Eurosatory 2012 : Rockwell Collins Introduces Joint Fires Awareness Concept

Rockwell Collins has introduced the FireStorm for Joint Fires integrated situational awareness concept, according to company officials.


'We are presenting for the first time a completely integrated system for the battlefield,' Jean-Louis Lair, director of marketing for Europe, Middle-East and Africa for the company told Shephard during the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris, France. 'We are showing the linked soldier applications with a vehicle and airborne platform.

'Each bit we represent is proven, with FireStorm itself being a proven system with the UK MoD. Ultimately, the soldier's mission is to locate and identify an enemy target, and this system is able to locate the target very accurately.'


A tactical data link networks all of the platforms together, 'all sharing each other's position with every participant sharing location data,' he added.


Rockwell Collins systems that could be integrated include the FireStorm integrated targeting system, StrikeHawk data link and Flexnet SDR: 'They are accurate and proven, and the concept provides a quick reaction time to make a decision and decide on the best action. All units are moving so it's important to have real time sharing of information.'


The company can either offer the software solution to existing products or provide the entire solution including hardware, and 'we can master the whole chain of communication', Lair explained.


He said it is looking at NATO and allied customers and is 'already demonstrating and proposing to customers for the complete solution'.


Meanwhile, Rockwell Collins also announced that it had been selected by the Australian Defence Force Land 17 to provide 152 systems, based on the FireStorm, for the Digital Terminal Control Systems (DTCS) programme under a $68 million contract.


'The DTCS allows special forces and artillery forward observers to identify targets with greater accuracy through the use of precision targeting software,' the company said. 'The DTCS is a lightweight, fully integrated, mission configurable suite of hardware and software comprised of a tablet PC, laser range finder, laser target designator, real-time video downlink receiver and manpack radio.'


The company has also completed the delivery of some 1,200 Defense Advanced GPS Receivers (DAGRs) and 97 MicroDAGRs to the Australian DoD, and recently signed a second contract for 2,400 DAGRs with deliveries scheduled for July.