WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Boeing said Monday it and SAIC have handed over six more FCS integration kits to the U.S. Army.
Boeing and the Science Applications International Corp. are jointly the lead systems integrator for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems program. The two corporations have "delivered six additional network integration capability 'B-kits' to vehicle integrators BAE Systems, General Dynamics Land Systems and AM General, bringing the total number of B-kits delivered to date to 18," the company said in a statement.
"The B-kits are being installed on Bradley fighting vehicles, Abrams battle tanks and High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicles as part of the first 'spin out' of FCS capabilities to the current force," Boeing said.
"The delivery of enhanced network capability to the current force gives soldiers a distinct technological advantage on the battlefield, providing dramatically enhanced situational awareness and the ability to direct precision fires," said Dennis Muilenburg, vice president-general manager, Boeing Combat Systems, and FCS program manager.
"Fielded together with Tactical- and Urban Unattended Ground Sensors -- UGS -- and the Non-Line-of-Sight Launch System, the B-kits represent the first step in upgrading the current force with future force capability," Muilenburg said.
"The Spin Out 1 B-kits are comprised of the Integrated Computer System, Battle Command System software, System of Systems Common Operation Environment -- SOSCOE -- software and the Ground Platform Communications System, which includes the Joint Tactical Radio System Ground Mobile Radio," Boeing said.
"The Battle Command and SOSCOE software enables interoperability between systems, prioritizes raw data from sensors such as the Tactical- and Urban-UGS slated for Spin Out 1 and allows that data to be displayed on the screens of current force vehicles, providing soldiers with enhanced situational awareness," the company said. "A final software release this fall will enable the control and monitoring of multiple UGS fields," it said.
"Vehicles equipped with B-kit hardware and software will deploy this fall to support Army Evaluation Task Force test and evaluation activities scheduled to begin in early 2008," Boeing said.
