Friend or foe? FBCB2 enhances battle planning, reduces 'friendly fire'

GPS World, Feb, 2005 by Marty Whitford

"Put simply, thanks to FBCB2, we now know where all 'the good guys' are as well as where more and more of 'the bad guys' and their weapons are," said Col. Ray Montford, the U.S. Army's FBCB2 program manager. "We hope to have 20,000 FBCB2 systems in the field by the end of 2005, and realistically could grow that number in the next few years to 50,000 or more FBCB2 systems in use by almost every conceivable platform--from trucks and Humvees, to tanks and fighting machines, to airplanes and helicopters.

"Initially, this program called for 25,000 FBCB2s, but the technology and times have certainly changed during the past 10 years," he said. "The system's form factor and cost has dropped 47 percent while its capabilities, applications and wartime needs have expanded exponentially."

Montford said the DoD is bringing together all of the armed forces to explore potential uses and benefits of integration/interoperability, such as adding situational awareness systems in U.S. Air Force JSTARS aircraft to quickly identify enemy positions from afar and communicate them to the FBCB2 network as well as to possibly serve as secure surrogate satellites for the network.

"We've come a long way, but we've really just touched the tip of the iceberg with regard to FBCB2's potential," Le Grand said "Joint committees are exploring everything from weighing the pros and cons and needs of radio versus satcom data distribution, to empowering individual soldiers in battle with portable FBCB2 tracking systems. The sky's literally the limit with FBCB2."

Manufacturers

Many manufacturers contribute to the FBCB2 tracking system, with more joining almost quarterly as new applications and integration solutions develop at all levels--from command centers, to division and platoon leaders, to individual soldiers in the field. Some of the FBCB2 key technology providers: Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, headquartered in Reston, Virginia, is the primary contractor and systems integrator; Raytheon Co. of Waltham, Massachusetts, is the primary subcontractor handling EPLRS, situational awareness software, message processing, and the radio communications interface; Rockwell Collins of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, supplies Precision Lightweight GPS Receivers (PLGRs) and next-generation Defense Advanced GPS Receivers (DAGRs) technology; Parsippany, New Jersey-based DRS Technologies Inc. provides the FBCB2 V4 Computer System comprising rugged computer platforms and integrated peripheral products such as a flat-panel display; Kontron Mobile Computing of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, provides a Rugged Computer System; Panasonic Computer Solutions Co. of Secaucus, New Jersey, furnishes a ToughBook semirugged unit for selected applications; Germantown, Maryland-based Com Tech Mobile DataCom Corp. delivers an MT-2011E Transceiver for integration; and Fort Monmouth, New Jersey-based ESP Corp. provides FBCB2 field services.

RELATED ARTICLE: DAGR to Sharpen FBCB2 System

An offshoot FBCB2 solution undergoing testing by NATO for patrolling purposes uses a commercial GPS solution, and some military applications simply integrate a GPS card made by Rockwell Collins and others, but these are the exceptions to the rule. Most FBCB2 systems utilize Rockwell Collins' Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver (PLGR) as their GPS backbone.