Dawn S. Onley, Government Computer News, 18 July 2005
The major communications systems that will connect the manned and unmanned vehicles of the Army’s Future Combat Systems program will likely fail to meet technical challenges and an accelerated schedule, according to the Government Accountability Office.
In a report released this month, GAO said each of the communications pillars of the Army’s Future Combat Systems program—two Joint Tactical Radio System clusters, the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical program and the System of Systems Common Operating Environment—were running behind schedule due to immature technologies.
FCS is designed to link 18 manned and unmanned weapons systems via a common computer network known as WIN-T and the System of Systems Common Operating Environment.
The Defense Department countered that the communications programs will not delay FCS spirals. “The FCS spirals will make use of technologies as they become available,” according to DOD’s response. (more)