Project Scorpion

Last updated

Project Scorpion is a multinational military modernization program which uses military-run experimentation for acquisition of new armaments. Project Scorpion also tests new military behaviors such as effects-based operations, network-centric warfare, and irregular warfare and civilian-military concepts.

Contents

Origins

Originally a U.S. Army concept, Project Scorpion was the new name for the former Intelligent Munitions System (IMS), [1] was re-baptized in its new name around 2004 under the Future Combat System (FCS) framework, this a program which was cancelled in April 2009 by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates; parts of the FCS were swept within the U.S. Army Brigade Combat Team Modernization Program under the U.S. Army Office for Acquisition, Research and Development.

From the outset in 2004, the U.S. Department of Defense promoted Project Scorpion as a means of providing domestic military interoperability, i.e. inter-agency operational facilitation U.S. military bodies such as the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. Yet Project Scorpion was also promoted internationally by the U.S. Department of Defense as a means of promoting multinational interoperability for closer U.S. integration with coalition (NATO) militaries. In this light, Project Scorpion was easily adopted by Defense Ministry acquisitions agencies of France, Germany and the United Kingdom; Non-NATO partners appear to have been invited to participate.

As from 2010, it would appear that the United States (DOD) and France (DGA) are the lead-players in the multinational Project Scorpion coalition.[ citation needed ]

Project Scorpion uses part of the system of systems principles. Such military modernization efforts are part of a wider military concept of Revolution in military affairs, or "RMA". Larger defense companies serving as lead-system integrators for Project Scorpion include Northrop Grumman/EADS, Raytheon/Thales and General Dynamics, SAIC, SAGEM, Lockheed Martin Marietta and Boeing. Budget outlays for Project Scorpion are quite large - ranges of billions of dollars (and Euros) in various countries.

Project Scorpion as a joint-multinational experiment program

Press reports indicate that Project Scorpion was intended for "NATO Interoperability". [2] In this light French, German, U.K and U.S. military descriptions of Project Scorpion are similar, using the same defense companies serve as "lead systems integrators" for the program. Project Scorpion is a facet of the Revolution in Military Affairs modernization program known in the U.S. as Future Combat Systems (FCS), in the UK as Future Rapid Effect System (FRES), in Germany known as Infanterist der Zukunft (IdZ), and in France as FÉLIN, an abbreviation for Fantassin à Équipments et Liaisons Intégrés (Integrated Infantryman Equipment and Communications). All such programs are designed using the "System of Systems" (SOS) military concept philosophy, whereby humans, munitions and "sensors" are jointly used to achieve desired military objectives, these being part of a wider concept under a RMA, or "Revolution in Military Affairs umbrella. None of this nomenclature is especially descriptive or specific in terms of outputs, non-descript nomenclature perhaps being perhaps the hallmark of activities and operations under the Project Scorpion umbrella.

Project Scorpion in France

Project Scorpion is viewed as a new means of practicing procurement by the French military, in the same manner as the controversial Boeing-SAIC Future Combat Systems program, and British Future Rapid Effects program. [3]

Project Scorpion supports the French FÉLIN infantry combat system. France views Project Scorpion as “preparation for future land combat systems, intended to build an armaments program to support [military] transformation,” to be operationalized as a “system of contact for versatile capabilities and information networking,”. [4]

On 22 February 2010, France launched an "investigation phase" of Project Scorpion under the aegis of a special military investment committee (Comité ministériel des investissements) [5] composed of the French Minister of Defense, the French Joint Chiefs of Staff and the French arms acquisition authority (Directorate General for Armaments). France has put forth Project Scorpion as a "multinational project" [6]

Project Scorpion in the United States

Project Scorpion and U.S. Coast Guard Intelligence

In his May 2006 confirmation hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen described Project Scorpion as "an archetypal national-level collaborative partnership with DHS, DOJ, and DOD counterparts under Coast Guard leadership to identify, track and intercept special interest aliens with possible terrorist or affiliate ties before they arrive in the U.S. via maritime means.". [7] As well as being a tool for 'intercepting persons deemed as threats' outside the United States, Admiral Allen noted the importance of Project Scorpion as part of the wider U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), pursuing the acquisition of data on the global environment which may have bearing on threats and vulnerabilities to U.S. ports.

Project Scorpion probable name for U.S. Coast Guard Deployable Operations Group (DOG)

In 2007, U.S. Coast Guard Deployable Operations Group (DOG) commenced with management of a single command authority to rapidly provide the Coast Guard, DHS, DoD, DoJ and other interagency operational commanders adaptive force packages drawn from the U.S. Coast Guard's deployable specialized force units. An MOU was signed between the Department of the Navy (DON) and U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) bringing the U.S. Coast Guard into the world of special operations and tactical command. It appears likely that the USCG DOG is the implementation of Project Scorpion.

