NEW YORK, N.Y., 21 January 2005. L-3 Communications announced today that its L-3 ComCept division was awarded a contract to demonstrate the integration of the U.S. Navy's Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) and the U.S. Air Force's Network Centric Collaborative Targeting (NCCT) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) in late 2005.
ComCept successfully demonstrated its sensor networking capability, NCCT, at the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2004 (JEFX-04) in August 2004. NCCT is an open, network-centric, architecture and software design that horizontally integrates airborne and ground assets through machine-to-machine exchanges to detect, locate, track and target ground targets. In this manner, NCCT supports time-sensitive and prioritized targeting operations more efficiently, accurately, and quickly.
CEC is the U.S. Navy's premier network-centric warfare system, which shares radar data between participants to precisely track airborne targets, provide combat identification on airborne tracks and provide engagement-quality information to all participants. CEC is currently fielded on several E-2 aircraft, cruisers, destroyers, amphibious ships and aircraft carriers.
"Teaming the NCCT and CEC networks provides a leap forward in horizontal integration," said Mark Von Schwarz, president of L-3 ComCept. "The combination of CEC and NCCT will provide enhanced identification to CEC air tracks, share CEC air tracks with NCCT participants and share NCCT ground target tracks with CEC participants."
The 2005 demonstration is a stepping-stone toward the development of common track management architecture, with the goal of providing a joint, common air and ground targeting picture, and toward the transformation of the U.S. Military in joint operations and situational awareness. The demonstration will be part of the U.S. Navy's Trident Warrior exercise series, involving an Expeditionary Strike Group, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army aircraft, as well as coalition aircraft along the U.S. East Coast in 2005.
Headquartered in New York City, L-3 Communications is a leading provider of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems, secure communications systems, aircraft modernization, training and government services and is a merchant supplier of a broad array of high technology products. Its customers include the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, selected U.S. Government intelligence agencies and aerospace prime contractors. For more information, see www.L-3Com.com.
