The U.S. Army’s next-generation combat computer platform, C5ISR/EW Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) Mounted Form Factor (CMFF), is being developed to reduce C5ISR/EW system size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C), and to ensure commonality across multiple platforms by enabling the sharing of hardware and software components.

Leonardo DRS is entering the CMFF competition as a prime and lead systems integrator (LSI). Mike Stucki, Director, Business Development, and Charles Niles, VP, Business Development for Leonardo DRS Land Electronics, offered the following on the company’s unique capabilities in developing CMFF.

Q: Why is Leonardo DRS the best partner to provide CMFF?

A: We are, quite simply, the most reliable path to a low-risk CMFF solution. We expertly integrate hardware, software, and resilient industry-leading cyber capabilities that meet the most challenging environmental conditions of the modern battlefield. Additionally, we have worked tirelessly to select a best of breed team to address the wide array of payloads required to perform all the warfighting functions on vehicle platforms.

Leonardo DRS embodies the knowledge and experience gained through 20+ years of providing combat-proven Mission Command and Battle Management System hardware systems for situational awareness, fire control solutions, and logistics tracking. We also design and develop mission critical tactical computing across the U.S. Army’s entire fleet of ground combat and tactical wheeled vehicles, ensuring their computing hubs are a reliable component of the larger C5 architecture, facilitating the critical execution of mission command for our Warfighters.

Q: CMFF is an agile solution. How does Leonardo DRS’s agility play into creating this system of systems?

A: Among our many products that provide agile and rapidly upgradeable options is the JV5 version of FBCB2, which has a slot-based chassis that facilitates the rapid upgrade of capabilities to address emerging threats. Another example, in the latest MFoCS hardware, we designed a capability upgrade bay so desired capabilities could be inserted rapidly without needing to go through a multi-year procurement for a new single-purpose tactical computer. We also recently launched a product that meets the threats of an enemy when denying GPS access to our soldiers’ Position, Navigation, and Timing capabilities. This product, APNT Converged Compute-Embedded Scalable (AC2ES), demonstrates how we can provide APNT capabilities merged with situational awareness to align with the idea of rapid upgrades.

Q: How does Leonardo DRS’s legacy of providing rugged computers translate into the solution for the future?

A: Leonardo DRS has been a trusted partner to the U.S. Army for 25+ years. For the past two decades, we’ve designed, developed, manufactured, and delivered 300,000+ tactical computing systems and displays. Our intimate knowledge of the combat and wheeled vehicle fleet, coupled with our systems engineering rigor to meet the most stringent military requirements, result in providing hardware that will not fail our Warfighters at critical operational points on the modern multi-domain battlefield. This durability and reliability uniquely qualify Leonardo DRS to provide a low-risk CMFF capability to the U.S. Army that will survive on our combat vehicles in the harshest conditions.

Q: Why does CMFF matter to the Warfighter?

A: The answer is twofold. First, we are easing the workload of the Soldier by providing SWAP-C advantages, reduced training, and less maintenance time on multiple capability components. Second, CMFF reduces acquisition time, allowing the rapid integration of capability upgrades providing soldiers with improved situational awareness and networking on the battlefield.

Today’s threats are constantly evolving. A solid CMFF solution developed by Leonardo DRS will allow our Warfighters to overmatch those threats, accomplish their missions and get home safely.

To learn more about the Leonardo DRS CMFF solution, please visit LeonardoDRS.com/CMFF.