OREANDA-NEWS. The U.S. Marine Corps Common Aviation Command and Control System (CAC2S), built by General Dynamics Mission Systems, successfully completed an operational test during a Marine Corps Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course in Yuma, Arizona. CAC2S is a command and control system that integrates information from various aerial and ground-based radar systems and sensors to enable greater joint interoperability. Used by the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF), CAC2S visually combines ground and aviation command and control data for greater situational awareness and faster decision-making.

"The Weapons and Tactics Instructor Course represents a live-fly operational environment that is as close to actual combat as it gets," said Bill Weiss, vice president and general manager of Ground Systems for General Dynamics Mission Systems. "Commanders now have the ability to see an integrated air-ground picture in their task-organized command and control centers, adapting to operational situations as they develop."

CAC2S consolidates the existing functionality of the Marine Air Command and Control Systems (MACCS) into one system. It can be scaled from small, expeditionary operations to large-scale operations conducted by air, sea or on land. Developed using an open architecture approach, technology insertion and capability enhancements are easy to implement and intuitive to use, which helps Marines at any echelon to see, plan and respond to operational changes in real time.

"CAC2S represents a leap forward in the evolution of the modern Marine Air Command and Control System. It can be configured to support aviation operations of an entire Marine Aircraft Wing consisting of several hundred aircraft or right-sized to support integrated air and missile defense operations or manage fixed-wing aircraft or helicopters directing air support and assault operations," said Larry Grove, a retired Marine Corps Colonel and former Marine Air Control Group Commander. "I've seen senior aviation commanders at every level compliment CAC2S for its ability to rapidly execute various combat options with an unprecedented level of situational awareness over legacy command and control system."

General Dynamics Mission Systems has worked side-by-side with the Marines Corps since 2012 to continuously improve the system, implement new capabilities based on feedback from Marines and to reduce cost and risk as new CAC2S systems are fielded.