U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems Program to Accelerate Evaluation of Unmanned Systems

U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems Program to Accelerate Evaluation of Unmanned
Systems

EL PASO, Texas, Jan. 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S Army Program Manager
Future Combat Systems (FCS) (Brigade Combat Team (BCT)) will accelerate
evaluation of the FCS (BCT) Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) and the Class
I Block 0 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. Soldiers from the Army's Evaluation Task
Force (AETF) based at Ft. Bliss, Texas, will start training on and evaluating
the new systems in early 2008. Original schedules called for formal system
testing to begin in 2011.

Robots such as the Micro Air Vehicle and Packbot, both early versions of the
FCS (BCT) systems, are currently being used by Soldiers in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Positive feedback from theater and current technology readiness
levels of the FCS unmanned systems helped spur the acceleration directive from
top Army officials.

The FCS (BCT) systems that will be evaluated provide greater capability than
those early versions currently used overseas. The 30-pound SUGV offers
increased sensor capability and greater mobility for negotiating obstacles,
while the Class I Block 0 UAV features gimbaled adjustable sensors allowing
Soldiers to keep the vehicle in stationary hover while observing potential
threats. The Class I Block 0 UAV also makes use of an early version of the
Army's Joint Tactical Radio System allowing near-real time data transfer to
upgraded AETF vehicles.

Considered a separate effort from FCS (BCT) Spin Out 1, in which the AETF is
evaluating FCS (BCT) technology for Current Force insertion, this unmanned
system acceleration will begin with the mid-January delivery of three SUGVs
and will shortly be followed by the arrival five Class 1 UAVs for initial new
equipment training by the Ft. Bliss Soldiers.

Activities will pick up by June 2008, when AETF Soldiers will begin field
exercises with the systems. According to Lieutenant Colonel Steve Noe, Product
Manager, FCS Unmanned Ground Vehicles, "Although the user exercises are not
yet totally defined, Soldiers will use the systems to help clear buildings and
to enable them to have 'eyes and ears' in front of the squad, thus increasing
their situational awareness."

In total 25 SUGVs and 11 Class I Block 0 UAVs will participate in the
evaluation. "Part of the evaluations will be leader training, where the Army
will seek opportunities on how to use the UAV for such operations as route
clearance and base security," commented Richard Fisher, Deputy Product Manager
Future Force Unmanned Aircraft Systems.

The evaluations are set to conclude in September 2008, when the FCS (BCT)
Program Manager and Army capabilities managers will, "provide the Army with a
recommendation on whether to field the systems or continue system development
under the core FCS (BCT) program," commented Noe. "This recommendation will be
directly based off of the Soldier feedback gathered during the AETF
evaluation," he added. Current plans call for 81 SUGVs and 90 Class I UAVs to
be fielded with each Future Combat System Brigade Combat Team starting in
2015.

Future Combat Systems is the premier U.S. Army modernization program
consisting of a family of manned and unmanned systems and sensors, connected
to a common network that will enhance the Soldier's survivability, situational
awareness and lethality.

SOURCE U.S. Army

Paul D. Mehney, +1-586-770-3438, or Amber M. Theisen, +1-586-322-3210, both of
U.S Army