Further shelters for the UK Ministry of Defence’s new battlefield Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) system will be entering service shortly following the award of a follow-on contract from prime contractor Lockheed Martin UK, leader of Team SOCRATES, to Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group.
The follow-on contract for Team SOCRATES provides additional Field Deployable GEOINT (FDG) systems including a Forward Map Distribution Point (FMDP), further Tactical Map Distribution Points (TMDP) and Tactical Information and Geospatial Intelligence Systems (TIGAS).
“This follow-on contract comes on the heels of the successful delivery and achievement of Initial Operating Capability (IOC) and confirms Team SOCRATES and Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group’s capability to build and integrate complex shelter systems,” said Steve Fitz-Gerald, Chief Executive of Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group. “At the core of our solution for the Team has been a common, modular design which can be easily expanded to meet future requirements.”
FDG delivers a data-centric, GEOINT management, discovery, dissemination and exploitation capability that addresses the deployable requirements of the UK’s Joint Force Intelligence Group (JFIG), including the provision of mobile and manoeuvrable working environments at the tactical level.
As part of Team SOCRATES Marshall is responsible for the design, manufacture, fit out and integrated logistics for the shelters which house the systems, whether TIGAS, TMDP or FMDP. The TIGAS units are mounted onto MOWAG Duro 6×6 vehicles, whilst the other units are carried on the back of the MoD’s Support Vehicle provided by Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles and fitted with load beds manufactured by Marshall ADG.
Team SOCRATES comprises Lockheed Martin UK as prime and overall systems integrator responsible for hardware and software integration; Marshall Land Systems (container design and manufacture, plus integrated logistic support); SCISYS (software and integration); Atica Consulting (security and communications); KNK (concepts and doctrine); Polaris Consulting (whole life cost modelling) and Safety Assurance Services (safety and environmental work).