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In its role as the integrator/broker for the Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems ( J-UCAS) Common Operating Systems (COS), The ÃØÃÜÖ±²¥ University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Md., has selected Raytheon Solipsys and Charles River Analytics to develop and evaluate software that will determine how people control and operate the J-UCAS COS.

The objective of the J-UCAS program is to develop and demonstrate an affordable, lethal, survivable and supportable unmanned combat air system to meet the operational needs of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. The COS is being developed by a consortium-like business arrangement to provide the necessary software and services that will enable system functionality and provide it broad operational flexibility.

J-UCAS consortium members—The Boeing Company and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation—will each design, build and demonstrate full-scale, flight-worthy air vehicles and mission control elements and integrate the COS into their respective air systems, the X-45C and the X-47B.

Acting as the integrator/broker and evaluating technologies for J-UCAS' consortium-like business arrangement, APL is responsible for awarding contracts to a variety of technology contributors. These awards are the first of many anticipated opportunities for industry to participate in the development of the COS .

The Laurel, Md.-based Raytheon Solipsys is a business unit of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. It provides command and control solutions for the joint war fighter. Under the J-UCAS COS Technology Contributor contract, it will provide human systems interface framework components for the COS using its Tactical Display Framework, a JAVA-based visualization system already used on several existing programs, including the Airborne Warning and Control System, Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft and the Future Surface Combatant Program.

Charles River Analytics, in Cambridge , Mass. , develops custom intelligent systems for a number of government, defense, intelligence and commercial customers, in their Cognitive Systems, Computer Vision Systems and Decision Management Systems divisions. Under this contract, the company will evaluate human computer interface systems of the COS during development and operational assessment to measure human computer interface effectiveness and to identify improvements for subsequent software builds.

"Work on the framework will begin as soon as possible to enable HCI components to be developed in support of the J-UCAS Operational Assessment," said APL's J-UCAS program manager Chris Evans. "The evaluation effort will take place concurrent with the development of Build 1 Software to provide assessments to benefit subsequent Builds of the COS."