Boeing Achieves Key Milestones for Australian NC3S Project Vigilare

Boeing today at the Dubai Airshow announced that Project Vigilare, a Network Centric Command and Control System (NC3S) solution for Australia, has completed two major milestones: its first data transmission with a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18 Hornet using Link 16 technology, and development of its record and replay feature.

“These key capabilities will deliver significant benefits to the Australian Defence Force,” said Rod Drury, Boeing Defence Australia (BDA) vice president of Strategy and Business Development. “Our NC3S product line, of which the Australian solution is provided under Project Vigilare, continues to strengthen Boeing’s position as a global developer of advanced defense technology.”

Vigilare’s Link 16 capability will enable the RAAF to securely transfer and receive critical tactical data to and from RAAF platforms such as the Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft, F/A-18 Hornets, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and naval assets. The first transmission took place at Vigilare’s Northern Regional Operations Centre (NorthROC), RAAF Base Tindal, Northern Territory, Australia.

Boeing will conduct a follow-on NC3S capability demonstration for the Commonwealth of Australia in early 2010, in which an airborne RAAF Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft will transmit data using Link 16 to the Vigilare system at NorthROC.

The record and replay capability will improve operator training and mission planning by allowing RAAF console operators to replay real and simulated scenarios multiple times to multiple operator consoles simultaneously, separately or concurrently with the active NC3S system. The feature operates in two modes: role replication or video replay, in which the operator can replay missions or engagements, and interactive replay, where the operator can interact with the replay and manipulate the replayed data and voice set to explore different outcomes.

NC3S works by combining information in near real-time from a wide range of platforms, sensors, tactical data links and intelligence networks to deliver tactical- and strategic-level surveillance operations and battlespace management in the air and joint domains. The live inputs from these sources are then fused to present a unified operational picture to the operator at single or multiple operational control centers.

NC3S is one of Boeing’s first significant Command, Control and Communications (C3) defense products built outside the United States that is available for international sale.

An NC3S demonstrator is on display at the Dubai Airshow until Nov. 19.