EADS to supply secure vehicle locating system for NATO forces in Kosovo (KFOR).
* EADS will meet NATO’s ambitious timeline with delivery set for April 2005
* Interim Forces Tracking System can track up to 600 vehicles at a time
Paris, 24 March 2005
EADS Defence and Communications Systems (DCS) has signed a €13 million agreement with NATO Consultation Command and Control Agency (NC3A) to supply an Interim Forces Tracking System (IFTS), a secure system for locating Allied forces in Kosovo and the Balkans.
NATO has proceeded with the purchase of IFTS which will enable it to locate its vehicles in the theatres of operation in Kosovo and more generally in the Balkans (Bosnia Herzegovina and the former Yugoslavian republic of Macedonia).
The IFTS solution set up in Kosovo will enable NATO to field-test the Blue Forces Tracking (BFT) systems ultimately destined to equip all units under NATO command in its theatres of operation.
At the KFOR command post in Pristina, EADS will install a central server which will initially permit the tracking of 142 tactical vehicles. By August of this year, IFTS will be capable of tracking up to 600 vehicles for NATO. The vehicles will also be equipped with rugged data terminals, which will enable them to receive and display the position of other vehicles in their vicinity in addition to other tactical information.
The EADS-designed IFTS system is based on two key components: the information system and the secure communications system. The information system is based on Imp@ct, a new derivative of the SIR (System d’Information Régimentaire) system already in use by the French Army. Imp@ct enables a vehicle to transmit and receive geographical location of vehicles in their vicinity, as well as receiving tactical information such as prohibited or dangerous zones. The system is also equipped with a free-text or form-based messaging system. All of the information can be accessed both at vehicle level and from the KFOR command post, providing a common operational picture.
Communication between the vehicles and the KFOR command post takes place via NATO’s secure radio communications network, which conforms to the TETRAPOL standard. Supplied by EADS, this network has been in operation since 2000 and covers approximately 90% of the Kosovo territory.
It will undergo significant enhancements, including the introduction of data transmission functions, and an increased number of communication channels.
EADS has also developed solutions for vehicles active on missions outside the zone covered by the Kosovo radio network. They encompass mobile facilities in the form of self-contained transportable communication modules, providing either extended coverage beyond the limits of the Kosovo radio network, or an autonomous network entirely independent of the Kosovo network. Satellite communications for selective missions outside the usual intervention zones are also covered. Thanks to its end-to-end encryption, the solution proposed by EADS is absolutely secure, right up to NATO’s Mission Confidential level.
In addition, the contract covers the provision of associated systems operation and maintenance services, plus training courses for KFOR personnel.
The Defence and Communications Systems (DCS) business unit is the EADS “Systems House”, which forms an integral part of the EADS Defence and Security Systems (DS) division. Defence and Security Systems, with revenues of about € 5.4 billion in 2004 and roughly 24,000 employees across ten nations, forms the defence pole within EADS. It offers integrated systems solutions to the new challenges confronting armed forces and homeland security units. It is active in the areas of military aircraft, missile systems, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems with manned and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), battlefield management systems, defence electronics, sensors and avionics, and related services.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2004, the Group generated revenues of € 31,8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 110,000.
Your contact:
Brigitte Faure
Saint Quentin, France
Tel.: +33 (0)1.34.60.71.70
mailto: brigitte.faure@eads.com
Michael Meissner
Munich, Germany
Tel.: +49 (0)89 607 34850
mailto: michael.meissner@eads.com
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