Command System, Inc. Awarded Army Contract to Provide Digital Dismounted Leader System for 82nd Airborne Division NTC Exercise.

Business Editors

FORT WAYNE, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 30, 2002

Worldwide Supplier of Integrated C2 Systems Providing Distributed,

Collaborative Battle Command Capability for Joint Exercise

Command System, Inc. (CSI), a leading provider of networked, integrated command & control solutions for military, commercial and civil applications, announced today it has been awarded a contract by the Army to provide a Digital Dismounted Leader System (DLS) for a Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division. The system will be exercised at the National Training Center (NTC) in August during the Millennium Challenge 2002 (MC02) integrating event sponsored by U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM).

Under the contract, CSI is providing approximately 45 Dismounted Leader Systems to a Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division to use and evaluate during operations this month at the NTC. The initiative is jointly sponsored by the Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Battle Command Battle Lab (BCBL) and Dismounted Battlespace Battle Lab (DBBL), and responds to a recent Army Readiness Review Council (RRC) recommendation to provide an integrated battle command capability for dismounted and light forces that can be fielded in the next 12 months. In addition, the solution provides blue force tracking information to the Army's legacy Army Battle Command System (ABCS), and facilitates planning, collaboration, synchronization and mission execution from the Squad to Brigade.

"Our focus is to provide a battle command capability for light and dismounted forces that conforms to the current operational organization, leverages the established communications architecture and available communications assets, and most importantly, adds operational value," said Col(R) Steve Kinder, Senior Program Manager for Command System, Inc. "The approach we've taken is to start with the foundation, the Soldier, and build up to the Brigade. This way we can focus on the mission essential tasks at each organizational echelon from the bottom up. This allows us to fully understand the mission essential tasks and command relationships, determine where technology can best provide a decisive advantage, and then deliver an appropriate implementation in context to each role and mission," added Kinder.

The Dismounted Leader System is a hardware and software solution provided by CSI that extends from the Brigade headquarters to the individual Squad Leader to provide an integrated C2 capability for dismounted and light forces. The system, based on CSI's widely fielded Command Data Networking System (CDNS(TM)), delivers automated self-forming networking, provides situation awareness information, facilitates planning and collaboration, and provides a common operating picture relevant to each element of the organization. In addition, the system provides an integrated C2 capability to facilitate battle command at every echelon in the Brigade and through all phases of combat operations using any available tactical or commercial communications system.

"In just eight weeks, with the tremendous cooperation of the Soldiers and Leadership of the Brigade, the 82nd Airborne Division, and the Infantry Center, we've been able to rapidly tailor CDNS to meet the requirements of the Light Division and dismounted Soldier," continued Kinder. "They've jumped it and used it in the field for the last six weeks, and we've been there to support them as needed every step of the way. The initial reaction to the system has been very positive. Everyone is increasingly satisfied with the operation and performance of the system, and very excited about its capabilities and potential. We're looking forward to proving the concept at the NTC over the next weeks as part of Millennium Challenge," concluded Kinder.

The Dismounted Leader System is comprised of a commercial ruggedized handheld computing platform, CSI's Dismounted Warrior Support System (DWSS) software, and microINC(TM) communications interface with integrated GPS. As part of this initiative, valued at approximately $500,000, the Dismounted Leader System integrates with another TRADOC initiative, the Light Digital Operations Center (LDOC), by providing a bi-directional interface to the Army's legacy ABCS. The DLS obtains the "red picture" provided by the All-Source Analysis System (ASAS), and provides the "blue picture" to the Maneuver Control System-Light (MCS-L).

CSI's CDNS is an object oriented, networked, integrated battle command system software solution that provides a comprehensive suite of battle command capabilities to allow a commander to command anywhere and communicate everywhere. CDNS has an open architecture and standard framework that allows for the easy integration of best-of-breed commercial software components to provide robust C2 functionality as required. The Network System Suite(TM) (NSS(TM)) of CDNS provides a dynamic, automatic networking capability that makes possible self-forming, self-healing data networks using any tactical or commercial communications system without any pre-planning or directed network management. The CDNS design is platform and operating system independent, has an extremely small footprint, and is exceptionally scalable. The CDNS product is ideal for embedded, handheld, portable and desktop implementations. The Command Application of CDNS can be rapidly and easily tailored for any implementation, platform or application.

About Command System, Inc.

Command System, Inc. is the premiere provider of command and control solutions in the free world. CSI serves military markets with its CDNS product variants and its Team Care Automation System(TM) (TCAS(TM)) for field medical applications. CSI has licenses for over 45 countries, has sold over 30,000 C2 systems in 7 countries and the US, and provides the C2 systems for the armed forces of Australia, Britain, and Canada. CSI is working with General Dynamics UK, the prime contractor on the UK Bowman and ComBAT programs, and will field over 20,000 CDNS based C2 systems for the Bowman program by October 2003. CSI is also on the Boeing/SAIC team for the Future Combat System (FCS), awarded in March of this year, and is a member of the C2 sub-IPT. CSI also serves state, county and city municipalities with its Sentinel(TM) product line of networked, integrated systems for police, fire and rescue applications, and addresses state and federal forestry applications with its Wildfire(TM) product line of C2 systems.

Command System's corporate headquarters is in Fort Wayne, Indiana, with offices in Washington, DC, Ottawa, Ontario, and the United Kingdom. Additional information about Command System, Inc. can be found at http://www.commandsystem.com/.

About Millennium Challenge 02

Millennium Challenge 2002 (MC02) is this nation's premier joint integrating event, bringing together both live field exercises and computer simulation from July 24th to August 15, 2002. Sponsored by U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM), MC02 focuses on the military's ability to conduct Rapid Decisive Operations (RDO) against a determined adversary. MC02 is a critical building block of future military transformation. MC02 will incorporate elements of all military services, most functional/regional commands and many DoD organizations and federal agencies. The Secretary of Defense has directed that participants involve elements representative of their future force concepts such as the Air Force's Expeditionary Aerospace Force, the Army's medium-weight brigades and the Navy's "Forward From the Sea" vision.

Command Data Networking System(TM), CDNS(TM), Network System Suite(TM), NSS(TM), MODL(TM), microINC(TM), Sentinel(TM), TCAS(TM), and Wildfire(TM) are trademarks of Command System, Inc. All other product names are trademarks of their respective owners.