Command System, Inc. Demonstrates C2 Integration and Coalition Fire Support Interoperability with Raytheon's AFATDS.

Business & High-Tech Editors

FORT WAYNE, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 2002

Australia's CDNS(TM) Based BCSS Uses the AFATDS 

Ballistic Engine for Fire Support

Command System, Inc. (CSI), a leading provider of networked, integrated command & control solutions for military, commercial and civil applications, announced today it demonstrated interoperability between their Command Data Networking System (CDNS) and Raytheon's (NYSE:RTN) Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) as part of the recent Joint Warfighting Interoperability Demonstration.

The demonstrations held at Dahlgren, Virginia and Brisbane, Australia, integrated Australia's CDNS based Battle Command Support System (BCSS) with the AFATDS fire support system. Fire support requests from BCSS used AFATDS for weapons/target pairing and generating a firing solution. The solution was then returned via BCSS to the appropriate combat assets to execute the fire mission. In addition, the two systems also exchanged and synchronized situation awareness information between them.

"We think demonstrating coalition fire support between the C2 systems of our allies and the fire support system of the U.S. Army and Marines is a significant capability, and a noteworthy advance in interoperability," said Donald R. Willis, President of Command System, Inc. "When you consider that CDNS is the baseline battle command system for Australia, Britain, and Canada, the potential for coalition interoperability with U.S. systems exists because the C2 systems are all built on a common framework, CSI's C2 technology. Clearly a tremendous investment has been made in the Army Battle Command Systems (ABCS), and we are continuing to leverage that investment, and bring forward key functionality from these systems to integrate into a scalable unified battle command system that supports the Army's vision for future, joint and coalition operations," added Willis.

In March of this year, Command System and Raytheon entered into a cooperative agreement to integrate AFATDS with CDNS, CSI's networked, integrated battle command solution. Without any specific program opportunity, and with private investment and modest funding support from the Government, the companies rapidly integrated, tested, and demonstrated CDNS and AFATDS operation in just a few weeks. This effort is expected to significantly contribute to meeting both the emerging requirements for the UK's Joint Fire Support (JFS) Battlefield Information System Application (BISA), and the U.S. Army and DARPA Future Combat System (FCS) program. CSI is a member of the Boeing/SAIC team selected in March of this year for the FCS Concept and Technology Development (CTD) Phase contract, and a member of the FCS C2 Sub-IPT.

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 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/.

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