FIRESTORM INTEGRATED TARGETING SYSTEM CAPABILITIES Globally proven digital battle management in a single system. The FireStorm integrated targeting system from Rockwell Collins provides the accuracy, adaptability and portability that missions count on in the quickly changing battlespace environment. Its capabilities have been extensively proven by elite warfighters such as the Australian Army. Around the world, Australian Army joint fires observers (JFOs) and joint terminal attack controllers (JTACs) are using FireStorm as their single-source digital battle management system, which the army calls the Digital Terminal Control System (DTCS).
Foremost capabilities that support the mission First of its kind Digital fire planning enables a JFO to digitally plan and execute the supported arm commander s intimate joint fire support in an HHour fire plan over variable message format (VMF). JFO-JTAC DACAS permits digital execution of a complete JTACsupervised JFO DACAS control on an all-informed net per the JFO military operations area (MOA). Includes Keyhole and JFO-JTAC DACAS with Australian and coalition aircraft. Digital Naval Surface Fires Support (NSFS) implements and is fully compliant with the coalition s ATP-4(F) procedures for allied naval gunfire support. Industry-leading Digitally Aided Fire Support (DAFS) for artillery, mortars, rockets and naval surface fires. Implements U.S. request for fires and European order for fires. Autonomous Australian Joint Air Request Network (JARN) retains interoperability with the coalition JARN. The Aussie JARN is headed by a TACP Cell in a formation headquarters for organic Joint Tactical Air Request processing, immediate close air support tasking and other headquarters functions. Joint Fires and Effects Coordination Cell (JFECC) function provides the other end of the observer s DAFS data link for nondigitised or non-vmf-enabled Australian and coalition offensive support headquarters and weapon platforms. Digital situational awareness via Link 16 and VMF for red and blue tracks. Disseminates ISR hostile track feeds and mitigates fratricide using Risk Estimate Distances violation alerts. Augmented with VMF fire support coordination measures, air support coordination measures and tactical graphics. Autonomous simulation enables all supported platforms to train or rehearse missions anywhere, anytime. Cost effectively add certified, coalition digital joint fires to legacy systems Our Network Joint Fires-fielded software and hardware modules are designed to meet your warfighter requirements. Whether your current systems are analog or digitally integrated on one or many proprietary tactical data links Rockwell Collins can rapidly tailor a costeffective, integrated solution. We can unify your organic joint fires and coalition joint fires with certified pedigree. FireStorm s software architecture is key to this quick, costeffective system extension to integrate legacy platforms and add functionality as required.
Intuitive design, for use in high-pressure environments Warfighters will find interacting with FireStorm familiar and intuitive. The user interface aligns system terminology, work flows and business logic with established warfighter voice procedures. Let s look at an example in the Australian Army. The fire mission adjustment user interface above provides a snapshot into the middle of a digital fire mission to showcase how the interface elegantly manages the complexity of the multiple pathways through the persistent, distributed state of a DAFS thread. Our JFO is conducting a danger close mission (hence the absence of bracketing in his adjustments). The status indicators and other fields tell the warfighter at a glance (using Australian fire discipline vernacular) that: > > His original Call For Fire Adjust Fire mission on target number VP4101 was received by the JFECC > > The Message to Observer (MTO) approved the mission > > The JFO has successfully transmitted a total of five adjustments (each iteration resets the transmit status when the guns fire) > > His latest adjustment was received by the JFECC > > The latest fire order had a method of fire of Fire For Effect (FFE) with an Add 25 correction and a method of control of At My Command (AMC) > > The fire unit(s) have reported ready on the last correction > > The observer has successfully transmitted the command to fire > > The guns have commenced firing the serial and splash has been received > > The last round of the method has not yet been fired (rounds complete) > > The current time of flight (TOF) is 21 seconds > > The guns are firing overhead (no zone)
> > The Observer-Target factor (OT factor) is 1.1 (auto-calculated) > > The current direction to be applied for shift corrections is 720 (NATO mils, Grid North orientation, auto-calculated and user-editable) FireStorm s user interface provides information on other attributes at a glance. For instance: > > The ubiquitous ability to check fire on the target number as soon as the initial fire mission is transmitted > > The ability to end the mission and record the target for future engagement and target circulation, or end the mission without recording > > The current aimpoint, calculated from the total of corrections to check against REDs throughout the mission and as an independent check against the Mission Fired Report reduced grid from the fire unit that will update the target coordinate in his target records if he records the target > > For the European observer, there is an option to order or change the method of engagement the weight, distribution and shell/ fuse nature for FFE, as well as (in the initial call tab) the ability to order the weapon platform type to employ. A U.S. observer (or a fire mission to a U.S. fire support element) can simply provide a target description with a canned mission type and let the commander s guidance determine the effects assigned.
