U.S. Army's Next Generation Tactical Operations Centers Equipped with Leading Edge Display Technolog

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U.S. Army's Next Generation Tactical Operations Centers Equipped with Leading Edge Display Technology


January 15, 2004, Alameda, CA - U.S. Army is implementing a modernization program to develop more mobile, rapidly deployable fighting forces. In support of this directive, the Raytheon Network Centric Systems (NCS) has developed a new generation of mobile Tactical Operations Centers (TOCs). The result of this project, named the Reconfigurable Command and Control Platform (RC2P), is the creation of a transportable, early entry, air deployable vehicle with integrated battlefield communications.


The new TOC's design uses RGB Spectrum's SuperViewâ„¢ multi-input, multi-window display processors to integrate battlefield communications, sensors, and weapons control for maximum situational awareness.


Wayne Reed, Senior Manufacturing Engineer for Raytheon, explained, "the core objective of the new RC2P TOCs is to significantly improve situational awareness, battlefield coordination among the various military forces to aid tactical decision making. The RC2P TOCs function as command and control centers for joint and combined forces of multi troop levels, including battalions, brigades, and divisions."


"To achieve the desired mobility and communication integration, each RC2P TOC had to perform the same command and control functions previously performed by four to six vehicles per battalion. This requirement posed quite a design challenge. We had to scale down the vehicle footprint while integrating all of the battlefield sensors, communications, weapons control, and network operations into one centralized system. A variety of incoming visuals needed to be displayed real time in a compact arrangement for viewing by the combat force commander. This required a display system that could combine multiple incoming visuals and display them on a single screen. Following extensive research, Raytheon chose RGB Spectrum's SuperView display processors."


"The SuperView processor is the ideal solution for us because it supports all of the different computer and video inputs in the TOC. Battlefield commanders were quite pleased with the increased efficiency of being able to see many different images on one screen."


The SuperView processor receives inputs from video and computer feeds. These consist of force tracking databases, force resources, intelligence and analysis reports, weapons control, enemy target acquisition, maps of enemy positions and firepower, and Raytheon's AFATDS (Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System). The Raytheon AFATDS is a fully automated fire support system for planning, coordinating and controlling mortars, field artillery cannons, rockets, guided missiles, close air support, attack helicopter and naval gunfire. The SuperView processor also receives digital satellite down-linked news broadcasts, real time video, and FLIR feeds from an array of battlefield surveillance sensors.


The RC2P TOCs are designed in two configurations: a battalion-level Light Command Post Vehicle and a larger Brigade/Division-level TOC system. In the Light Command Post Vehicle, the SuperView processor combines the selected inputs and outputs them to an 18-inch LCD monitor on the command table in the monitor's 1280 x 1024 native pixel resolution. In the Brigade/Division level TOC system, the SuperView outputs to a ceiling mounted projector in 1024 x 768 resolution.


Military personnel use RGB Spectrum's Virtual Control Panelâ„¢ (VCP) software to operate the display's functions. Using the VCP software, operators control the SuperView's versatile display capabilities, including selecting inputs, choosing pre-set display configurations, and sizing, positioning, and overlapping windows.


Reed commented, "The Army's overall response has been exceptionally positive. They are impressed with the SuperView's flexibility and image quality. The processors provide significant benefits to the Army: improved integrated battlefield communications, situational awareness, and tactical decision making and reducing TOC size and weight. From a deployment perspective, the new RC2P TOC vehicles are smaller, lighter and fit into a C-130 transport aircraft, enabling them to be flown to any global location within a short time frame. In addition, the Light Command Post Vehicle can be set up in ten minutes as opposed to multiple hours with the old system."


The SuperViewâ„¢ processor combines multiple computer and video inputs for display on a single screen. The SuperView supports up to 36 real time input signals with up to 12 video and computer windows displayed simultaneously on a single screen. The inputs can be NTSC or PAL composite, component, or S-video, and high resolution RGB up to 1600 x 1200 pixel resolution. Each window can be independently positioned, scaled to full screen, overlaid with computer graphics or overlapped with other windows. Additionally, the user can pan and zoom within each video image.


Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), with 2002 sales of $16.8 billion, is an industry leader in defense, government and commercial electronics, space, information technology, technical services, and business and special mission aircraft. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs more than 76,000 people worldwide.


RGB Spectrum® is a leading designer and manufacturer of videographic and multimedia hardware subsystems. Products include the View™ family of video windowing systems, the RGB/Videolink® line of scan converters, the DGx™ digital recording system, and SuperWall™, ComputerWall® and MediaWall® multi-screen display controllers. RGB Spectrum is

this system i guess should make battle feild technology more networked so Centcom can have direct access to all the battle feild assets. oh have a look at the picture at the link looks more like a scifi scene lol good tho very futureistic!! :) http://www.rgb.com/en/News/ViewNews.asp?page=News/ApplicationStories/Raytheon
 

lamdacore

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that's an impressive piece on info you have there for us! Actually i like this new battlefield communication tool, its high tech and seems to be quite effective!! well done US!!!
 
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