Air Command and Control System (ACCS)

 

The Air Command and Control System (ACCS), currently under procurement by NACMA, will be the first fully integrated system in NATO, enabling planning, automatic tasking, battlespace management and task execution for all types of air operations.

 

The system features a centralized command and a decentralized execution capability, able to satisfy the requirements set by NATO commanders for the planning and execution of air operations.

The ACCS entities can be built as static or deployable components, depending on the needs of the operational commanders. ACCS provides interfaces to a multitude of different NATO, national and civilian entities enabling the collection of data from many different sources and using that data for generating a recognized COP.

 

Furthermore, the ACCS supports operations in a networked environment guaranteeing full interoperability with other systems within an area of operations.

The ACCS is currently under procurement by the NATO Air Command and Control System Management Agency (NACMA) and the first sites will be delivered to NATO in 2012. From the outset of the ACCS programme, NPC experts have been actively involved in the ongoing acquisition process for ACCS and have provided technical support to the NACMA in all phases of the project thus far.

 

The ACCS System Test and Validation Facility (STVF) was installed at the NPC in 2005 and upgraded in 2010. The STVF consists of a high fidelity representation of the equipment, software, networks and interfaces that will be available at operational locations, coupled with an appropriate engineering environment to support future maintenance.

 

In 2006, NATO authorities expanded NPC’s role as software maintainer for ACCS to cover all aspects of system support.

 

In 2008, NATO authorities further tasked the NPC to establish a System Support Centre for ACCS LOC1 together with NSPA and other partner organizations.