DRS Technologies contracted by GDUK for the Bowman upgrade 41904162

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Defence & Security News - UK
 
DRS Technologies contracted by GDUK for the Bowman upgrade
DRS Technologies UK has been contracted by General Dynamics UK for the implementation of the Bowman radio and battlefield management system upgrade programme. DRS UK will provide rugged tactical displays, rugged computing technology upgrades and associated services valued at GPB35.6 million.
     
DRS Technologies contracted by GDUK for the Bowman upgrade
A Bowman battle management system terminal and radio unit (Photo: British Army)
     

On 10 March 2015, General Dynamics UK was awarded a GBP175 million contract to upgrade the Bowman system. The overall project includes the production of 12,000 ruggedized terminals and the upgrade of the battlefield management system to the BCIP 5.6 version. The BCIP consists of the Common Battlefield Application Toolset, the Infrastructure and the Platform Battlefield Information System Application.

According to Brigadier General Richard Spencer, the Head of the UK MoD’s Battlefield and Tactical Communications and Information System delivery team, “this contract will replace the data terminals and update software across the Bowman system to ensure ease of use, more rapid and robust data services and improved interoperability.”

DRS Technologies UK will use the technology already in service with the Mounted Family of Computer Systems (MFoCS). The final product will be the most up-to-date in ultra-rugged COTS technology in the form of Intel i7 multi-core CPUs, solid state hard drives, battery technology and keyboards.

Peter Hurst, Managing Director of DRS Technologies UK, said that “this technology will provide the British Army with a strategic advantage on the battlefield and builds on our heritage of supplying cutting-edge and proven network computing systems to the U.K. military forces. We are proud to be able to continue to provide a tactical computing baseline for Bowman, which shares many components and a common roadmap with the successful MFoCS system used by the United States military.”