Future Combat Systems Team Selects Centralized Controller Provider

, ST. LOUIS: The Boeing Company and partner Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), acting as the Lead Systems Integrator for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program, today announced the selection of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Grand Prairie, Texas, as provider of the FCS Centralized Controller device. 
 
The Centralized Controller is a single, hand-held device that will allow soldiers to command and control FCS Class I unmanned aerial vehicles and their sensor payloads; unmanned ground vehicles and their sensor and weapon payloads; unattended ground sensors; manned ground vehicle functions; and enable superior situational awareness, training, logistics and medical functions. 
 
“The Centralized Controller is a key component of our FCS capability, and we are pleased that Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control will be leading the effort on this new Tier I contract,” said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing vice president-general manager, Combat Systems, and Future Combat Systems program manager. “The controller will consolidate what traditionally would be numerous disparate controllers into a single controller, which will simplify logistics and empower the soldier while reducing his load. Overall, it will allow a Centralized Controller-equipped soldier to remotely control one or more of the nearly 750 systems within each brigade at any particular time.” 
 
 
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control was selected as the Centralized Controller provider based on technical merit, schedule integration, management approach, past performance and cost after a best-value evaluation process by the Lead Systems Integrator team and its government partners. The potential value of the Centralized Controller contract, which will be finalized shortly and will run through 2014, is in excess of $35 million. 
 
SAIC is a leading provider of scientific, engineering, systems integration and technical services and solutions to all branches of the U.S. military, Department of Defense agencies, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and others. With more than 43,000 employees in over 150 cities worldwide, SAIC had annual revenues of $7.8 billion for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2006. 
 
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32.4 billion business with 72,000 employees worldwide.