Show Report Defexpo
Raytheon’s Project Athena Multi-Domain Awareness System
ATK’s Aerospace Systems & Missile Products
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Photographs Left to right: Raytheon, nasa
uring Defexpo, Raytheon carried out an exclusive briefing for SP’s Aviation to highlight the benefits of its Project Athena as a robust ‘multi-domain awareness system’ and its suitability in the overall architecture of the IAF’s Integrated Air Command & Control Centres (IACCS) under development for the conduct of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) operations. Athena is a network-centric, multi-domain C4ISR system for high performance situation awareness, fusion and analysis and knowledge management. By exploiting information from global sources — including sensors, databases and intelligence — Athena delivers persistent surveillance, situational awareness and anomaly detection aids to reduce operator workload. Athena uses a modern, extendable and open C4ISR enterprise-grade framework allowing the integration of a wide range of sensors and supports collaboration across command centres. It employs user-friendly and role-based methods of managing correlated information and sharing across local, regional or global joint command interests. Athena delivers fast and flexible multi-domain awareness for rapid operational deployments using proven components. It also has applicability in other homeland security missions.
Athena provides seamless coverage across domains and operational centres/sectors. It integrates multiple sensors and ISR data sources and supports rapid integration of new types. It employs user-configurable tools for workload reduction. It delivers shared knowledge, awareness, operational picture and actionable intelligence. It employs standards-based service-oriented architecture using network-centric communications. Its plug-in architecture supports new capability integration. It is easily extensible; compatible with service-oriented architecture capable tools and is potentially scalable from local to worldwide applications if the situation so demands. It therefore offers in the IAF’s context a multi-domain awareness system starting from the local level right through Command HQs, Service HQ and even to the level of the ‘National Command Post’.
—By Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia
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TK had a wide range of products in different disciplines such as aerospace systems, armament systems, missile products and security and sporting. The company claims to be the world’s top producer of solid rocket propulsion systems. It manufactures advanced composite structures and components and supplies satellite components and sub-systems. It is a world leader in missile propulsion, warheads, fuzing, missile warning systems and next-generation anti-radiation homing missile systems. It also provides missionised aircraft with weapons and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Whether it’s the skeletal structure of the Airbus A350XWB airframe, business jet fuselage structures or the fan containment sections of the latest commercial airliner engines, ATK marks its presence by delivering affordable, high-quality components as required and on schedule. On the military front too, the company’s advanced composite manufacturing technologies produce light-weight and reliable structures, including wing skins and other components that make up the exterior of the US latest stealth fighter, the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter. Its missile guidance technology is enabling a new era of precision in engaging and destroying enemy air defences and time-critical mobile targets. ATK’s vast variety of medium-calibre gun systems and ammunition confers devastating firepower to military aircraft such as the A-10 with its world famous armour-beating multi-barrel gun system or the M230 Chain Gun which arms every Apache helicopter (IAF will receive 22 of these attack helicopters in due course). The company boasts of its fuzes, warheads, and rocket motors that are critical ingredients in todays most widely fielded combat systems and meeting the latest requirements. The company’s latest innovation is to bring laser-guided precision to even 70mm rockets under a programme called guided advanced tactical rocket (GATR) which would provide the most cost-effective solution as a short-range air-to-surface missile (ASM). ATK’s human space capability includes solid rocket boosters, engineering services, astronaut tools and solar arrays. Its reusable solid rocket motors (RSRM) —part of the world’s largest product line of solid rocket motors—provided most of the thrust that launched the space shuttle since the beginning of the programme more than three decades ago. Currently, ATK is testing and maturing the design of a more powerful and advanced version of this technology for commercial space launches as also to support a NASA heavy lift vehicle. ATK’s Castor 30-series motors are being incorporated into commercial rockets that will soon perform resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS).
—By Air Marshal (Retd) V.K. Bhatia Issue 5 • 2012 SP’S AVIATION 39