Lockheed Martin has completed the latest upgrades to the Theater Battle Management Core Systems (TBMCS), the military's premier joint air battle management system, at the third Falconer Air Force Air Operations Center (AOC). The TBMCS 1.1.3 upgrade being fielded to the AOCs enables warfighters to fully support the command and control process for air operations via a web-browser without being physically located at the AOC.

First deployed in October of 2000, TBMCS is the primary system for planning and executing the joint air campaign, coordinating and directing flying operations from units as diverse as F-16 fighters, refueling tankers, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and even cruise missiles. The system is resident at five Air Force AOCs and more than 20 Joint Command AOCs and Navy ships around the globe.

With the latest enhancement, three-quarters of TBMCS applications are now accessible via a web-based net-centric architecture. This means that Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps users have easier access to intelligence, targeting, mission planning and air battle management information, regardless of their geographic location. In conjunction with this Spiral 1.1.3 upgrade, the Air Force is simultaneously fielding their new 10.1 AOC weapon system capability, a follow-on to the initial operational 10.0 capability fielded in June 2005.

"The highly successful fielding of Spiral 1.1.3 would not be possible without the exceptional partnership between the Air Force and Lockheed Martin," said John Mengucci, vice president and general manager, Department of Defense Systems. "The Air Force and Lockheed Martin have been in lockstep throughout this entire process to ensure the interface between 10.1 and 1.1.3 is achieved. The strong teamwork between both organizations enables getting vital capability into the hands of the warfighter as expeditiously as possible."

After worldwide installation of this upgrade is completed, the Air Force will be able to achieve its goal of reducing the workload on personnel in forward locations. For example, the interface between unit level and force level TBMCS applications removes the burden of duplicate entry of status information for aircraft takeoff and landings. With the expansion of the web- browser based tools, the system administration team is no longer required to maintain custom client workstations that support these command and control capabilities throughout a theater of operation.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin employs about 135,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2005 sales of $37.2 billion.

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SOURCE: Lockheed Martin