Comparative analysis of mobile systems for tactical command and control: Atak-Civ and Osmand from the perspective of functionality, modularity, and cyber security

This thesis presents a comparative study of two open-source mobile applications for situational awareness: Android Team Awareness Kit – Civil (ATAK-CIV) and Open Source Map Automated Navigation Directions (OsmAnd). Both platforms are designed for field orientation, spatial data visualization, and real-time support for decision-making, yet they originate from vastly different environments. ATAK-CIV was developed for military and tactical use, while OsmAnd was created for civilian navigation based on the open-source OpenStreetMap project.

The main objective of the thesis is to determine which of the two platforms is more suitable for use in security or tactical environments, where reliability, scalability, and information security are of critical importance. The analysis is based on four research hypotheses, focusing on: ease and modularity of plugin development, operational usability in tactical movement and coordination, user trust in the system, and level of cybersecurity provided by the platforms.

As part of the research, a custom plugin called Time-in-Zone Monitor was developed for both platforms to measure the amount of time spent within a designated zone. This enabled an empirical comparison of the development process, access to system-level functions, and user interface design. A combination of qualitative methods (documentation analysis, user experience from a six-month deployment of ATAK-CIV during an international mission) and quantitative evaluation (functionality comparison, system structure, security mechanisms) was used.

The findings demonstrate that ATAK-CIV provides a more robust and modular infrastructure for the development of secure, advanced plugins. OsmAnd, in contrast, proves to be more suitable for basic civilian use, thanks to its ease of use, offline functionality, and wide community support. However, it lacks the necessary system integration and control required for specialized field operations.