FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., 27 Feb. 2008. The lead systems integrators for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program are verifying that development of the hardware and military software for FCS vetronics is proceeding as planned.

Officials of Boeing Co. in St. Louis and Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) in San Diego, together the lead systems integrator for the Future Combat System (FCS), have completed Integrated Mission Test-1 (IMT-1) of the integration of FCS systems and battle command software.

Company officials made the announcement this week at the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Winter conference and trade show in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The January test at the FCS Common Control Node at White Sands Missile Range, N.M., caps more than two years of software development, integration, and testing involving nearly every FCS integrated product team and one team partner, as well as soldiers from the Army Evaluation Task Force (AETF) at Fort Bliss, Texas. The AETF is evaluating and testing FCS capabilities for incremental fielding and the development of full FCS Brigade Combat Teams.

The test involved nearly 400 computers, 30 mock-ups of FCS Manned Ground Vehicles, 45 soldiers, and more than 120 industry, Army and other government personnel.

During the test, soldiers crewed mock-ups of manned ground vehicles during simulated operational missions that used advanced simulations of FCS systems and network capabilities. The purpose was to validate early prototypes of FCS battle command and system software by soliciting soldier feedback and analyzing how they executed the missions.

The FCS program consists of eight Manned Ground Vehicles, unmanned air and ground vehicles, precision weapon systems, and advanced tactical and urban sensors that are connected by a state-of-the-art wireless network. Working together, these systems will help soldiers share real-time information across the battlefield. Overall, FCS will provide soldiers vastly increased situational awareness, survivability and lethality, ensuring they can take the fight to the enemy before the enemy has time to react.