General Dynamics United Kingdom Limited, in partnership with Rockwell Collins and QinetiQ, has won a competition for a GBP3 million contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to develop the Joint Data Network Combat Identification Server Technical Demonstrator.

The Combat Identification Server (CIDS) requirement will contribute to improving tactical situational awareness (SA) for U.K. forces involved in the delivery and control of indirect and direct fires to land operations; it will also assist in improving SA for forces working together on other joint fires operations. The CIDS will provide military commanders and pilots with rapid and timely access to accurate near real-time force tracking and location information, improving mission effectiveness through increased accuracy and tempo of operations and assisting in reducing incidences of fratricide. The CIDS will correlate blue-force tracking information from 15 different network sources including Link-16, Bowman and UK asset tracking systems as well as coalition network sources. Then, on receipt of requests, data will be made available to joint fires assets and Close Air Support (CAS)/Close Combat Air (CCA) aircraft. CIDS will use Link-16, Variable Message Format (VMF) and AFAPD networks, and eventually other tactical networks to redistribute blue-force tracking information. The Technical Demonstrator Programme's (TDP) capabilities will be tested against realistic CAS and Forward Air Controller (FAC) engagement scenarios.

The program will be managed by the Tactical Data Links (TDL) Integrated Product Team and will feed in to the Joint Data Network (JDN) Backbone program, which focuses on linking tactical networks to support joint and coalition war fighting. Work is due to commence in February 2009 and to be completed in June 2010. Prime contractor General Dynamics UK will lead on systems engineering and integration activity; Rockwell Collins' UK subsidiary on CIDS software development; and QinetiQ on the trials and demonstration activity, data fusion, and provision of multiple-level security devices. The CIDS will use both General Dynamics UK's NetLink multi-link tactical gateway and Rockwell Collins' Rosetta Technology multi-link gateway to provide connectivity to the various tactical networks. All development and integration work will be conducted within the U.K.