Hanscom looks to improve flexibility for command and control

Published Feb. 17, 2016
By Patty Welsh
66th Air Base Group Public Affairs

HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Hanscom AFB will be putting out a request for proposal this month that is the final piece of a program for a net-centric command and control air operations suite to provide more flexibility in delivering C2 applications and information services.

The Command and Control Air Operations Suite-C2 Information Services, or C2AOS-C2IS, program will develop, field and sustain an improved set of systems to replace the Theater Battle Management Core System, or TBMCS, Force Level functionality.

"The C2AOS-CSIS is the heart and soul of the [Air Operations Center], allowing pilots and warfighters to complete air battle plans," said Capt. Kyle Rowland, deputy program manager. "It will provide faster, better quality and more intuitive products for our end user."

He added that, due to legacy software and sustainment costs for TBMCS-FL, it's imperative to complete the program, and the upcoming RFP for the Air Execution Information System, or AXIS, does just that.

"AXIS is the piece that pulls all the previous pieces together and ties the bow for the program," he said.

The program began in December 2012 with the Command and Control Applications and Information Services Development, or C2AD, contract from which a pool of vendors with the ability to do the work were chosen.

Four previous delivery orders are in place for the program. According to program officials, all of the projects under the orders will allow improved human-to-machine and machine-to-machine interaction.

The Air Tasking Order Management System, or ATOMS, will replace and enhance the existing planning and re-planning capabilities now provided by TMBCS-FL. It includes a modernized air operations database. It also offers the ability to merge inter-area of responsibility missions and a model to simplify mission planning across air battle plans.

The next order enables better tracking, auditing and handling of requests. Called the Request Information Services for Command and Control, or RISC2, project, it provides a centralized location for all requests and the ability to track status.

"All of the systems will work together to provide decision-quality information at the right place, at the right time for next generation command and control programs," said Rowland.

An Integrated Air and Missile Defense, IAMD, Planner project delivers a new capability of a 3-D visualization of the battlefield and automates Air Operation Center planning documents, including status briefings. It also fuses data from multiple sources to help generate decision documents.

Modernizing functionality for airspace management is the Airspace Management Application - Airspace Information Services project. This allows for production of airspace control orders, creation of airspace control plans and de-confliction. According to Rowland, a fielded prototype for AMSA-ASIS is receiving rave reviews.

Other systems are set to be fielded by 2018 prior to a Multi-service Operational Test and Evaluation. Although the program is an Air Force program, there is strong joint user interest.

"The warfighter wants and needs this product," said Rowland. "And we want to get it to them as fast as possible."