Tactical Control System

Lore & Background

The Tactical Control System was developed by EG&G Technical Services and Raytheon, starting in 1999. It is designed to run UAVs in all branches of the United States military as well as NATO STANAG 4586 compliant UAVs. Raytheon developed the systems to run on computers using a type of Unix operating system called Solaris 8 from Sun Microsystems, and also developed a system for the Linux operating system.

According to the winning Raytheon bid for the development of the TCS system, it was to feature simultaneous control of multiple UAVs, compliance with NATO's Standardization Agreement 4586, integration of plug and play payloads, and weaponization of the Fire Scout and Fire Scout operational evaluations. Testing was ongoing, with formal Operational Evaluation with Fire Scout planned for Fiscal Year 2008.

Positive test results included: in December 2004, a scaled-down laptop version called the Multiple Vehicle Control System (MVCS) controlled two UAVs flying over Arizona simultaneously and also controlled an unmanned surface vessel on Chesapeake Bay. In January 2005, the TCS system completed a vertical shipboard landing on a moving target, the USS Nashville, independent of any pilot—the first time such a feat had been achieved. On April 10, 2006, Raytheon successfully simulated simultaneous command and control of two UAVs and an unmanned surface vehicle from one common control system.

Reader's Guide

The Tactical Control System represents a foundational protocol group for unmanned aerial vehicle command and control, specifically tailored for U.S. military branches and NATO STANAG 4586 compliance. Its development by EG&G Technical Services and Raytheon beginning in 1999 established a standardized approach to operating UAVs across different services. The system's ability to run on both Solaris 8 and Linux operating systems indicates an effort toward cross-platform compatibility. Key features outlined in Raytheon's winning bid—simultaneous control of multiple UAVs, plug-and-play payload integration, and weaponization of the Fire Scout—highlight its intended operational flexibility. The testing milestones, particularly the January 2005 autonomous vertical landing on a moving naval vessel and the 2004/2006 demonstrations of simultaneous control of multiple air and surface vehicles, underscore the system's technical achievements in multi-domain unmanned vehicle coordination. These tests were conducted before the planned formal Operational Evaluation with Fire Scout in Fiscal Year 2008, suggesting the system was still in development but had already demonstrated significant capabilities.

Did You Know?

• In January 2005, TCS completed the first vertical shipboard landing on a moving target independent of any pilot.
• Raytheon developed TCS to run on Solaris 8 and also on the Linux operating system.