MoD awards £10m for better battle software

The Ministry of Defence has awarded a £10m contract to Raytheon Systems for software designed to make controlling battles easier.

Raytheon Systems will develop a pilot of the software for the Joint Effects Tactical Targeting System (Jetts), which, if it goes well, will go into manufacture and is expected to be used in battle by 2015.

The software is aimed at improving the coordination of army equipment, including jets and artillery forces on the battlefield - currently done manually - as the MoD moves to what it calls a "digitised battlespace". The software will use open architecture and bits of it can be reused on other projects, according to the MoD. Jetts will also be used in peacetime to help with the rebuilding of war-torn countries.

The assessment phases will last two and a half years, with a contract to manufacture the software awarded separately.