Raytheon has provided the Air Force an unsolicited proposal for a new advanced common ground control system for the Predator unmanned aerial vehicle that it believes will speed training, decrease operator error, and enable multiple aircraft control, according to a Sept. 16 company release. The company has worked with combat-tested UAV operators and trainers for two years to develop a CGCS that will “dramatically improve” the operation of UAVs, said Mark Bigham, Raytheon’s business development director for intelligence and information systems. He said the company’s CGCS “will help the current Predator contractor [General Atomics Aeronautical Systems] maximize the number of unmanned aircraft systems operators can fly, ultimately helping to meet Secretary of Defense [Robert] Gates’ goal of ‘more ISR now.’ “According to the release, the system is compatible with improved Predator operations centers being fielded with the Air National Guard now.
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
