Keywords
Citation
(1999), "New mission support systems to aid deployed operations", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 71 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1999.12771dab.046
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 1999, MCB UP Limited
New mission support systems to aid deployed operations
New mission support systems to aid deployed operations
Keywords: Racal, Military
Racal will be adding flexibility to the UK MoD's out of area operations following the delivery of its new Lightweight Mission Support Systems (LMSS) for use in RAF Nimrod, E-3D Sentry AEW (Airborne Early Warning) and fast jet mission planning applications. Contracts to supply eight LMSSs, designed specifically for deployed operations, will enhance the RAF's current Mission Support System (MSS) network, which has been used in support of UK military deployments for over nine years.
The LMSS can be used in a stand-alone configuration, or as part of a WAN-based operational network, to provide support for airborne, seaborne, and land-based operations. Information management is the primary function of LMSS with the new system facilitating the correlation and management of data such as friendly and threat force plots, air order of battle and mission plans, and intelligence and force movement data.
The system allows aircrew to plan a complete range of applications including tactical routes and deconfliction, communications and fuel usage, as well as sensor performance prediction. Following analysis, mission data may be distributed to friendly forces in order to ensure maximum intelligence is available for subsequent missions. The output from LMSS, in the form of data and images, may be transmitted to the appropriate controlling authorities via secure satellite communications, or conventional military/civil communications links. The system automatically receives signal format tasking messages which are processed and displayed as briefing documents or graphics. Consequently, deployed units are regularly updated with intelligence, meteorological, force composition and movement data through LMSS.