US Space Force increases efforts to plug training capabilities gaps
The service has been seeking simulation and emulation solutions capable of reproducing multiple in-orbit threats.
iGov will modernise the US Marine Corps’ (USMC’s) AN/TSQ-239 Combat Operations Center (COC) under a new contract announced on 29 January. The 4-year, firm-fixed-price contract has a starting value of nearly $100 million with potential to increase in the future.
The contract will see the company perform work to update and modernise the COC infrastructure with the aim of providing significant increase in performance, a simplification of baseline management and reductions in operational and life cycle support costs.
The COC provides mobile, modular command and control centres across the span of tactical command from battalion to divisional level. It provides tactical data and C2 systems to the headquarters, including manoeuvre, fires, intelligence, logistics and administration. The system integrates non-secure, secret voice and data communications, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) capabilities and networked servers. Multiple networks, including SIPRNET, NIPRNET, and coalition, are used to provide security and accessibility among interoperable users. This contract award modernises the existing hardware within the approved acquisition objective.
Patrick Neven, iGov CEO and chairman, said: ‘The ongoing success of our Marine Corps Tactical Collaborative Work Suite 2.0 (TCWS 2.0) programme, combined with winning the COC award, is a testament to our proven ability to successfully support the [US] Marine Corps expeditionary IT programmes.’
The service has been seeking simulation and emulation solutions capable of reproducing multiple in-orbit threats.
The service has been conducting several acquisition and upgrading efforts involving artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve communication, data analysis and ISR systems.
The Syracuse 4B communications satellite, developed by Airbus and Thales Alenia Space, was launched last year, bolstering secure military satellite communications for the French Armed Forces. Thales has now been selected to provide terminals for vehicles.
The growing importance of space in modern warfare, advancements in satellite technology, and increasing threats from rivals like China and Russia were among the topics of a Eurosatory 2024 panel on military space operations.
AN/ARC-232A is a Starfire radio that provides VHF/UHF communications to airborne platforms and the transceiver is software-programmable, allowing for multiple waveform support as well as optional national electronic counter counter-measure (ECCM) capability.
During the 18-month period of the contract, Lockheed Martin will apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to create surrogate models of aircraft, sensors, electronic warfare and weapons within dynamic and operationally representative environments.