Thales and BAE Systems Digital Intelligence are teaming up to support the British Army’s next-generation battlefield intelligence system under Project ZODIAC.
Thales UK signed a memorandum of understanding with BAE Systems Digital Intelligence, Frazer-Nash Consultancy, and CACI to support ZODIAC and the future development of the Land Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability.
ZODIAC is designed as a tactical battlefield system that will combine digitalized ISTAR with deployed data-fusion analysis and command-and-control capabilities. The aim is to help deployed forces process information and support decisions faster.
“It is an opportunity to connect sensors, data, and decision-makers into a coherent operational capability that helps commanders understand and act faster,” Thales CTO Mike Sewart said.
Thales said its work with the three companies will draw on their expertise in artificial intelligence-enabled decision-making and open system architectures.
UK’s Land ISTAR
Land ISTAR covers the systems and processes used to gather information about an operational environment, identify potential targets, and provide that information to commanders and forces.
For the British Army, the program is intended to create a network of sensors that can be centrally coordinated while remaining compatible with current and future communications and information systems.
Other army systems also contribute to the broader ISTAR network.
Watchkeeper, for example, uses radar, cameras, and other sensors to collect and distribute intelligence, while the Ajax family includes dedicated reconnaissance and command-and-control variants.
