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Mortar Fire Control System (MFCS)

Current mortar systems include conventional ammunition with a variety of fuzing, weapons that range from man-portable 60mm to vehicle-mounted 120mm mortars, and related equipment such as fire control systems, mortar ballistic computers, training devices, and ammunition. The MFCS is a revolutionary improvement in mortar capability, seamlessly linking mortar fires in the future digital battlefield. The MFCS (Heavy) provides an on-board fire control system that includes a fire control computer, position navigation system, and gun pointing system. The MFCS allows mortar crews to set-up and fire in one minute or less, down from the current eight minutes and accuracy is increased by a factor of four. Shorter exposure times increase crew survivability. The MFCS is fully compatible with the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS), increasing situational awareness and reducing the probability of fratricide. The LHMBC will provide dismounted mortar users with a lightweight, handheld ruggedized mortar ballistic calculator that will be digitally linked to the fire control network. The LHMBC consists of the Army's Ruggedized Personal Digital Assistant loaded with Mortar Fire Control System Software that has been modified for use on that platform.

The acquisition strategy for Mortar Fire Control System includes product development efforts performed by the government and industry. ARDEC, Picatinny, NJ will develop all versions of Mortar Fire Control software for all platforms, and will also provide post deployment software support. Most hardware and integration efforts will be performed by Honeywell Defense and Space Electronic Systems. However, hardware for the light weight handheld computer, as required by the MFCS Operational Requirements Document (ORD) for dismounted operations, will be procured through the PM Common Hardware/Software Task contract.

Previous Information

The Mortar Fire Control System (MFCS) is an automated fire control system designed to provide improvements in command and control of mortar fires and the speed of employment, accuracy, and survivability of mortars. There is an on-board Pointing System designed to provide a precision azimuth reference and eliminate the need to dismount the vehicle. Each mortar crew will have the capability to compute its own fire missions and communicate digitally with the Fire Direction Center (FDC). Dedicated digital radio nets allow the FDC to interface with the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS). System accuracy is increased through the use of Global Positioning System (GPS), an on-board azimuth reference, and digital meteorological (MET) updates.

The Mortar Fire Control System (MFCS) will provide 120-mm mortar users with Paladin-like fire control capability that greatly improves mortar responsiveness and crew survivability. The EMD system is undergoing software development and hardware tests in the M1064 weapon carrier and the M577 fire direction center. An initial fielding is scheduled for the third quarter of FY 2002.

The Mortar Fire Control (MFCS) is a system that will enhance the operation of the 120mm mortar platoons to accomplish their mission. The system provides a fully integrated digital onboard fire control system for heavy and light battalion mortars including, weapon location/ orientation, navigation, and ballistic solution. The MFCS has three components: (a) Position-navigation, (b) Fire control, and (c) Situational Awareness. The position-navigation is a Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver (PLGR) and gun tube pointing device. The pointing device will also be able to provide position data. The fire control is a computer controller and will perform system control, digital communication link with the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS), Forward Entry Data (FED), Tactical Fire Direction System (TACFIRE), Digital Message Device (DMD), and will provide ballistic computation. The situational awareness is a digitized command and control system compatible with the M2/M3 family of vehicles and the M1A2. Additionally, when installed on the M1064A3, a drivers display provides present heading (azimuth) and steer-to capability.

The Product Manager for Mortar Systems is conducting a consolidated mortar fire control system acquisition. This consolidated approach bundles several mortar fire control systems and their technologies into a single contract in order to integrate program synergies, optimize commonality, and reduce technology overlap and coordinate logistic support. This performance- based acquisition, formally known as CONFIRE, required a system integrator with extensive domain experience in fire control as well as the capability to develop and execute an integrated evolutionary plan. The CONFIRE acquisition includes multiple statements of objectives for the development and production of the various fire control systems, to include contractor logistics support and post deployment software support.

The initial effort includes a hardware and software effort to upgrade an Improved Mortar Ballistic Computer starting in FY00, and may include production requirements ranging from 1 to 150 units in FY01 and FY02. The second effort will consist of a base production build of 120mm Carrier Mounted XM95 Mortar Fire Control Systems starting in FY01, and may include production requirements ranging from 1 to 130 in FY02 and FY03. The third effort will consist of a development program for a light forces (81mm, 120mm towed) Mortar Fire Control System starting in FY02, and may include production requirements ranging from 1 to 250 in FY04. Given these future program profiles, concurrent development and production of the various systems will be required.

The Improved Mortar Ballistic Computer (MBC) is a handheld terminal unit which functions as a Mortar Fire Direction Center (FDC) computer. The existing capabilities include digital receipt of calls for fire using Tactical Fire Frequency Shift Key (TACFIRE FSK) Package 10 messaging along with computation and displaying mortar ballistic solutions for all 60mm, 81mm and 120mm US Mortar weapon systems and their family of ammunition. The current operating system is DOS based. It has a relatively small software application (5.7Mb) which is written in Ada and runs on a X486/50Mhz/32Mb platform using a modified PC-104 Tactical Communications Interface Modem (TCIM) to provide its digital interface with SINCGARS.

In looking to the future, an Improved software upgrade is required to add a Variable Message Format (VMF), Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) Fires Support Package 11 capability. This effort is required in order to maintain digital connectivity with an ever evolving Tactical Internet. Commensurately, a new computer platform will be evaluated in order to replace the current X486/50MHz platform with a device which will provide a MBC capability at the Company level (60mm mortars) and an MFCS capability (e.g. Gunner s Display or Commander s Interface) at the light Battalion level (81mm mortars). This software and hardware update will begin the process of integrating the identified mortar fire control systems and allow future product updates and improvements to be developed once and spread across the spectrum of mortar systems.

MFCS Heavy

The XM95 is a Heavy 120mm Mortar Fire Control System (MFCS) which is an add-on system to an already fielded 120mm M121 Carrier Mounted Mortar System along with its M577 Fire Direction Center vehicle. It provides mortar platoon commanders with accurate, digitally integrated, and responsive indirect fire system capabilities. System required capabilities include position/navigation, weapon pointing (weapon applications only), ballistic computation, and the ability to digitally communicate with the fire support AFATDS and with the Force XXI Battle Command Brigade-and-Below (FBCB2) Embedded Battle Command (EBC) Situational Awareness networks. This digital connectivity is transferred via the use of EPLRS and SINCGARS radios.

Production of the XM95 leverage the achievements obtained from a previous Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) program. The primary effort involves the acquisition, test and delivery of the system and its components. System components include a weapon-pointing device, commander s interface, driver s display, gunner s display, cables and brackets. Previously developed system software and source code will be provided by the Government as basis for integration. The provided software will be Windows NT based and is written in a C++ language.

MFCS Light

The Light Mortar Fire Control System is almost identical to the XM95 120mm, M121 Carrier Mounted Mortar System in the fact that it will be an add-on system to two already fielded mortar systems, the 120mm, M120 Towed Mortar System and the 81mm, M252 Mortar System along with their HMMWV Fire Direction Center (FDC) vehicles. It will also serve as a platoon level digitally integrated fire control system consisting of position/navigation, weapon pointing (weapon applications only), ballistic computation, digitally communicate along with providing situational awareness capabilities. The primary differences between the light MFCS and the heavy MFCS are based on their base vehicle platforms, power requirements, and need for certain components to be man-portable.