Litton provides solutions to both the evolving naval warfare requirements for integrated shipboard communications and is re-engineering key air defence functions from their legacy systems into “plug and play” software segments for a variety of command and control requirements
					Creating a coalition force
	Litton Data Systems explains its move toward coalition force interoperabilit
					In a coalition force, full interoperability would depend on close co-ordination at the political, doctrinal and information provisioning levels. All three levels are interdependent, but implementing the technical means to support the information level appears the most straightforward way to achieve early interoperability. This would provide a dynamic test-bed through which co-ordination and accommodation of subtle doctrinal or political differences could be achieved quickly and efficiently. Given these statements as a premise, the question becomes: what kind of conceptual framework might be most useful for regularising and organising the volume of requirement statements about the information provision level? One answer is the concept of a coalition-wide command-and-control system aimed at providing continuous, worldwide, situational awareness that services all coalition members. At Litton Data Systems, a diverse domain expertise has generated a proven record for providing battle-space situational awareness through the application of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technology. For four decades the company has been designing, producing and delivering battle management command-and-control software and hardware – for missile defence, tactical air operations, artillery fire control, digital communications and naval warfare – always with the goal of providing information dominance to the battlefield warrior, both present and future. At present, the expanding coverage required of command and control, combined with the need for extremely fast system response times, puts a premium on superior inter-system communications and interoperability to achieve the rapid, clear, comprehensive situational awareness required for commanders and decision makers at all echelons. Sustaining such great capacity requires flexible use of the communications infrastructure for processing and interpreting the increasingly complex multi-sensor data. As a culmination of their long-term expertise, Litton has designed an advanced version of a command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) system. This horizontally implemented prototype, that is compliant with the NATO open system environment reference model, provides a common, real-time picture of the battle-space that enables multi-service situational awareness and control of battle-space dynamics and operational tempo. The database design uses common operational data at all system positions, so enabling quick and effective battle decisions. The display screens can be tailored at the individual workstations according to the specialty of the operator; on-screen, user-friendly process assistants provide step-by-step guides for the operator, simplifying task accomplishment and speeding the data gathering and input functions necessary for critical battle decisions. There is a steadily shifting emphasis by both the US and its allies away from the development of specialised software and customised operations systems and toward the integration of new technology within existing infrastructures. Design guidance also has moved very rapidly toward global open-system architectures into which all new systems must integrate, and towards software design that is totally compliant with the various open/common operating system environments. Litton’s new C4I system design is crafted to expand in both size and capability to meet these challenges. It readily accepts new hardware and software without changes to the basic design. Extra system nodes, subscribers and operator positions can be integrated as needed, and the entire operating system can be upgraded without changes to applications. Further, thanks to some significant Litton innovations in high-availability fault-tolerant architectures, over 99 per cent availability can be maintained through automatic adjustments that fail-over damaged nodes within very brief periods of time. This also allows new technology to be infused and modifications made to the C4I system without interrupting operations. Such advanced and innovative design exemplifies Litton’s continued dedication to anticipating and meeting customer’s C4I requirements for the fast-moving, emerging twenty-first century battlefield. Litton’s deeply focused experience on an extremely wide diversity of command-and-control applications also can supply a balanced answer to the need for a conceptual framework within which requirements can be gathered for a coalition system. © >>>>> www >>>>> Litton Data Systems
		"For decades Litton has designed and produced battle management command-and-control software and hardware to provide information dominance"
		Using web technology, the current air situation display can be available on the desktop of every commander or warfighter who needs it
		Inset: Litton’s AN/TYQ-23 tactical air operations system functionalitycan now be deployed and operated out of transport cases