MBDA unveils a new interactive demonstrator called MBDA Innovative C2 (MiC2) to help it consider the future direction of its command and control systems. 

Considering the threat evolution and ever increasing operational demands, MiC2 aims to improve the efficacy of air defense operators, the company said June 16 at Eurosatory in Paris.

In particular, MiC2 aims to lighten operator’s workload while allowing them to maximize the deployment and engagement characteristics of each kind of missile involved. 

To do this, MiC2 calls on the most recent advances in Man Machine Interface (MMI). Inspired by smartphones and tablets, its MMI is more intuitive and natural, while the introduction of technologies such as voice recognition and eye tracking provide fluidity and speed of execution for the operator.

”With the C2 systems that we are delivering today, there is a noticeable trend towards the growth in the number of sources of information, a trend that in all likelihood will increase over the years to come,” said François Moussez, MBDA’s military Air Advisor. “These sources include active radars as well as passive or multi-static radars, video or infra-red panoramic view sensors, without forgetting tactical data networks such as Link 11 and Link 16.”

Simultaneously, he said, customers want C2 systems able to control several layers of air defense. At the same time the rules of engagement are becoming stricter. In having to manage ever more complex systems with extremely demanding target identification requirements, operators will see their workload increase.

“It is in thinking about tomorrow that we have decided to consider C2 ergonomics, maintaining the principle of placing of the operator at the center of the activity and providing him with the information that he needs with a minimum of effort and in the minimum period of time,” Moussez said.

”For MBDA, the MiC2 demonstrator is a tool which will allow us to explore and test the new man-machine interfaces during the carrying out of an air defense engagement with the customer. With MiC2, we can prepare our future product offer and continue to adhere more closely to the evolving operational needs of our customers while all the time bearing in mind the heavy and lasting pressure on manning levels,” he added.

MBDA is jointly held by 

Airbus Group, 37.5 percent, BAE Systems 37.5 percent, and Finmeccanica holds 25 percent.