Set for a variety of mission types Many of FireStorm s parameters are initialised with default values or settings by fire mission type when the fire mission is initiated. The user simply selects from a menu of templated missions. These include: > > Immediate Suppression > > Immediate Smoke > > Precision Guided Munition > > Destruction > > Quick Smoke > > On Call > > Illumination > > Mark If the observer is conducting ATP-4(F) compliant naval surface fires, the same user interface also enables: > > Awareness when the warship is Guns Up Ready to Fire (GURF) > > If the warship has reported a delay, the out until time > > The latest TOF, Gun-Target Line (GTL) and Summit updated by the warship per the ATP-4(F) procedures What is not immediately discernible is the underlying management of digitally distributed target records. This is an operationally essential and complex undertaking. Done correctly, digital target records management has the potential to empower the coordination of coalition joint fires. Implemented poorly, distribution may undermine the fabric of coalition digital joint fires coordination.
Software module features Critical functions in the DTCS FireStorm software modules include: > > DAFS Target Records Manager: STANAG target block management Named target lists Querying remote and local target records databases Target check fire status monitoring Target circulation (individual or list) Fire Mission handover from one observer to another LRF adjusted missions using survey grade algorithms to refine the accuracy of LRF generated coordinates Shift adjusted missions, including Shift from a known point Digitisation of all tactical and technical missions, including PGM Integration with precision point mensuration, including conversion of CoT CE to TLE Automated danger close RED violation alerts triggered by friendly track proximity to target coordinates Mortar missions Howitzer missions Rocket missions NSFS missions FSCM and tactical graphics via VMF Supports AFATDS Joint Munitions Effects Management (JMEM) implementation of VMF target descriptions to prevent fire mission failure due to target type mismatch Configurable as a DAFS Command and Control (C2) node: Autonomous DAFS thread end-to-end solution Interface to any legacy digital or analog ballistic computer or platform Supported platforms: AFATDS M-32 LHMBC (Light Handheld Mortar Ballistic Computer) ANZAC Class frigate Naval Fire Control System (NFCS) JFECC DTCS Most VMF stacks > > DACAS Autonomous Joint Air Request Network, including an ASOC Digital chain of command definition for JTAR approval on JARN Keyhole DACAS, including the Echo Point message CP/IP Matrix management and distribution 9-Line forwarding via formation TACP Cell/ASOC to aircrew for situational awareness on initial immediate CAS tasking 9-Line handover from one observer to another ASCM via VMF JFO-JTAC DACAS for a complete JTAC supervised JFO DACAS control on an all informed net per the JFO MOA DACAS platforms supported: F/A-18 A-10C JSF AV-8B B-52 F-15 F-16 Data links supported: Link-16 VMF AFAPD MTS SADL > > Fire planning Delegation of digital adjustment via adjustment orders, augmented with CFF handover, target list distribution and 9-Line handover as required Digital resource request via formatted free text Compilation and distribution of fire plan target lists Assignment of allocated resources and ammunition into the fire plan schedule, including ammo reserve and use calculation Compilation and distribution of a fire plan tactical overlay, including rates and routes calculation for assault times and last safe moment times from the overlay Circulation of the fire plan schedule via VMF, including free text comma separated value redundancy for systems that don t support the VMF Fire Plan Schedule message Support for digital modifications, Defensive Fire (DF) missions and target check fires during fire plan execution The ongoing partnership that Rockwell Collins forged with the Australian Army to develop the DTCS is a prime example of FireStorm s easy adaptability to any battlefield. Contact Rockwell Collins to learn more about how we can put FireStorm s wide range of capabilities to work for your missions.
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