LANCER Team's marketing

manager, outlines why the

concept of the less-dense

battlefield drives the

requirement for

information upwards.

Intelligent surveillance target acquisition reconnaissance (ISTAR) encompasses all elements of data and intelligence gathering. Aircraft with look-down surveillance radars, unmanned aircraft and remote ground sensors can provide valuable parts of the intelligence jigsaw but ultimately the human on the ground is the intelligent intelligence gatherer and this is the major asset manned armoured reconnaissance (MAR) has over ISTAR assets.
MAR's role is to gather timely tactical intelligence in all weathers at all times on which commanders can plan actions and react to changes inside enemy decision-making cycles. This ensures the enemy is reacting to and not imposing his will on friendly forces. MAR is able to deny information to enemy recce assets, by force if necessary, and to affect enemy decision-making processes, so controlling a battle's tempo.
Assets used by British and US armies have major deficiencies in capability, lacking mobility, sensing, fightability and data processing required for use in digitised battlefields. Scimitar (UK) and HMMWV (US) are reaching the end of their useful lives in this role.
Following the Gulf war the UK's Ministry of Defence developed a concept to meet the future need for MAR. Called tactical reconnaissance armoured combat equipment requirement (TRACER), it is an armoured system whose primary role is to gather information on the enemy and ground and through the processing power available to its crew interpret and provide intelligence to the formation commander The programme began in 1993 when British companies produced a feasibility report on fulfilling technical and operational requirements and indications of the cost of full development and production. Nine months after completion in late 1995, companies involved revisited their report to take into account a number of changes. This was known as the cost and risk study (CARS). The outcome was a refined TRACER concept reflecting a more mature doctrine and concept of use.
The US had broadly similar requirements that resulted in the future scout and cavalry system (FSCS) controlled through the tank automotive research and development engineering centre (TARDEC). Following discussions a letter of intent to collaborate was signed by both countries on 14 October 1996.
Subsequently a common operational requirement document (CORD), common technical requirements specification (TRS), a common invitation to tender (ITT) and a common programme were developed. A memorandum of understanding (MoU), hopefully to become effective early in 1998, is being drawn up by both governments to formalise collaboration and enable industry to exchange key data.
Two international teams will bid for the project definition (PD) contract. The LANCER team is a prime contracting organisation. Headed by GEC-Marconi as prime contractor, it includes Raytheon TI Systems (formerly Texas Instru ments) and GKN Defence and United Defense (recently purchased by the Carlyle Group of Washington DC). Sika International is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and British Aerospace with support from Vickers Defence Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems. These teams bring together leading exponents of systems integration, defence electronics and armoured defence production.
The programme consists of a bid phase in the first half of 1998 leading to the award of PD contracts to two international consortia in August 1998. Over the next 42 months both teams will study designs; tradeoffs between technical capability, operational ability and costs; and, most importantly, fully investigate all risks in order to develop full mitigation criteria before moving to full development.
Also they will have to show ways of reducing risks by producing hardware demonstrators.
On completion of PD, bids will be submitted for full development and initial production. TRACER/FSCS is programmed to enter service in 2007 to be used by the British Army's armoured reconnaissance regiments and the US Army's cavalry recon units. It will provide commanders on future digitised battlefields with timely, accurate, processed intelligence information including enemy locations, routes and rates of advance and far-target acquisition allowing them to get inside an enemy commander's decision-making cycle and defeat him.

TRACER/FSCS is primarily a surveillance and target acquisition system. At the heart of the vehicle will be a sensor and C⁴1 package utilising the full applicable electro-magnetic spectrum with significant capabilities to process sensor data and provide fused information. It will have good signature management in all spectra, be air-portable in an operational configuration, have mobility as good as the threat and supported forces, and operate in poor visibility when other ISTAR assets such as UAVs are unavailable or when there is reduced battlefield visibility.
TRACER/FSCS will be a vital element of ISTAT providing information dominance, maintaining tempo, shaping the battlefield and providing all commanders with information to ensure successful battle outcome.