New Command and Control Technologies for Improved Mission Management

BURLINGTON, Mass: BAE Systems and the U.S. Air Force will jointly develop new software and information management tools to improve the situational awareness of, and mission management for, air commanders.

Under a 30-month cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Air Force’s Electronic Systems Center, BAE Systems will work with the Air Force to identify and demonstrate technologies, capabilities, products, and processes that allow tactical decision-makers to plan, direct, coordinate, and control forces and operations more efficiently.

"This agreement affords us an excellent opportunity to conduct research in partnership with industry in an arrangement we believe will ultimately provide improved capabilities to the armed forces," said Col. Steven Webb, commander of the Air Force’s 350th Electronic Systems Group.

BAE Systems’ virtual battle management prototyping lab will be networked to facilities at Hanscom Air Force Base in Lexington, Massachusetts, to support joint experimentation. The virtual lab currently consists of BAE Systems facilities in Burlington and Colorado Springs, Colorado, and will be augmented by other BAE Systems labs to leverage engineering resources in geographically dispersed locations.

“Working with the Electronic Systems Center will provide a better understanding of the Air Force’s emerging needs,” said David Logan, battle management and command, control, and communications systems division manager for BAE Systems in Burlington. “This partnership, combined with our research and development expertise and familiarity with current Air Force systems, puts us in a great position to rapidly provide innovative solutions to our fighting forces.”

BAE Systems is the premier global defense and aerospace company delivering a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions and customer support services. With 97,500 employees worldwide, BAE Systems' sales exceeded £15.7 billion (US $31.4 billion) in 2007.