Textron Systems Advanced Information Solutions, a subsidiary of aerospace and defense firm Textron Inc., has announced the latest release of its Integrated Command (iCommand®) suite. The new thin client version of iCommand, known as iCommand 2.0, expands user access to a wide range of valuable command and control capabilities (C2) that deliver real-time situational understanding and mission-centric collaboration.
iCommand thin client provides ubiquitous access to real time C4ISR information from anywhere a web browser is available. No software needs to be installed, and no custom plug-ins are required. iCommand 2.0 streams synchronized information from multiple data sources and locations onto one 3-D multi-touch geospatial display in a single web page. It also includes new capabilities for managing critical information in the cloud and delivering it seamlessly across an enterprise and “to the edge” of a user’s operations.
In addition to its thin client attributes, iCommand 2.0 provides enhanced geospatial data management and document management capabilities, collaborative workspaces and multiple simultaneous viewpoints. It also is modular and scalable based on available IT infrastructure. A single iCommand node delivers dynamic operational information to 50 concurrent users with ingestion of up to 50 full motion video feeds, and 30,000 sustained individual tracks including 48-hour retention and recall of all tracks and video data.
“iCommand 2.0 enhances interactions and collaboration between mission commanders and tactical edge users for greater C2, operations intelligence data convergence and sensor/platform integration,” explains Steve Overly, Textron Systems Advanced Information Solutions senior vice president and general manager. “It takes the capabilities of our previous iCommand solution to the next level and expands its application to a wider range of environments. With increased information access, users are able to maintain a tactical advantage like never before.”
iCommand 2.0 maintains all of the best features of iCommand 1.0. It is deployed as a cloud-enabled service in which data is integrated into a common platform where context is built and maintained over time. Information is displayed in a unified manner, removing the need to cross reference multiple displays and documents and reducing the time it takes to make decisions.
Taking disparate data and systems and integrating them onto common displays allows users to add mission critical contextual information to raw data. iCommand’s ease of use and configuration enables common operating picture (COP) managers to visualize real-time data from remote platforms, including unmanned aircraft, manned strike aircraft and a variety of intelligence and operations feeds/data sources. Using its intuitive web-based interface, COP managers can dynamically manage critical aspects of the data, such as name, symbology, attribution, layering and attachments. This COP management capability turns this data into powerful decision-making enablers for the end users.
Once tactical decisions are made, iCommand’s platform integration services enable operations center users to manage and task platforms under their command. Drag-and-drop tasking operations are translated into specific tactical messages, which are then sent to the appropriate radio or device. This closes the loop on situational understanding, decision making and platform management to provide an end-to-end operations / intelligence convergence capability.
The iCommand 2.0 suite also eliminates the need for constant cross referencing of multiple documents. Users view, manage and interpret information regarding mission plans and platform synchronization for tactical assets using a map-centric view of the battlespace. This brings traditionally separate mission documents directly into geospatial context.
