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 A future UGS generation is currently under
development for the US Army Future Combat Systems (FCS) program.
FCS UGS are expected to function in several roles, including
perimeter defense, surveillance, target acquisition, and
situational awareness, including Chemical, Biological,
Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) early warning. The FCS program
will include a range of remote sensing capabilities, including
expendable imaging and non imaging sensors, seismic, acoustic and
magnetic sensors. Recoverable sensors will be "smarter", capable
of target identification, some will be remotely controlled,
providing gateway, signal processing and fusion capabilities.
These sensors will enhance the Future Force commander’s
intelligence picture. Special FCS sensors are designed for urban
operations. These will be network-enabled, leave behind reporting
systems utilized for force protection in urban setting, providing
residual protection for cleared areas, ambushes and other urban
contingencies. These miniature, low cost devices will be equipped
with integral communications and gateways ensuring dependable
communications in urban environment. FCS UGS will become an
integral component of the new system's layered sensor network. FCS
will utilize persistent, remotely deployable sensors for threat
warning, situational awareness and force protection in both
tactical and urban environments. Providing target detection,
location, tracking and identification services, these sensors will
be designed with integral wireless communications, comprising self
webbing, self healing network capabilities. FCS UGS will become an
integral part of the FCS Unit of Action Network and contribute an
essential and continuous information feed to help create and
update the unit's Common Operating Picture (COP).
 The FCS Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS) program is
divided into two major subgroups of sensing systems: Tactical-UGS
(T-UGS), which includes Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance (ISR)-UGS and Chemical, Biological, Radiological
and Nuclear (CBRN)-UGS; and Urban-UGS (U-UGS), also known as Urban
Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) Advanced Sensor
System.
Tactical UGS systems are self-organizing networks of
remotely deployed, long-range sensors that enhance perimeter
defenses of military bases and other facilities. The sensors are
also used to provide over-watch surveillance of a particular area
or point-of-interest. An Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS) field
will include low-cost, expendable and multimode sensors for target
detection, location and classification; and an imaging capability
for target identification. A sensor field will also include a
gateway node to provide sensor fusion and long-haul communications
capability for transmitting target or other information to a
remote operator, or the common operating picture through the FCS
Modular Force Network. The Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS) can be
used to perform mission tasks such as perimeter defense,
surveillance, target acquisition and situational awareness (SA),
including Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN)
early warning. Other topics covered in this feature
include:
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