Boeing starts to deliver Brigade Combat Team Modernization (BCTM)

Gary Mortimer

Boeing today announced that it began delivering Brigade Combat Team Modernization (BCTM) Increment 1 hardware to the U.S. Army on Nov. 17, and made a second delivery on Nov. 22. The hardware included Network Integration Kit-equipped Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles and Humvees, along with Unattended Ground Sensors and Unmanned Ground Vehicles.

These deliveries, which will continue through second quarter of 2011, are part of the low-rate initial production contract that Boeing received in February for the first brigade set of BCTM Increment 1 capabilities. The Army now will conduct additional verification testing prior to the capabilities’ Initial Operational Test & Evaluation in 2011 and their subsequent deployment to Afghanistan in 2012.

“These deliveries are the culmination of many years of design and field testing to improve this system’s reliability and usability for the nation’s warfighters,” said George Smith, Boeing BCTM Increment 1 Operations project manager. “We knew the schedule was going to be difficult, but this team excels at making the difficult happen.”

BCTM Increment 1 capabilities will provide soldiers with enhanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, as well as increased survivability and lethality. The capabilities will include:

Network Integration Kit: an integrated computer system that hosts the latest communications and radio systems and battle command software, providing the initial network connectivity needed to transfer sensor and communication data.
Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle: a robotic system capable of reconnaissance missions in dangerous or difficult situations such as entering buildings, caves and tunnels.
Class I Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV): a small, soldier-operated UAV that can hover for reconnaissance and surveillance while providing target acquisition.
Unattended Ground Sensors: multi-mode surveillance sensors for target detection, location and classification, with an imaging capability for identification.