Armament summit examines joint weapons communication

  • Published
  • By Sarah Anne Carter
  • Air Armament Center Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. (AFPN) --  A global grid where information can be passed from weapons to aircraft to command and control facilities highlighted discussions at the sixth annual air armament summit here March 16 to 17.

The theme of the summit that brought leaders from government, industry and academia together was, "Joining the Swords." Panel discussions were presented by groups who have spent the past 10 months researching specific topics, such as test and training, assessing the global threat environment, networking weapons and integrated planning.

"It's going to be a joint fight, so it needs to be a joint answer," said Col. Pamela Arias, Air Armament Center’s enterprise program office director and one of the summit's key planners.

The panels presented recommendations focused on continuing current weapons programs, developing test ranges and airspace to test new weapons that create larger footprints and continuing to develop directed energy and hypersonic technology.

However, a primary focus for the joint community was the creation of a weapons data link. This would be part of the global information grid where information could be passed from a weapon to an aircraft to a command and control facility using a "language" all involved parts understand.

After a weapon was released, it could be retargeted, Colonel Arias said. It could send back information to the grid about the area it sees in order to provide intelligence and verify its location right before hitting the target. It might also have the ability to send back battle-damage assessments for other targets before it explodes.

"It's critical we have a common architecture, a common language," Colonel Arias said. "Whether it's Air Force talking to a Navy ship talking to a satellite down to some operations center somewhere or down to some Army site somewhere -- all of that information can pass. It's just important that we link up." (Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)