MASSY, France, 6 April 2013. Engineers at the NATO System Test and Validation Facility in Glons, Belgium, have validated the NATO Air Command and Control System (ACCS) from ThalesRaytheonSystems against a list of operational requirements following eight weeks of extensive testing.
Testing under the ACCS program has included the validation of all live system interfaces, full system redundancy, security requirements, and a complex series of performance tests that stressed the system in every aspect of peak load performance.
NATO member states can now proceed with system validation at their respective national air command and control facilities. Belgium, France, Germany, and Italy will be the first four nations to conduct these tests, after which the ACCS system will be declared operational. Preparation for the national site tests has been taking place in parallel with system validation testing to ensure that this important capability is provided to the NATO operational community as soon as possible.
“This is a major step towards full deployment of a unified military air command and control system ultimately protecting 10 million square kilometers of airspace. The system will interconnect more than 20 military air control centers, providing a large spectrum of new and modern functionalities to all NATO air operators,” says Enzo Montalti, program director, Air C2, at NATO.
Elements of the ACCS are already in operational service at the NATO Air Command Center at Ramstein, Germany, and being used 24/7 during Operation Active Fence in support of NATO’s Patriot deployment in Turkey.
“We are very proud of this success, which proves the readiness of the ACCS system to meet the challenging demands of our NATO customer’s mission,” explains Jack Harrington, chief executive officer of ThalesRaytheonSystems. “We are delighted to have worked so closely with NATO to reach this significant milestone and remain fully committed to the successful fielding of the ACCS system now underway at the 15 initial ACCS sites.”
The ACCS smart defense system provides all NATO nations with a common basis for training, standard procedures, and centralized maintenance, reducing support costs and increasing staffing flexibility. As NATO operations evolve in the future, ACCS is designed to adapt to new operational challenges, with continued advancements to Air C2 or additional ballistic missile defense capabilities. ACCS will provide the solid command and control foundation needed for future Alliance missions.
