Special Mission Fixed Wing Platform

Problem: The customer needed an affordable way to network their fixed wing platform and provide real time Situational Awareness to their crews by integrating Link-16 with Cursor on Target (CoT) on an existing FalconView display. They also wanted to replace their existing TACAN receivers with MIDS TACAN with minimal impact to their existing equipment.

The solution: OpenEdge

Application services: OpenEdge is utilized to provide a robust set of 6016C Change Notice 1 messages for Common Tactical Operational Picture, Free Text Collaboration, Mission Assignments and Imagery exchange. In addition, OpenEdge provides track filtering for combining CoT and Link-16 entities.

Presentation services: OpenEdge provides overlays on the FalconView map along with providing the GUI for free text chat, mission assignments and imagery transfers.

Data link services: OpenEdge interfaces with a MIDS LVT terminal

Processing: OpenEdge is distributed across two different processors in the AC-130. Part of the OpenEdge services run on a x86/Windows processor in a NCO Processing LRU from Rockwell Collins (it also includes a TACAN interface card.) The remaining OpenEdge services run on the existing AC-130 processors.