SPOTLIGHT ON... C4ISR Journal's 2011 "Big 25" Awards

Two Textron Systems technologies are among the recently announced C4ISR Journal "Big 25" list of 2011's top intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance products and innovations. Each year the publication recognizes - what it describes as - "the technologies and organizations doing the most to defeat terrorists inform policymakers and empower troops to make the right decisions on the battlefield."

Textron Defense Systems' MicroObserver® Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) system earned "Big 25" recognition in the Sensor category, while Overwatch's SoldierEyes™ mobile smartphone solution garnered its "Big 25" award in the Innovations category.

Textron Defense Systems Senior Vice President and General Manager Ellen Lord, and Overwatch Vice President of Business Development and Strategy Jon Percy, talk about why they believe these technologies are being recognized by this leading defense industry publication.

Q: MicroObserver is deployed with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan for remote surveillance and force protection. It reliably detects and tracks vehicles and personnel for perimeter defense, border security, force protection, persistent surveillance and critical infrastructure protection. What else about this technology makes it so valuable?

A: "Our MicroObserver UGS system addresses the demanding realities of both tactical and homeland security missions - harsh terrain, varying climates, rapidly evolving mission requirements, and personnel with little time for training but great need for reliable situational awareness," says Lord. "Beyond its smart design, MicroObserver UGS also are engineered for rapid deployment--no more than one day of user training is required. Sensor nodes can be turned on in one step and automatically geo-locate. The MicroObserver network is self-forming so no network planning is required, self-healing so it automatically adapts to changes in the radio frequency environment, and self-configuring so no programming is required. So it provides vast capability with very little user intervention."

Q: SoldierEyes provides intelligence and communications support for military personnel in full-spectrum operations. During this past summer's Empire Challenge 2011 joint forces demonstration, part of the U.S. Army's Connecting Soldiers to Digital Applications initiative, SoldierEyes smartphone applications delivered some eye-opening capabilities. What makes SoldierEyes a stand-out innovation?

A: "The teams that participated in Empire Challenge 11 effectively demonstrated our system's capabilities to gather, analyze and share information and imagery--still and full motion video--vital to mission success. Smartphones equipped with SoldierEyes enabled soldiers to quickly form a common understanding of their environment, collect and distribute intelligence from the edge, and collaborate in real time. We've produced relevant and open smartphone-enabled services and applications systems that are easily tailored to meet the needs of the military today and into the future," explains Percy. "Innovation is most valuable when it leads to products and services that make a difference to the end user, and SoldierEyes delivers capabilities which can help save soldiers lives and contribute to mission success."



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