First successful integration of the PCAS system with an MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft

Meet the Successful Consulting Team behind DARPA’s PCAS Latest Demonstration

They worked in the shadows providing testing and technical assistance to DARPA for the PCAS weapon test.

Barone Consulting is proud to announce the successful completion of a networked Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) combat capabilities test on an MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft. Two members of Barone Consulting, Marshall Frith and Scott Ponsor, were actively involved in the system integration and test of the PCAS program, which came to a successful completion on 27^th March.

The demonstration, which took place in the southwest region of the United States, marked the first successful integration of the PCAS system within a USMC aircraft. Right from the planning to the execution, the demonstration was a big success that wouldn’t have been possible without the teamwork of every person involved.

PCAS, which is the brainchild of Defense Advanced Research Program Agency (DARPA), is an improvement on the existing close air support capabilities (CAS). Unlike CAS, which relies heavily on voice instructions and paper maps, PCAS leverages advances in computing and communication technologies to deliver reliable coordination between ground forces and aircrews.

In creating PCAS, DARPA envisions an all-digital close air support system. The system constitutes of two main components: PCAS-Air and PCAS-Ground.

PCAS-Air consists of a GPS enabled system that uses high-speed internet connections and sophisticated algorithms that are able to calculate the optimal path to the target as well as recommend the best weapon to deploy once the targeted is identified and selected.

PCAS-Ground, a suite of situational awareness and mapping software on Android tablet computer. Information can also be visualized using a HUD eyepiece that displays imagery, maps, and other information about the target, letting the troops keep their eyes on the target, not the tablets. PCAS-Ground has already been put to the test in Afghanistan, where it quickly proved a significant success. The units in Afghanistan replaced paper maps with PCAS-Ground and reported increased and improved agility as well as precise coordinate air engagements.

PCAS not only makes Close Air Support prompt and precise but also enables the employment of small munitions, something which greatly reduce collateral damage.

The successful prototyping of PCAS on the MV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft opens doors to a larger discussion on modern CAS within the Department of Defense. Barone Consulting, which is one of the most remarkable systems engineering and technical assistance firms in the United States, hopes to play a crucial role in the future advancement of the PCAS program.

About Barone Consulting
Founded in 2009, Barone Consulting, provides technical assistance and system engineering services to the Department of Defense and the intelligent community. They offer a cadre of elite subject matter experts to the government in support of game-changing, cutting edge technologies.

PCAS scores success with USMC leadership

Marshall Frith and Scott Ponsor have been working on DARPA’s PCAS project which has just recently completed a weapons demonstration for the MV-22 tiltrotor aircraft. The program has lead to several transitioning technologies and has opened a larger discussion of modern CAS technology within the DoD.

On March 27, DARPA successfully tested the full PCAS prototype system for the first time as part of TALON REACH, a U.S. Marine Corps infantry/aviation training exercise conducted in the southwest region of the United States in partnership with the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One and the Marine Infantry Officer Course (IOC). The demonstration marked the first successful integration of automated, digital, real-time coordination capability into a military aircraft system, including rail-launched munitions, digital data links and advanced software in support of ground forces.“I am very pleased with the successful PCAS demonstration that we had during TALON REACH,” said Lt. Gen. Jon M. Davis, the Marine Corps’ deputy commandant for aviation. “I have emphasized to my team that we will network every one of our aircraft.”

http://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2015-04-06

Barone Aids in Innovative Firefighting Training

WASHINGTON, DC – May 29, 2014 – Barone Consulting today orchestrated a successful demonstration of DARPA technology for Arizona firefighters, effectively expanding the use of military technology to other public service areas.

Team members, including Barone Consulting integration architect Marshall Frith and senior consultant Scott Ponsor, used elements from the Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) program that were tailored for the firefighting community in a program called Fire Line Advanced Situational Awareness for Handhelds (FLASH).

“To see the application of this program to areas besides the military was fascinating,” Frith says. “We’ve been working to give our troops the tools they need in battle, and to see those tools translate to firefighting was very rewarding. The applications of this program are nearly limitless.”

PCAS is a program designed for the military with a goal to use advanced digital tools to overcome troop coordination challenges. By equipping soldiers with targeted technology for situational awareness, rather than paper maps and legacy communications systems, troops can more easily stay coordinated and ahead of the enemy.

Firefighters battling wildfires face similar challenges to troops in battle, including the need for situational awareness, precise coordination, and ensured safety from quickly moving and shifting flames. Advanced technology to fight these problems has not been readily available to most rural firefighters, until the aid of DARPA and PCAS.

FLASH, the firefighter version of PCAS, uses tablets, aircraft-mounted sensors and radios designed to identify the location of every firefighter and aircraft in expansive fire zones. The systems overlays multiple streams of information onto a digital map visible on tablet computers. In essence, FLASH gives every member of the firefighting team a real-time map of the flames and their resources, allowing them to more easily plan where the next attack will be.

During the three-day training demonstration with the Prescott Fire Department, firefighters were able to track each other’s positions with the help of an observation aircraft that provided a live, bird’s-eye view of the terrain. Frith worked with local fire officials to demonstrate and train on the tablet software and communications program. Ponsor facilitated a virtual connection, allowing participants in the Arizona command post and in DARPA headquarters in Virginia to view the event in real time.

“This technology is incredibly powerful,” Ponsor says. “Its ability to not only unite firefighters in troubling rural situations but to bring together people across the country is remarkable. It was an honor to be part of such a project.”

Members of the Prescott Fire Department, who were chosen for the exercise because of the heroic action of the 19 firefighters who gave their lives in the Yarnell Hill wildfire last year, were impressed with FLASH technology and hopeful the devices could be tailored for other areas, such as search and rescue efforts.

Founded in 2009, Barone Consulting provides system engineering and technical assistance services to the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. They provide a cadre of elite subject matter experts to the government in support of game-changing, cutting edge technologies that help performers bridge the “valley of death” between R&D and fielded tactically relevant products. To find out more, please visit www.baronedc.com.

http://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2014-06-09