DRS EXHIBITS BATTLE LAB AT DSEI
By Julian Nettlefold, Editor, BATTLESPACE
DRS Technologies UK Ltd (DRS UK) is exhibiting their land systems Battle Lab during DSEi on Stand 2055. The Battle Lab brings together a number of DRS’s proven and innovative land systems vehicle technologies into a common architecture.
Today, land force warfighters are no longer the military’s technology-poor cousins! A new era in land warfare has arrived in which the computer data network is the weapon. DRS Tactical Systems, Inc. of Melbourne, Florida , is a leading manufacturer of tactical computing tools that electronically enable today’s premiere land forces, rendering them the battlefield’s dominant possessors of actionable information. The U.S. Army currently fields the DRS Tactical Systems’ RVS-330 tactical computers for its Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2) battlefield digitization program, and the British Army likewise is fielding DRS’s ultra rugged computers to its Bowman battlefield digitization program. DRS is today the leading manufacturer of ultra rugged computers currently used by the U.S. and British Armies in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).
As deployed by the world’s leading armies, DRS’s ultra rugged computers can be fully networked. They are regularly hooked into terrestrial Line of Sight (LOS) Tactical Internets (TI), Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) SATCOM nets, and the NAVSTAR-based global positioning system, which provides the deployed warfighter with timely, accurate information throughout the modern battle space.
Principle products and technologies on show will be;
* Scalable systems controller providing integration and distribution of real-time and near real-time applications, sensors and systems.
* New CTW crew stations offering multi-function access to a variety of on vehicle sub-systems and network applications such as weapon systems, BMS, thermal sights, DVE’s, Local Situational Awareness camera’s etc.
* A number of Thermal camera’s for use as DVE’s and in Local Situational Awareness (LSA) systems.
* Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) with on board diagnosis and prognosis of vehicle sub-systems. The on vehicle HUMS can be integrated with a capability based maintenance (CBM) system that can provide both commanders and maintainers with near-real time vehicle HUMS.
* Rugged dismountable tablet computing
* Bowman and FBCB2 rugged computing
* Mobile stabalised SATCOM supporting X, Ka and Ku bands.
* SIGINT receivers
On-the-Move Display System
DRS Tactical Systems also provides the latest in ruggedized commercial off-the-shelf thin film transistor (TFT) active-matrix liquid-crystal displays (AMLCD). DRS’s On-The-Move (OTM) Display System provides the best in display technology for use in wheeled and tracked platforms.
The OTM system consists of three rugged LCDs in 18.1-inch and 12.1-inch form factors, as well as a common Display Power Unit (DPU). Designed for maximum versatility and reliability, DRS’s OTM displays allow users to view different images concurrently as well as from various sources such as an external camera or night vision sensor via an RS-170 connector. Features include night vision viewing ability, incorporated via a common Night Vision Goggle (NVG) mode, outstanding picture quality and viewing angles along with the latest in ruggedized display technology.
DRS Tactical Systems is a proven leader in deploying the most advanced, rugged computer solutions for today’s harsh military environments. DRS product offerings support forces on the ground, at sea and in the air. We produce a wide variety of mission-critical ultra rugged computers, flat panel displays & embedded display workstations, handheld systems, consoles & rack-mounts, and tablet computing & docking stations, all designed to endure real-world battlefield conditions.
DRS’s track record in recent deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan proves this isn’t just marketi