U.S. Army's New Tool Speeds Up Artillery Firing by Hours
The U.S. Army has successfully tested a new data management tool, the Artillery Execution Suite (AXS), which significantly speeds up the process of gathering target information and firing the M777A2 Howitzer. This technology is part of the Army's Next Generation Command and Control (NGC2) initiative, aiming to modernize battlefield management and reduce risk.
The Army demonstrated the capabilities of AXS during the Ivy Sting 1 exercises. The first iteration focused on the 'fires thread', accelerating the process of nominating and firing on targets. The results were impressive: AXS reduced the time taken compared to the legacy system (AFATDS) by over two hours during dry runs. This speed improvement is crucial for the Army's goal of shaving off seconds from the kill chain to increase tempo on the battlefield.
The Army awarded contracts to Anduril and Lockheed Martin to prototype and develop NGC2 systems for the 4th and 25th Infantry Divisions, respectively. Edgewood Technologies received a contract for the prototype development of the broader NGC2 system for the 4th Infantry Division, covering the period from March 2023 to March 2025. The Army hopes to demonstrate the benefits of NGC2 to soldiers by showing them that the technology can work quickly and effectively in real-world scenarios. Future Ivy Sting exercises are planned to stress the system and expand toward division-level deployment.
The successful testing of AXS marks a significant step in the Army's NGC2 initiative. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, the Army aims to modernize its command and control regime, reduce risk, and increase tempo on the battlefield. As the Army continues to develop and test these systems, soldiers can expect to see improvements in their ability to manage the battlefield effectively and efficiently.
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