SAIC Helps U.S. Army Develop Future Combat Systems (FCS)
Summer 2003
A complex plan to turn the U.S. Army into a lighter, more lethal, more mobile force is moving from the drawing board to the manufacturing line - and SAIC is playing a leading role in this effort, viewed by many as the most difficult integration program ever undertaken by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
DoD recently announced that it is moving ahead with this flagship transformational program, the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) project, designed to give the military greater capabilities in future conflicts.
Working together as the Lead System Integrator on FCS, SAIC and Boeing were recently awarded a 7-year, $14.9-billion dollar contract by DoD to take the program from the conceptual stage to the system development and demonstration phase. Some 18 contractor teams have been selected to develop the systems.
SAIC partners will be building prototypes of combat vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles and UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) with embedded C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), training and supportability, while SAIC performs the "system of systems" engineering and integration of the systems that tie it all together.
The program is leading the transformation of the U.S. Army and will provide an essential future capability for our nation. SAIC plays an exciting role in the program, at the forefront of the transformation to network-centric warfare and system of system integration.
In addition to being the "systems of systems" architect, SAIC has lead integrated product team responsibility for unmanned ground vehicles, simulation and testing, and for training systems.
As part of this effort, the SAIC team is overseeing the development of a family of eight manned ground vehicles, which will share the majority of their components and subsystems. The high degree of commonality is projected to dramatically decrease supportability burdens and life cycle cost.
Designed to efficiently deploy within the envelope of a C130 airplane, the vehicles will weigh no more than 19 tons yet pack the lethality, mobility, and survivability of the current force, while significantly reducing the logistics support.
Key advances in lightweight composite armor, active protection, hybrid electric power, and intelligent munitions technologies will enable the integrated performance to be achieved in such lightweight platforms.
The emphasis is on lighter, more mobile vehicles empowered by intelligent sensors, communications, and data links. Networked commanders and soldiers will have unprecedented situational awareness. They will know where the enemy is no matter what the terrain, time, or weather.
The training system will provide simultaneous real time training for the unit of action. Training will be embedded in the platforms and the organization. Soldiers, crews, and the unit will be able to train on their "go to war systems" while at home station or en route to the battlefield.