Navy signs $142 million contract for tactical combat-training system
NewsApril 10, 2017
WASHINGTON. The U.S. Navy has signed a contract worth $142 million with Leonardo DRS and Rockwell Collins to develop its Tactical Combat Training System Increment II (TCTS Inc. II).
The initial contract sets out the development of an airborne, ground, and ship-based encrypted training capability that will be able to integrate with already-fielded equipment and combat systems to support the training of U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aviation forces. The initial development program includes options for low-rate and full-rate production.
The objective of the TCTS Inc. II program, says the Navy, is to provide the first certified, multilevel security (MLS) training equipment packaged in both airborne and ground equipment, which will allow for both tethered and autonomous operations. MLS is designed to be interoperable between combinations of 5th-generation and 4th-generation aircraft, which are used for training in a simulated, high-threat combat environment.
The MLS, which the Navy says has five times more network capacity than current air-combat training systems, uses the existing training range frequency spectrum for enhanced live-player training fidelity and to increase the number of players able to participate in Live, Virtual and Constructive (LVC) aircraft training.
