SubscribeToday's defense programs are increasingly complex. Each device implemented in these systems - radar, aircraft, missile battery, center, etc. - has become an actual system in itself.
The task is made even more complex when coalitions or international organizations must deploy their forces together, on the principle of interoperability.
These systems must not only be able to coexist, but also be able to respond to one another, as well as warn and communicate increasingly detailed and complex data.
ThalesRaytheonSystems has become a world leader in "system of systems". Human know-how, technological expertise, innovation capacity, international dimension and experience are not TRS's only advantages, its offer is also one of the most competitive in the world.
It's offers are among the most competitive in the world, through major programs such as: ACCS LOC 1 for NATO, FLORAKO for Switzeland or the MARTHA program in France.
The NATO Air Command and Control System (ACCS) Level Of Capability 1 (LOC 1).
ACCS: A unified and integrated NATO European Air Defense system
NATO ACCS LOC 1 is forecasted to become responsible for the planning and execution of offensive and defensive Air missions as well as support missions for NATO througout Europe and beyond. TRS has been selected to carry out the design of this system, after Thomson and Hughes - joined under the banner of TRS and created the first version in the 1970s.
The program provides one integrated NATO Air Operations and Planning System, and will mitigate the problems posed by the coexistence of a multitude of national systems and the weak functional integration and operational frame.
ACCS LOC 1 will offer a capacity to extend within and beyond NATO borders through its deployable capabilities such as operations of Rapid Action Force. ACCS presents an architecture highly adapted to extended Air Defense.
The alliance of Thales-Raytheon in 1996
To meet this challenge, the group Thales (who was still called Thomson-CSF) joined with Raytheon in 1996. From this first union - which would to turn out to be most successful-, was born ACSI (Air Command Systems International) of which half of the capital is held by Raytheon and the other half by Thales. ACSI is entirely dedicated to the program ACCS LOC 1: initially to respond to the invitation to bid, and later winning it in 1999.
ACSI employes 200 people between the headquarters, in Massy, and a liaison office in Brussels. The office, responsible for the global management of the program, ACSI relies on a vast network of associates to achieve the program goals: first and foremost TRS France and TRS US, with significant involvement of Alenia Marconi, EADS, Systematic and 70 other subcontractors.
Sixteen sites on the horizon of 2010
The first contract was signed with NACMA (NATO Air Command and Control Management Agency), to develop the "core system, " the heart of the system with a Test and Validation Facility to be installed in Glons, Belgium. ACSI is also responsible for the national contracts with the initial four Validation Nations :Belgium, France, Germany and Italy. In these countries, the program consists of adapting the system to the existing facilities and validating its operational functionality through four sites of validation, one in each country. Once these first sites are validated, twelve operational sites will possibly be implemented throughout Europe and Turkey, towards 2010.
Short description of the MARTHA system
To respond to the increasing complexity of the actions conducted by the French Armed Land Forces and to the necessary coordination of all intervening parties in the 3rd dimension (air space), TRS has designed the real-time MARTHA system, under the supervision of the French defense procurement agency (DGA).
This system ensures the direct control and security of parties intervening in the Armed Forces in the 3rd dimension in liaison with the Air Force: automatic broadcasting of the rules of air space management, monitoring and real time control of Army aircraft and the proposition of protection measures in case of air space conflict.
It also ensures command, coordination and optimization of the firing of all types of anti-air weapons systems, while guaranteeing weapons systems freedom of action and the reduction of deadlines for procedure applications. MARTHA illustrates the pioneering role that TRS plays in producing modular solutions adapted to the needs of armed forces, including weapons systems and coordination systems.
FLORAKO: Air Defence Ground Environment System
After more than thirty years of service, the FLORIDA Air Defence Ground Environment System used in Switzerland, and delivered in the late sixties by Hughes (today part of ThalesRaytheonSystems), is soon to be replaced by the FLORAKO system, also developed by TRS - evidence of continued relations based on mutual confidence.
FLORAKO is a fully distributed system whose main functions include:
- Air surveillance with multi-sensor tracking (military and civil radars),
- Identification,
- Sensor management,
- Threat assessment,
- Air mission Command and Control,
- Joint civil-military airspace management.
The system integrates links with external agencies, such as the Air Traffic Management system of SKYGUIDE, also to be replaced in the next few years by the ATMAS system developed by Thales Air Traffic Management.
FLORAKO uses leading-edge technologies for voice and data communication, networks and air surveillance with ThalesRaytheonSystems' latest 3D radars of the MASTER-M and MASTER-A radar families.
