Towed Artillery Digitization (TAD)

In 2000, a team lead by General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products was selected by the US Army and Marine Corps to develop a Digital Fire Control System (DFCS) for integration with the new M777 Lightweight 155mm towed howitzer. As part of that team, GD Canada was responsible for the development of the DFCS application software, the development and provision of the Mission Computer and Displays, and selection and integration of the Weapon Pointing System.

The DFCS provides each howitzer with onboard navigation, digital communication with the Fire Direction Center and automatic weapon pointing capability. As compared with conventional surveying and sighting of artillery, the DFCS provides each DFCS-equipped gun with much greater autonomy through:

• Significantly reduced time required for gun emplacement (under all environmental conditions);
• Increased speed and efficiency in mission execution; resulting in
• Increased crew survivability through greater speed into and out of action.

• The Mission Management Computer;
• The Chief of Section Display;
• Gunner and Assistant Gunner's Displays;
• The Position/Navigation System (INU, GPS and Vehicle Motion Sensor);
• VHF Combat Net Radio; and,
• Onboard Power Supply.

Approval for Full Rate Production of over 550 systems for the US Army and Marine Corps was received in 2005. The DFCS is particularly versatile, having been designed for integration directly onto the howitzer, and can be integrated onto any indirect fire system, be it towed or self-propelled.