Army Battle Command System

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"ABCS" redirects here. ABCS is also the callsign for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's TV station in Ceduna, South Australia.

The Army Battle Command System (ABCS) is the digital Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C4I) system that is automating the battlefield Army. It is designed to leverage a mix of fixed/semi-fixed and mobile networks. It is also designed for interoperability with US theater, US joint, and Coalition combined command and control systems. The Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications Tactical (PEO C3T) has developed ABCS as a package of integrated digitized systems designed towork with the concept of Unit Set Fielding and to provide Warfighters with everything they need to know, decide and act.

Army Battle Command System (ABCS) Version 6.4 is an integrated suite of PEO C3T products that allows a Commander or Soldier to react effectively on the battlefield, in disaster relief, or humanitarian assistance. When combined, the components of ABCS 6.4 form a system that allows an Army Commander and Soldier to obtain an automated view of friendly activity and supply movement; plan fires, receive situation and intelligence reports, view the airspace and receive an automatically disseminated weather analysis.

[edit] Advantages

The ABCS suite of software provides advantages over previous "stovepipe" packages by offering the following capabilities:

Provides the latest available sustainment C2 on a map-based display
Provides for electronic messaging and data exchange with the Army Battle Command System (ABCS) and Movement Tracking System (MTS).
ABCS 6.4 allows for a System of Systems (SoS) concept. Ultimately, the SoS will essentially provide the Warfighter with the same type of service that the Internet provides to its customers today. In the commercial environment, customers can access the Internet from separate computers without even knowing the location of the network they are attached to. In the future, the Warfighter will have a similar capability when using the Army Battle Command Systems.
ABCS 6.4 is an integrated set of systems that will allow a Commander to see multiple systems on one screen and seamless pass data from one program to the next.
A combined and integrated package of systems allows systems and soldires to leverage the tactical network, thus removing stovepipes and saving money for the taxpayer.

[edit] Systems

ABCS combines six packages into a single system:

The Maneuver Control Systems (MCS) allows the operator to define routes and view overlays to provide situational awareness.
The Air and Missile Defense Workstations (AMDWS) provide soldiers with an Air Defense picture, and supports the Surface Launched Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (SLAM-RAAM) Air Defense Artillery (ADA) system by providing an automated defense planning capability for deployed units.
The Combat Service Support Computer System (CSSCS) provides for logistics planning and preplanning, and allows real-time analysis of logistics situations.
The All Source Analysis System (ASAS) can analyze incidents and help determine the patterns of Improvised Explosive Device-related incidents. A Commander can determine locations that are typical for IED attacks, so that they know to warn their soldiers of such a threat.
The Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems (AFATDS) plan and execute fires during each phase of action, whether a deliberate attack or defensive operation. AFATDS is presently fielded to all Active Component Army and Marine Corps units. About 90% of the National Guard has been fielded. AFATDS is installed on large-deck amphibious assault vessels of the United States Navy.
The Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade & Below / Blue Force Tracking (FBCB2/BFT) system uses satellite and terrestrial communications technology to track and display friendly vehicles and aircraft that appear on a computer screen as blue icons over a topographical map or satellite image of the ground. Commanders and Soldiers can add red icons that show up as enemy on the screen, and are simultaneously broadcast to all the other FBCB2/BFT users on the battlefield. There are about 15,000 FBCB2/BFT systems in use today.

Additional systems that are integrated with the ABCS suite include:

The Battle Command Sustainment & Support System (BCS3) integrates multiple data sources into one program and provides commanders with a visual layout of battlefield logistics.
The Combat Terrain Information Systems (CTIS) provide Commanders with automated terrain analysis, terrain database management, and graphics reproduction.
The Tactical Airspace Integration System (TAIS) is an automated system for battlefield airspace management.
The Global Command and Control System - Army (GCCS-A) provides a common picture of Army tactical operations to the Joint and Coalition community, and facilitates interoperability of systems across Army/Joint theaters.
The Integrated Meteorological System (IMETS) provides Commanders at all echelons with an automated weather system to receive, process, and disseminate weather observations, forecasts, and weather and environmental effects decision aids for ABCS.
The Integrated System Control (ISYSCON) provides automated, theater-wide Network Operations (NetOps) capabilities, that NetOps soldiers use to manage multiple tactical networking and communnications systems in support of battlefield operations.
The Command Post of the Future (CPOF) application communicates with ABCS through GCCS-A, and allows further situational awareness, planning, briefing, and scheduling.