Raytheon [RTN] has begun flight testing of a DARPA air support program designed to ensure sharing of real time information to improve coordination and enable quicker response times, the company said Wednesday.
The testing marks the third phase for Persistent Close Air Support, or PCAS, and is an 18-month $25.5 million effort that will conclude with live fire demonstrations.
“PCAS will enable ground troops, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) and combat aircrews to share real-time situational awareness and weapons systems data,” Raytheon said. “With PCAS, soldiers on the battlefield can quickly and positively identify multiple targets simultaneously. JTACs and aircrews will jointly select the best precision-guided weapons for each target while minimizing collateral damage and friendly fire.”
“PCAS will help reduce close air support response times from as long as one hour to just six minutes,” said Tom Bussing, Raytheon vice president of Advanced Missile Systems. “By delivering critical information to decision makers more quickly, PCAS will save lives in the battlespace.”
The current flight testing is on Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt aircraft and involves connecting JTAC with a PCAS-ground kit. When flight testing wraps up, PCAS will be available for integration with other aircraft and participate in other demonstrations.
Raytheon is the systems integrator for DARPA and the rest of the industry team consists of Rockwell Collins [COL], General Electric [GE], BAE Systems and 5-D Systems.