Army, Northrop Grumman, BAE move forward on next-generation JETS infantry targeting system

"The Army established the JETS program in 2009 as an Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marine Corps initiative to develop and field a one-man portable targeting system to enable infantry forward observers and tactical air controllers to call for fire from indirect munitions like JDAM and Excaliber, as well as call for close air support from all joint forces.

Among the goals of JETS is reducing friendly fire and collateral damage by helping soldiers differentiate between enemies, friendly forces, and civilians while working with satellite positioning and surveillance data.

Military forces need a lightweight handheld system for reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, target engagement, and fires coordination for infantry forces, Army officials explain.

Current systems are far too heavy or lack necessary capability for accurate fire support during the day and at night, and do not work well with digital communications necessary to receive, transmit, store, display, plan, and coordinate targeting data.

This solicitation will call for industry to design and build JETS prototypes as part of the program's full-scale development phase, which should last for about 2 1/2 years, during which the winning contractor will be asked to deliver between five and 20 prototype JETS systems." via Military & Aerospace Electronics