BAE SYSTEMS TO SUPPLY BOWMAN COMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND MODELLING FACILITY
13 Jun 02. BAE SYSTEMS C4ISR has received a contract from General Dynamics UK Limited for the supply of both the BOWMAN Communications Management System (BCMS) and the Land Systems Reference Centre (LSRC) BOWMAN Modelling Facility (LBMF) valued at approximately £11m.
The Filton, United Kingdom, based C4ISR team will deliver the BCMS to General Dynamics UK as a series of phased releases, culminating in thefinal delivery of the full system in December 2003. The LBMF will be delivered outside these timescales to permit operational experience of using BOWMAN in the field to be reflected in the LBMF system’s architecture.
BAE SYSTEMS is developing the feature-rich, Windows-based BCMS to support the network planning and management of complex tactical radio communications systems within General Dynamics UK’s BOWMAN solution. The BCMS enables the production and implementation of communications plans using an Explorer-style graphical user interface to manage the dynamic affiliations of organisations, combat radio nets, platforms and radios in the complex battlespace.
Whereas the BCMS will support real-life BOWMAN deployments, the LBMF will provide the user community with the ability to support the testing of BOWMAN and associated equipment, and to provide ‘what if’ testing prior to deployment without diverting significant numbers of troops and equipment for lengthy periods. The LBMF will also provide a testbed for equipment under development and support the evaluation of proposed modifications or enhancements. It will also provide greater flexibility in testing various network configurations and parameters, and permit faster assessment of networks than can be achieved with in-service equipment.
Both developments represent the cutting edge of technical innovation. The BCMS has been developed to run on Windows 2000 platforms with a minimal footprint, but can also be hosted on Windows NT, Windows 98 and Windows XP. It will also run on a Windows Emulator running on Lynux. The software has been developed in Microsoft Visual C++, making use of COTS GIS products whilst providing open interfaces for the export and import of data in ASCII, CSV, XML and our own data format. The LBMF Model will be developed in OPNET with a variety of COTS tools and will also run on a variety of operating system platforms including UNIX and Windows NT and 2000.
The company also announced the award of a contract for the supply of comprehensive consultancy services in the field of Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) by a major European nation. The company will assess a wide range of military platforms and advise the customer on optimal IFF installation solutions.
A key object of the programme, to be undertaken by C4ISR’s Portsmouth, United Kingdom, based Communications & Defence Infrastructure team, is to study the means by which IFF Mk XII can be introduced into the nation’s land, sea and air platforms.
The addition of such a capability will allow the customer’s forces to integrate with NATO forces operating Mode 4, and will also enable airborneplatforms to interoperate with upgraded civil air traffic control systems and the Traffic Control Avoidance System using Mode S.