Aircraft displays from Esterline CMC Electronics demonstrated in Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration trials

Posted by John McHaleMONTREAL, 8 Dec. 2010. Engineers at Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) demonstrated their TacView portable mission displays in the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration (CWID). During the trials, members of the Canadian Air Force and the U.S. Air Force evaluated the TacView systems for suitability in their respective theatres of operations through simulated joint U.S. and Canadian search and rescue missions. The U.S. Navy and several NATO countries also participated in the exercise.The TacView is a ruggedized, night vision imaging system-compatible, smart display designed for rapid and inexpensive installation in fixed and rotary wing aircraft. It interfaces seamlessly with most aircraft data networks, and can often be installed without modification to the aircraft's legacy systems. TacView runs Microsoft XP compliant software. For CWID 2010, the TacView systems hosted mission planning software and displayed a moving map with an overlaid tactical situation picture using data acquired through an airborne data link. The TacView systems also displayed remote unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sensor video and provided paperless cockpit functions. Eight TacView displays were in simultaneous operation at the Canadian forces experimentation center in Ottawa, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., the NATO base in Lillehammer, Norway, and the Navy Space and Warfare Systems (SPAWAR) command in San Diego."CWID subjected the TacView systems to unscripted scenarios that simulated real-world conditions, providing those in the trial with a good predictor on how our products will perform in theatre," says Jean-Michel Comtois, Esterline CMC vice president of marketing and sales, government and public affairs. A CWID report stated“CMC successfully demonstrated the features and functions of TacView to provide the flight deck crew with improved situational awareness and critical real-time information which in turn can enhance mission effectiveness and safety.”CWID is a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff-directed, annual event that engages cutting-edge information technology, and focuses on operational shortfalls identified by combatant commanders and government agencies. Technologies are approved for participation because they address a new information sharing capability or improve an existing capability. The demonstrations, which take place in various locations worldwide, focus on technology discovery, risk reduction, and coalition interoperability. Technologies are assessed using real-world inspired warfighter, homeland security/ homeland defense and emergency responder scenarios. During demonstrations, technologies may receive three types of assessments: user utility, interoperability and information assurance testing. Assessment results are captured in CWID's annual final report, which informs the defense, federal and state acquisition community with actionable decision-quality data. The final report publishes annually by November. The TacView system has been selected by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics to meet current and future C-130J Mobile Display System (MDS) requirements, perform secure tactical data link communications and paperless cockpit operations that enable unprecedented situational awareness for the crew. CMC has supplied the TacView system to the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) for its AC-130 Gunship aircraft, and to BAE Systems for the U.S. Navy C-130T aircraft.

Aircraft displays from Esterline CMC Electronics demonstrated in Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration trials

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