Poland and US achieve artillery command-and-control system interoperability

WB Electronics exhibited the full Topaz ICMS hardware configuration for the FONET network at Eurosatory 2022. (Jakub Link-Lenczowski)

Poland has proven the interoperability of its army's Topaz integrated combat management system (ICMS) with US artillery command-and-control systems. During trials at Poland's War Studies University in Rembertów from 7 to 21 July, Topaz was successfully plugged into the Artillery Systems Cooperation Activities (ASCA) interface.

To join ASCA, Poland must prove the interoperability of its national ICMS with other members of the programme by providing real-time links and command transfers using the ASCA interface. Sponsored to join ASCA by the United States, Poland tested the interoperability of Topaz with the US Army's Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS). During the trials, more than 200 tests and 160 simulated joint fire missions were successfully performed. The certification of Topaz will allow the US-made International Field Artillery Tactical Data System – Poland (IFATDS-PL), delivered with Poland's first High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) divisional fire module, to be plugged into the Polish Army's artillery automated command-and-control systems.

The next step will be verification by ASCA country Canada. In September Polish artillery automated command-and-control systems will be tested in Ottawa with the Canadian Fires Automation and Targeted Effects System (FATES).