Scott Nicholas
Rockwell Collins has landed a Digitally Aided Close Air Support contract from the Defense Department‘s Defense Innovation Unit Experimental to facilitate cross-platform data link functions for mobile devices.
Rockwell Collins said Tuesday it will offer an open source aggregation framework designed to support cross-platform data link communications on Android and Windows mobile devices in efforts to boost the military’s capacity to coordinate and execute air support and call for fires operations.
Brad Haselhorst, vice president of business development for Rockwell Collins’ government systems unit, said the use of a commercial open source model will work to deliver customizability and interoperability for warfighter communications.
The company noted that all U.S. government agencies are set to use the new platform that aims to help various DoD agencies maintain Variable Message Format and Cursor on Target messaging capacities under phase 1 of the DACAS deal.
Rockwell Collins will perform production work at its facilities in Richardson, Texas.
