The US Marine Corps’ Aviation Command and Control Subsystem (AC2S), a part of the USMC’s new Common Aviation Command and Control System (CAC2S), has successfully completed a critical design review.
With the completion of the critical design review, supported by a General Dynamics C4 Systems-led led team, General Dynamics will develop four AC2S engineering development models (EDM) for integration into a CAC2S system for developmental testing and operational assessment.
The Marine Corps already received the first EDM in January 2014, while the CAC2S will replace the legacy Marine Air Command and Control System.
The CAC2S provides unprecedented ability for Marine Corps operators to share mission-critical voice, video, sensor and other command and control data during any mission.
General Dynamics C4 Systems president Chris Marzilli said: "CAC2S will deliver a lighter, leaner and more effective aviation command-and-control system while reducing the overall systems inventory, sustainment and training costs associated with the Marine Corps’ expeditionary missions."
The data sub-system provides Marine Air-Ground Task Force commanders and their staffs with common operational picture by fusing sensor inputs from expeditionary radars, weapon systems, unmanned aerial vehicles and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance resources into a high-resolution, real-time display.
Separately, General Dynamics Land Systems Force Protection received a contract from the US Marine Corps Systems Command for survivability upgrades for Cougar combat vehicles previously delivered under the mine resistant, ambush protected (MRAP) programme.
Under the $26m contract, the company will provide 468-seat survivability upgrade (SSU) kits, which include energy absorbing seats, five-point seatbelts and blast mats to enhance the survivability and operation of the Cougar vehicles.
General Dynamics is scheduled to deliver the kits by July 2015.
