Kongsberg Gallium, an Ottawa-based situational awareness and geospatial visualization software company and systems integrator, has announced the release of a new version of its vehicle Integrated Command System (ICS) platform that now allows armoured vehicle commanders to scout surrounding battlefield terrain with lightweight flying drones.
The Integrated Command System is a software system in use within NATO that links all of the sensors and systems in an armoured fighting vehicle using the open Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard. The ICS platform provides vehicle commanders with battlefield situational awareness, immediate threats, and the condition of the vehicle, and provides a way to control and interact with all of the sensors and systems on the vehicle. Kongsberg Gallium has recently added integration for the ProxDynamics PD-100 Black Hornet drone. In a scenario seemingly drawn straight from science fiction, the system employs tiny flying drones which can be carried in the pocket of a soldier’s fatigues, and quickly and easily deployed through a hatch. Video and positional data from the drones are transmitted directly to the ICS display in the vehicle.
The integration of the ProxDynamics PD-100 system allows vehicle commanders to scout ahead of the vehicle for potential threats, ambushes or obstacles without risking the vehicle and crew.
The system may be deployed in NATO fighting vehicles as early as 2016.
