As promised, the Boeing and Science Applications International team awarded the US Army Future Combat System lead systems integrator contract earlier this year has opened the $5 billion programme to participation by other defence companies. The team has awarded study contracts to eight major companies and many smaller entities.
FCS will be a system of lightweight, mobile manned and unmanned ground and air vehicles linked by a communications network, and the study contracts cover areas from vehicle integration to robotics technology. BAE Systems will focus on communications; General Dynamics (GD) on multifunction computers; Honey- well on information management; Lockheed Martin on command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance knowledge management and fusion; Northrop Grumman on sensor systems and vehicle survivability; and Raytheon on modelling and simulation and sensor systems. GM Defense and United Defense will study vehicle integration, as will BAE, GD and Honeywell.
Just under 90 contracts will be awarded to smaller companies. The first 30 of these include work on robotic technologies for ground and air vehicles. Recipients include Hamilton Sundstrand, Intelligent Automation and Rockwell Collins. Contracts have also been awarded for work on new materials, including aerogels and hardened metals, and advanced software.
Source: Flight International
