Gun Data Computer - Systems

Systems

  • The Battery Computer System (BCS) AN/GYK-29 was a computer used by the United States Army for computing artillery fire mission data. It replaced the Field Artillery Digital Automatic Computer (FADAC). It was small enough to fit on a HMMWV.
  • The AN/GSG-10 TACFIRE system automated Field Artillery command and control functions. It was composed of computers and remote devices such as the Variable Format Message Entry Device (VFMED), the Digital Message Device (DMD) and the Firefinder Field Artillery target acquisition radar system linked by digital communications using existing radio and wire communications equipment. Later in its service life, it also linked with the Battery Computer System (BCS) which had more advanced targeting algorithms.

The last TACFIRE fielding was completed in 1987. Replacement of TACFIRE equipment began in 1994.

TACFIRE used the AN/GYK-12, a second-generation mainframe computer developed primarily by Litton Industries for Army Divisional Field Artillery (DIVARTY) units. It had two configurations, division and battalion level, housed in mobile command shelters. Field Artillery Brigades also use the division configuration.

Components of the system were identified using acronyms:

  • CPU (central processing unit)
  • IOU (input/output unit)
  • MCMU (mass core memory unit)
  • DDT (digital data terminal)
  • MTU (magnetic tape unit)
  • PCG (power converter group)
  • ELP (electronic line printer)
  • DPM( digital plotter map)
  • ACC (artillery control console)
  • RCMU (remote control monitoring unit)

The successor to the TACFIRE system is the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS).

  • The AFATDS is the "Fires XXI" computer system for both tactical and technical fire control. It replaced both BCS (for technical fire solutions) and IFSAS/L-TACFIRE (for tactical fire control) systems in U.S. Field Artillery organizations, as well as in maneuver fire support elements at the battalion level and higher. As of 2009, the U.S. Army was transitioning from a version based on a Sun Microsystems SPARC computer running the Linux kernel to a version based on laptop computers running the Microsoft Windows operating system.

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