BAE Systems is looking to solve one of the most restrictive elements with tank warfare through its BattleView 360 digital mapping system. The versatile technology will allow the crew of an armored vehicle to see through the metal confines of their war machine, allowing for unprecedented levels of combat awareness for the crews of combat vehicles.
Maintaining a high level of situational awareness from the confines of a tank can't be an easy task. Operators have to contend with excessive noise, and the limited visibility that comes with being wrapped in a mobile fortress of ceramic and steel. Simply overcoming one of these impediments could give a force a significant advantage on the battlefield.
"BattleView 360 builds on years of work across BAE Systems to improve situational awareness and integrate information so that crew workload is reduced and they can make fast, yet effective, decisions," states Peder Sjölund, technology manager at BAE Systems Hägglunds, Sweden. "The result is increased battlefield effectiveness and survivability.”
The technology, which stems from a system developed for use in advanced fighter planes, uses a touchscreen and helmet-mounted interface to visualize data collected from a host of sensors on the hull of the vehicle, as well as information fed by other assets in the field.
The head-worn element of the interface syncs with external cameras, allowing operators to view the surrounding environment in standard and infrared conditions, while the touchscreen provides a wider view of the unfolding tactical situation, allowing the user to switch perspectives to the viewpoint of other crew members.
The BattleView 360 system has the potential to significantly raise combat awareness, allowing users to determine an enemy's predicted field of view, and if direct line of sight is broken with an enemy, displaying the hostile's predicted field of movement. The system will also display the position of friendly units, hopefully creating an extra safety measure in terms of friendly fire, and allow for the plotting of efficient vehicle and UAV routes.
BAE states that the system will be highly versatile and adaptable to a wide range of military assets. A demo unit has been installed on a CV90 tracked vehicle, for display at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) exhibition in London this week.
