detection and engagement.
When a unit detects a threat, that information should flow upstream instantly, allowing the command element to decide who should engage based on range, readiness, and movement capability. This not only shortens the “detect–decide–act” loop but also provides richer intelligence data for situational awareness.
Two key concepts guided the build:
1. Fighting on the same map
Aurora Bridge uses a streamed base map from T-Kartor, the same map source used in both ATAK, WinTAK and upstream user interface. That means everyone — operators, field units, and command — literally sees the same world view.
2. Running in a shielded network
All components can run inside a closed, isolated environment, such as a Docker-based deployment within a secure mesh network. This allows for offline or classified operation without relying on any external services.
Features at a Glance
Live CoT ingest — connects to the TAK CoT port over mTLS and continuously parses <event> streams.
Real-time map visualization — uses Leaflet and mil symbol for 2525C-standard symbology.
Reach & overlap detection — calculates which friendly assets are within range of known hostiles.
Engagement ETA calculation — computes reaction time + travel time for each friendly based on speed and readiness.
Bidirectional communication — operators can send CoT chat or engagement markers via a simple “⚔️ Engage” button.
Offline operation — runs fully self-contained with no external dependencies.
Secure integration — protected with mutual TLS and shared-token authentication for message endpoints.
Reaction Time and Readiness
To estimate when a unit can engage, Aurora Bridge introduces two additional parameters to each friendly marker:
How fast the unit can move (km/h)
How long before the unit can start moving
In military terminology, this delay is often referred to as Notice to Move (NTM) or Reaction Time — the period between receiving an order and being ready to execute.
For example:
A drone may have a 10-minute reaction time and a speed of 40 km/h.
A ground troop may need 30 minutes to mobilize and move at 5 km/h.
Aurora Bridge calculates the expected time to engage based on both factors and color-codes the result in the UI:
🟢 <15 minutes
🟡 15–30 minutes
🔴 >30 minutes
Use Case – Operational Workflow
A patrol detects a threat and creates a marker in WinTAK.
The TAK server distributes the CoT event.
Aurora Bridge ingests the event via cot_stream.php and displays it in the “Unfriendly” overview.
Aurora Bridge automatically identifies which friendly assets are within reach and computes their estimated engagement times.
The operator selects the most appropriate unit and clicks ⚔️ Engage — triggering a CoT message back into TAK.
Command sees the engagement order in WinTAK/ATAK and can act immediately.
Example: “Fighting on the same map”
All clients — ATAK, WinTAK, and Aurora Bridge — render the same T-Kartor WMS base map. This ensures consistent situational understanding: every participant sees the same terrain, roads, and overlays, synchronized in near real time.
Summary
Aurora Bridge demonstrates how quickly a lightweight decision-support system can be built around the TAK ecosystem — bridging real-time CoT data with web-based visualization and control.
It’s a prototype designed for experimentation and rapid iteration — but it highlights a key idea:
