EQUIPMENT COMMON OPERATING PICTURE

The Army has a powerful new way to ensure deploying units have the equipment they need to perform their missions.   The new system, called Equipment Common Operation Picture or “ECOP” is a web-based application that provides current policy information, libraries of approved equipment lists and a means to request critical equipment all in one tool.  Commanders, operations officers and logisticians can access the application on the classified Internet (SIRNET) to review MTOEs, Mission Essential Equipment Lists and initiate Operational Needs Statement requests for special equipment not on their MTOE or an approved MEEL.  The system officially launched 1 September, 2006. 

The deployment of ECOP supports two needs of the Army – the immediate need to support the warfighter deploying to contingency operations today and the more long term need to transformation to a new Army concept - ARFORGEN – were resources are synchronized to provide capable forces where and when needed.  

As profiled in the periodical, ARMY LOGISTICIAN, Jan-Feb 2007, ECOP fills a critical deployment need: 

         ONLINE DATABASE HELPS COMMANDERS DETERMINE EQUIPMENT NEEDS

"Commanders preparing for deployment have a new tool available to help them determine what equipment they need to take with them. A new common online database, called the Equipment Common Operating Picture (ECOP), provides easier access to mission essential equipment lists (MEELs). ECOP applies to all units currently deployed or deploying in the future to Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. It contains hundreds of validated MEELs; other Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA), equipment validations or authorizations; and HQDA equipping policy documents. ECOP can be used to create and submit operational needs statements digitally and to track their progress through the chain of command. Information on ECOP is available on the Third Army Web site at www.swa.arcent.army.smil.mil. Units may register to use the ECOP database at www.armyc2apps.hqda.army.smil.mil/ecop. Secure Internet protocol routing is required to access this site. (See related article on "What to Pack: A Guide to Predeployment Equipment Planning".)"