Land Warfare: Army's new Battle Management System a winner | ADM Nov 2010
While the battle management system (BMS) being acquired under Land 200 has yet to be introduced into service, it would seem that the Army is already more than impressed with its capabilities, believed to be beyond those originally sought for the system.
Tom Muir | Canberra
Land warfighting is increasingly complex, characterised by challenging urban environments, short engagement ranges and a blurring between combatants and non-combatants.
Under such circumstances, the technology edge is best achieved with an emphasis on the creation of a federated and integrated network at the ‘tactical’ level.
Within this context, Battlefield Management Systems (BMS) will provide greater situational awareness and ‘sensor to shooter’ connectivity between and within companies, platoons and sections.
This brigade and below emphasis complements the broader network enabling capabilities that are advancing at the joint level to create the future 2020, networked force.
The Battle Group Command, Control and Communications (BGC3) project, brought together the battle management system (BMS) requirements within elements of Land 75 and Land 125 (hence Land 200) together with their supporting communications system – the digital backbone – provided separately under JP2072 Battlefield Communications System (Land).
These three projects are thus providing the physical capabilities of what will be the first fully networked battle group based on mounted and dismounted members of 6 RAR, a motorised infantry battalion equipped with Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicles (IMVs) and supported by other combined arms team units.
The capabilities comprise BMS for Dismounted Operations (BMS-D) and for Mounted Operations (BMS-M), and a Command Post variant (BMS-CP) suitable for both dismounted and mounted operations and capable of operating the Battlefield Command Support System (BCSS) software.
The system also comprises a terrestrial-based encrypted Combat Radio System (CRS) and a Tactical Data Radio Systems (TDRS) to support BMS generated data and existing voice services within the Battle Group; a Network Management System (NMS) which will electronically integrate, configure, monitor and control the BMS radio systems, and a support system to sustain the BGC3 capability.
Tender documentation for the BGC3 requirement was released on 10 May 2007.
Earlier this year a $331 million contract was signed with Elbit Systems for the BGC3 system.
Under the contract Elbit will supply, integrate, install and support a BGC3 system for the Australian Army over the next three years.
Harris Corporation has received a $135 million order for Falcon tactical radio systems to provide the battlefield networking capabilities supporting Land 200 and also for JP 2072’s next phases.
The order consists primarily of Falcon III AN/PRC-152(C) multiband handheld radios, but also includes AN/PRC-117G wideband, AN/PRC-117F multiband and AN/PRC-150(C) HF manpack radios.
Harris is also providing the AN/PRC-152 in-vehicular amplifier adapters to support the installation of BMS-M equipment in vehicles including Bushmaster IMVs and later ASLAV, and M113A3.
In dismounted configuration the AN/PRC-152(C) will connect soldiers to the ADF’s battle management system and serve as hubs for other soldier-carried C4 devices.
BGC3 background
Now in wide use by various armies, BMS’s are computer-based C2 systems designed to enhance the tactical commander's ability to plan and execute operations through provision of situational awareness, navigation, messaging, tactical graphics and orders – in short the operational picture of the battlefield.
A BMS runs software that is simple and intuitive to use in rugged hardware such as handheld tablets of vehicle-mounted displays, that can survive in the combat environment.
The system operates over a tactical data exchange system to network mobile field elements and their associated headquarters.
The BMS must also form the basis of a land combat identification (Blue Force Tracking) system by providing commanders with near real-time situational awareness.
For BGC3, the BMS solution sought for the Australian Army had to be capable of scaling up and remaining stable when a brigade group was operating the system (approximately 600 BMS units), as well as scaling down to platoon groups and smaller dismounted elements.
The BMS-D, with its associated communications bearer, would provide commanders down to fire team level and individual soldiers, with digital map-based situational awareness and pre-formatted messaging capability.
And with its increased functionality, the vehicle-mounted BMS would provide combined arms teams in vehicles with the operational picture.
Thus BMS-M would be deployed up to Battalion HQ level and down to troop/platoon/individual vehicle level.
BGC3 contenders
There were three contenders for the Land 200 BGC3 requirement.
They were:
• Saab Systems Australia with Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, Thales Australia, Tenix Land Systems Division and Viasat,
• Elbit Systems with Boeing Australia; and
• Raytheon Australia with Cobham Defence Communications and Tenix Defence Electronic Systems.
The Land 200 tender entered an extended evaluation phase involving source selection demonstrations and a parallel offer definition activity (PODA) period.
All three teams successfully completed the Variable Message Format compliance test, undertaken at the Tactical Information Exchange Integration Office (TIEIO) in Fyshwick.
The trials continued at the Majura range where the contenders also completed laboratory and field demonstrations of their equipment, which included testing the CNR systems to support BMS generated data and voice services.
Elbit's BMS
Elbit had the advantage of bidding an integrated BGC3 battle management system solution that had been proven in service with the Israeli Defence Force (and since acquired for the Dutch armed forces).
The writing was on the wall when Elbit Systems was the only contender selected for the operational development activity (ODA) which included requirements validation, prototype designs and installations, system demonstrations and risk workshops.
