WASHINGTON, March 7 (UPI) -- The first prototype for a computer system to be used in U.S. Army combat vehicles as part of the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program has been delivered.
General Dynamics and Rockwell Collins said Wednesday that the first Integrated Computer Systems (ICS) had been delivered on time and would provide a "common computing environment" for 13 of the 14 platforms that make up the ambitious FCS.
"ICS is the heart of FCS," said John van Dyke, director of Net-Centric Systems for General Dynamics C4 Systems. "This accomplishment provides a key component of the high-performance technology infrastructure required to take FCS to the next level of preparedness."
The ICS is embedded in mobile computer platforms that the FCS will use to provide a common operating picture among tanks and other combat vehicles. It links vehicles with various ground and air sensors.
Once deployed, FCS will place the same model hardware and software aboard vehicles, which will enable them to form the tightly connected "unit of action" that is a centerpiece of the FCS concept.
The FCS will have its first "spin-out" of the technology next year. The new ICS was designed and built in less than two years and will be added to vehicles currently in use by the Army.
