DARPA chooses Raytheon as mission systems integrator

Raytheon Company was awarded a $7 million contract to serve as a Mission Systems Integrator for Phase I of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Persistent Close Air Support project.

Raytheon's proposed PCAS solution will develop technologies that significantly reduce the timeline for close air support through improved coordination among Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs), airborne sensors and weapons.

"Raytheon has an excellent understanding of the challenges involved in the close air support mission because of our experience designing and integrating weapons for manned and unmanned aircraft systems," said Bob Francois, vice president of Raytheon Advanced Missiles and Unmanned Systems. "As a Mission Systems Integrator, we focus on designing to the desired effect instead of fixating on the platform."

Raytheon's approach to PCAS will enable the controllers to command unmanned aircraft and rapidly and effectively select weapons. Raytheon's PCAS solution will decrease the Joint Terminal Attack Controllers' workload while improving their situational awareness.

Raytheon will integrate the work of team members Rockwell Collins, GE Aviation and Proxy Aviation Systems. Raytheon will use an open architecture approach to enable PCAS to grow and integrate into current and future command and control systems.

Source: Raytheon

Follow Shephard News on Twitter