US Army selects Infoscitex for manned-unmanned teaming programme

The US Army has selected Infoscitex (IST) to support a programme to develop and demonstrate manned and unmanned teaming.

IST has received a contract to help the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center Aviation Development Directorate, Ft Eustis, VA (CCDC AvMC ADD-E) in the programme known as Advanced Teaming Demonstration Program (A-Team).

A-Team intends to showcase teaming operations of manned and unmanned army aircraft. The idea is to enable the assets to work in tandem with minimal human intervention.

As part of the contract, IST is required to work in two subsystems technology development and integration tasks in support of the programme.

The award will support the army’s pursuit of human-machine interface and operations management autonomy systems to integrate platforms across multiple domains to work together in missions in dangerous, denied environments.

In a press statement, IST said: “The A-Team programme encompasses army systems, subsystems, and component technologies ranging from manned and unmanned aircraft systems and mission equipment packages to software-enabled capabilities, integrated to enable advanced teaming operational capabilities.”

The company will leverage its Tasking and Execution of Collaborative Unmanned and Manned Systems with Autonomy (TECUMSA) software suite and manned-unmanned teaming research conducted as part of the US Army’s Synergistic Unmanned Intelligent Teaming (SUMIT) programme.

IST will support the army in the implementation of technical demonstrations.

Infoscitex Air and Space Operations vice president Mike Gilkey said: “Infoscitex is pleased to have the opportunity to continue our development of innovative manned-unmanned teaming technologies into mature, field testable autonomy systems that support the army’s Future Vertical Lift Program objectives.”

IST was awarded a research contract to take part in the SUMIT programme, which is designed to assess and inform emerging technologies for potential use in the army’s next-generation Future Vertical Lift programme.