WASHINGTON — The U.S. military is seeking feedback from industry as it begins an overhaul of software designed to coordinate the use of mortars, rockets and more on the battlefield.
The agency published a request for information to modernize it Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data Systemalso known as AFATDS, and the deployment of the Joint Targeting Command and Coordination suite, or JTC2S, on November 1.
A consortium-like approach is expected, meaning multiple companies will likely contribute to the final products.
“We see the future of wildfires being built around teams doing the work instead of an industry partner, which is a shift in strategy from the past,” Lt. Col. Timothy Godwin, product manager at Program Executive Office of Management, Control and Communications-Tactics, or PEO C3T, said in a statement. “Multiple industry partners can be part of the solutions to create flexible, iterative software to modernize our fire products.”
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AFATDS development began in 1989. It was first deployed in 1995. The automated program combines situational awareness and targeting data and has become the cornerstone of Long Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team operations, including Extended range artillery and the precision strike missile.
JTC2S software, on the other hand, will help troops understand their objectives and support cooperation with international forces. It is expected to replace the older Joint Automated Deep Operations Coordination System, or JADOCS.
PEO C3T will discuss AFATDS and JTC2S efforts at its next Technical Meeting in Savannah, Georgia.
TEMs, as they are known, bring together military leaders, acquisition officials and hundreds of private sector representatives to discuss the future of Army networking. TEM 11 is set for December 12-13.
“Today, we have a really strong ability to do wildfires, but it’s not built for how we need to share data in the future.” Colonel Matt Paul, project manager at PEO C3T, said in a statement. “We want to work with industry to modernize our fires capability so we can share dynamic data, enable sensor architectures on a shooter, and be able to iterate the program over time.”
Colin Demarest is a reporter at C4ISRNET, where he covers military networks, cyber and IT. Colin previously covered the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration – specifically Cold War liquidation and nuclear weapons development – for a daily newspaper in South Carolina. Colin is also an award winning photographer.
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