In addition to retiring technical risk, this activity was also to provide high fidelity cost information to support Second Pass approval.
It was during this period between design reviews that Army was able to achieve ergonomic and weight modifications, particularly in respect of dismounted configurations and soldier comfort.
According to the DMO the major risk lies with the development of approved vehicle installation designs for the large number of platforms that the system is to be fitted to, and the associated complex design approval process.
This risk is being managed through the use of the strategic materiel template that will generate all of the necessary information needed for design approval.
Elbit’s BGC3 solution is based on the modular, scalable, TORCH C2 open architecture C4I system capable of seamlessly integrating with existing systems, communications infrastructure, and sensors.
According to Elbit the system offers optimised data collection and dissemination, faster sensor-to-shooter response time, and a uniform collaborative operational picture – enabling faster and more qualitative decision making.
In addition to its combat networking capabilities, this system provides commanders and crewmen with simplified operational interfaces, enhanced situational awareness and data communication capabilities.
The system also comes with comprehensive fielding and training programs.
Among the systems developed by Elbit for the BMS is the tactical computer, an easily transportable, lightweight tablet configuration for use across vehicle mounted and dismounted operations.
The user interface includes eight programmable function keys, further enhancing customisation and flexibility.
Also included is the integral Tactical MapCore system, a combat situation awareness system with moving map 3D terrain analysis and mission planning package, designed for C4I systems.
MapCore enables developers to rapidly create and integrate advanced geospatial visualisation capabilities into existing and new applications.
Elbit will also supply the network management system controlling the BMS, which is based on Elbit's Tiger, an IP-based tactical internet system, combining HF and VHF CNR nets into a single tactical network.
It both acts as a router and handles security issues for the data traffic.
Land NCW Milestones
With the Army’s 7 Brigade designated as the lead for the introduction of the BGC3 capability into service, the major activity for 2010-11 will be the completion of the BMS-D detailed design, including integration onto the soldier, and the start of production to achieve initial operating capability, based on a combat team in 7 Brigade in Brisbane, which is due in July 2011.
Full operational capability is due in April 2013.
The Army’s 7 Brigade provides combined arms teams from company to battalion size that are drawn from an armoured unit, light infantry with integral wheeled mobility, light artillery, combat engineers and combat support units.
The motorised combined arms teams can incorporate additional manoeuvre force elements from other force element groups to tailor force packages as required.
Training and familiarising personnel with the new equipment is already underway at the 6RAR ‘testbed’ and early experience with the Elbit BGC3 system came with Project Quicksilver, a Battle Group Command Post (CPX) exercise conducted at Enoggera during April this year.
This marked the first activity involving the introduction into service of the Elbit BMS. According to exercise reports, the improvements in battlefield awareness, accuracy of battlefield information, and the rapid increase in the passage of battlefield information impressed those involved.
Commanders at all levels were able to know instantly where soldiers were within the area of operations.
Targets could be manually registered and their locations rapidly disseminated (although an earlier lesson may have been the obvious need to avoid repetition of the same target by different observers).
The CPX found that threats could be anticipated and reacted to quickly.
As the system has messaging capabilities the passing of information was seen as similar to email, flowing to everything from reports, and returns to resupply and casualty evacuation.
A major advantage was seen in the opportunity for collaborative and parallel planning on the same document at the same time.
At the combat team level the system was applauded as a significant step forward operationally and tactically.
Army is now confident of meeting Land NCW’s second milestone, the networked Battle Group, by 2011.
6 RAR’s test bed transition to the first fully networked combat team will be underpinned by the range of capabilities, sourced from enabling projects and by extensive training as well as the application of what the Army refers to as prescribed tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP).
An overriding feature of the networked Battle Group will be the provision of the automated Blue Force common operational picture (COP) and shared situational awareness, from dismounted soldier to armoured squadrons.
This will be achieved with the integration of BMS systems into more than 1,000 Army vehicles, and equipping some 1,500 soldiers, representing the core of the Army’s future BMS capability.
Vehicle installation
Installation of mounted BMS will be limited initially to the Bushmaster IMV where the system will be integrated with the Thales SOTAS IP vehicle communications system.
Under a contract signed with the DMO last year, Thales Australia will supply over 700 complete systems, plus spares, to be installed in various versions of the ADF's Bushmaster vehicles, including personnel transporters, command vehicles, air assault vehicles and ambulances.
Installation of SOTAS IP into operational Bushmasters was scheduled to begin in mid-2009, with in-service vehicles, including from 7 Brigade, retrofitted at Thales’ Vehicle Support Centre in Brisbane, and potentially at ADF bases around the country.
The system will also be installed in all new vehicles during production at Thales’ Bendigo facility.
SOTAS IP will form the core of the vehicles’ internal and external communications systems, integrating the BMS, radios, telephone and IP services, and providing interoperability between radio networks (UHF, VHF, HF) and with Wide Area Networks.
The next tranche of BMS systems will be used to equip 7 Brigade as the first fully networked Brigade by 2013, thus achieving Land NCW’s third milestone, while the fourth milestone will see the Networked Land Force straddling 2014-2017.