System of Systems

The Future Combat Systems effort encompasses 18 separate but networked systems, including:

• Eight types of manned ground vehicles, including the Army's tank replacement, known as the Mounted Combat System. It will weigh about 20 tons, have a hybrid electric engine, take out targets up to eight kilometers away and reach speeds of 90 kilometers per hour.
• Four kinds of unmanned ground vehicles, including a five- to six-ton Armed Robotic Vehicle, which can carry up to 2,000 pounds, and a small unmanned ground vehicle weighing only 30 pounds.
• Four types of unmanned aerial vehicles, ranging from a 15-pound version with a one-hour flight time that soldiers can carry, to a large unmanned rotorcraft called Fire Scout that will fly for up to 24 hours and coordinate with manned aircraft.
• A collection of ground sensors, among them a container of 15 precision missiles, known as the Non-Line-of-Sight Launch System, which can operate independently or be remotely controlled by soldiers.
• The system-of-systems Common Operating Environment, which will allow all FCS systems to communicate with each other and with joint forces.