Danish software house Systematic announced on 1 November 2023 the expansion of its partnership with the British Army with the signing of a contract for 1,400 new licences for the company’s SitaWare C4ISR software.
The contract will allow for the acquisition of SitaWare Headquarters for use by all the British Army’s brigades and divisions, in additions to those formations such as the corps headquarters that are already using it.
“The expanded deployment of SitaWare within the British Army will allow for greater interoperability within the UK armed forces, as well as with its allied and partner nations,” James Hamilton, Systematic vice president of business development for the UK, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “Furthermore, it will deliver a significantly enhanced digital experience for users – meaning greater situational awareness, lower risks in combat, and easier dissemination of intelligence and information across the battlespace.
“As a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software product that is interoperable with a wide range of legacy equipment, and which meets a raft of communications standards, SitaWare is de-risked and is ready to be implemented for any military user,” Hamilton added.
Major General John Collyer, Director Information & Chief Information Officer for the British Army, was quoted by Systematic as saying: “This significant uplift in SitaWare Headquarters licences ensures the current battle management application is readily accessible at more echelons. This purchase is the latest delivery as part of a wider campaign of army digital and data exploitation under Programme THEIA to be at the forefront of technological change. The prize is tempo and accuracy in decision-making. As the software is rolled out across our deployable forces it will enable us to adapt quickly to new challenges. More widely, it is another important step in driving integration across the force and domains.
The latest British Army Sitaware procurement also covers new licences for use by NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), based in Gloucester, UK, to help with the deployment of SitaWare into operations and exercises within Europe and beyond.
Systematic has been working with the British Army for over 15 years on supporting a digitised battlespace, with the British Army’s 3rd (United Kingdom) Division acquiring SitaWare Headquarters licences in 2020 to support operations by the division and its subordinate units. SitaWare is in service with the British Army’s Standing Joint Force Headquarters (SJFHQ) and its commitment to the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in Lithuania in 2022, as well as numerous US Army Warfighter Experiment (AWE) exercises and the US Army’s Project Convergence, which is designed to significantly increase integration of US Army operations with those of the UK and Australia.
Systematic’s SitaWare suite allows the seamless integration of a wide range of C4ISR data and intelligence to deliver a comprehensive common operational picture to battlefield commanders – from those in a headquarters or joint operations centre to vehicle-mounted troops and units on the ground. SitaWare Insight is used to support intelligence units with their operations in the intelligence cycle, providing an integrated digitised solution to ensure that all the data available on the battlefield can be utilised by commanders and planners to make informed decisions.
SitaWare’s open architecture allows for a greater degree of modularity, with a software development kit allowing users to create their own plug-ins and add-ons to meet their mission and capability requirements. Recent Systematic-developed modules for use in the SitaWare environment include the Fire Support Module, which assists in the planning and delivery of joint fires, and SitaWare Battlefield Health, which helps to manage the health needs of soldiers – from enlistment, to the battlefield, and as returned veterans.
SitaWare has been procured by more than 50 organisations, including NATO, the US Army, the British Army, the Australian Army, the German Bundeswehr, the Danish armed forces, and the Irish Defence Forces.
