Tactical Control System
Encyclopedia
The Tactical Control System (TCS) is a group of protocols that govern the command and control system for unmanned aerial vehicle
s, UAVs.
, starting in 1999, the Tactical Control System is designed to run UAVs in all branches of the US military
as well as NATO STANAG 4586 compliant UAVs. Raytheon developed the systems to run on computer
s using a type of Unix
operating system
called Solaris 8 from Sun Microsystems
. Raytheon also developed a system for the Linux
operating system.
According to the winning Raytheon bid for the development of the TCS system, it will feature:
Unmanned aerial vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
s, UAVs.
History
Developed by EG&G Technical Services and RaytheonRaytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
, starting in 1999, the Tactical Control System is designed to run UAVs in all branches of the US military
Military of the United States
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard.The United States has a strong tradition of civilian control of the military...
as well as NATO STANAG 4586 compliant UAVs. Raytheon developed the systems to run on computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s using a type of Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
called Solaris 8 from Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems
Sun Microsystems, Inc. was a company that sold :computers, computer components, :computer software, and :information technology services. Sun was founded on February 24, 1982...
. Raytheon also developed a system for the Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
operating system.
According to the winning Raytheon bid for the development of the TCS system, it will feature:
- Simultaneous control of multiple UAVs
- Compliance with NATO's Standardization Agreement 4586
- Integration of plug and play payloads
- Weaponization of the Fire Scout and Fire Scout operational evaluations.
Testing
Raytheon will undergo formal Operational Evaluation with Fire Scout in fiscal year 2008. Until then, tests to determine the progress of the system's development are ongoing. So far, there have been some positive results including:- December 2004 - A scaled down laptop version of TCS, the Multiple Vehicle Control System (MVCS), was able to control two UAVs flying over ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
simultaneously. In addition to the two Arizona UAVs, the MVCS was also able to simultaneously control an unmanned surface vessel operating on Chesapeake BayChesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
near Norfolk, VaNorfolk, VirginiaNorfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
.
- January 2005 - The TCS system was able to complete a vertical shipboard landing on a moving target, the US Navy ship USS NashvilleUSS Nashville (LPD-13)USS Nashville , an Austin-class amphibious transport dock, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for the capital city of Tennessee. Her keel was laid down on 14 March 1966 by the Lockheed Shipbuilding and Construction Company of Seattle, Washington. She was launched on 7 October...
, independent of any pilot. This was the first time such a feat had ever been achieved.
- April 10, 2006—Raytheon Company has successfully simulated simultaneous command and control of two unmanned air vehicles (UAVUnmanned aerial vehicleAn unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
) and an unmanned surface vehicle from one common control system.