Project Scorpion and U.S. Army Acquisitions, Research and Development

That Project Scorpion was used as an operational tool for moral combat against human beings. The program was approved for qualification testing in spring of 2010. The U.S. Army Research Laboratory Survivability Lethality Analysis Directorate lauded and awarded the project as an achieved "mobility kill". [8] In "engagements against an approved threat target" [9] claimed that Project Scorpion was useful in urban (civilian) as well as active war domains.

See also

Related Research Articles

United States Army Land service branch of the United States Armed Forces

The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution. The oldest and most senior branch of the U.S. military in order of precedence, the modern U.S. Army has its roots in the Continental Army, which was formed 14 June 1775 to fight the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783)—before the United States was established as a country. After the Revolutionary War, the Congress of the Confederation created the United States Army on 3 June 1784 to replace the disbanded Continental Army. The United States Army considers itself to be a continuation of the Continental Army, and thus considers its institutional inception to be the origin of that armed force in 1775.

Network-centric warfare, also called network-centric operations or net-centric warfare, is a military doctrine or theory of war that seeks to translate an information advantage, enabled in part by information technology, into a competitive advantage through the robust computer networking of well informed geographically dispersed forces. It is based on ideas of marshal of USSR Nikolai Ogarkov, set out by him in early 1980s. It was pioneered by the United States Department of Defense in the 1990s.

Future Combat Systems Modernization program of United States Army

Future Combat Systems (FCS) was the United States Army's principal modernization program from 2003 to early 2009. Formally launched in 2003, FCS was envisioned to create new brigades equipped with new manned and unmanned vehicles linked by an unprecedented fast and flexible battlefield network. The U.S. Army claimed it was their "most ambitious and far-reaching modernization" program since World War II. Between 1995 and 2009, $32 billion was expended on programs such as this, with little to show for it.

United States Army Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center Military unit

The Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) C5ISR Center, formerly the Communications-Electronics RD&E Center (CERDEC), is the United States Army information technologies and integrated systems center. CCDC C5ISR Center is headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, with activities at Fort Belvoir in Virginia and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey.

XM1203 Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon Self-propelled artillery

The XM1203 Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon (NLOS-C) was a 155 mm self-propelled howitzer. It was the lead vehicle for the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems Manned Ground Vehicles program.

Reorganization plan of United States Army

The reorganization plan of the United States Army is a current modernization (2017–2028) and reorganization (2006–2016) plan of the United States Army that was implemented (2006–2016) under the direction of Brigade Modernization Command. This effort formally began in 2006 when General Peter Schoomaker, was given the support to move the Army from its Cold War divisional orientation to a full-spectrum capability with fully manned, equipped and trained brigades; this effort was completed by the end of 2016. It has been the most comprehensive reorganization since World War II and included modular combat brigades, support brigades, and command headquarters, as well as rebalancing the active and reserve components. The plan was first proposed by the Army's 34th Chief of Staff, Eric Shinseki, in 1999, but was bitterly opposed internally by the Army.

Philippine Marine Corps Naval Infantry unit of the Philippine Navy

The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) is the marine corps of the Philippines, a naval infantry force under the command of the Philippine Navy. The PMC conducts amphibious, expeditionary, and special operations missions.

Command and control Military exercise of authority by a commanding officer over assigned forces

Command and control is a "set of organizational and technical attributes and processes ... [that] employs human, physical, and information resources to solve problems and accomplish missions" to achieve the goals of an organization or enterprise, according to a 2015 definition by military scientists Marius Vassiliou, David S. Alberts, and Jonathan R. Agre. The term often refers to a military system.

A program executive officer, or PEO, is one of a few key individuals in the United States military acquisition process. As can be seen from the examples below, a program executive officer may be responsible for a specific program, or for an entire portfolio of similar programs.

Operational Test and Evaluation Force Military unit

The Operational Test and Evaluation Force (OPTEVFOR) serves as an independent and objective agency within the United States Navy for the operational testing and evaluation (OT&E) of naval aviation, surface warfare, submarine warfare, C4I, cryptologic, and space systems in support Navy and U.S. Department of Defense acquisition programs.

Unattended ground sensor Unattended ground sensor

The unattended ground sensor (UGS) is under development as part of the United States Army's Future Combat Systems Program. For information on currently fielded UGS systems, refer to the Current Force UGS Program or CF UGS.

Future Combat Systems Manned Ground Vehicles Tracked armored fighting vehicles

The Manned Ground Vehicles (MGV) was a family of lighter and more transportable ground vehicles developed by BAE Systems and General Dynamics as part of the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program. The MGV program was intended as a successor to the Stryker of the Interim Armored Vehicle program.

United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Office of United States Army

The Office of the United States Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology is known as OASA(ALT). OASA(ALT) serves, when delegated, as the Army Acquisition Executive, the Senior Procurement Executive, the Science Advisor to the Secretary of the Army, and as the senior research and development official for the Department of the Army. The OASA(ALT) also has the principal responsibility for all Department of the Army matters related to logistics.

Ground Combat Vehicle Tracked or wheeled armored fighting vehicles

The Ground Combat Vehicle (GCV) was the United States Army's replacement program for armored fighting vehicles in Armored and Stryker brigade combat teams. The GCV was organized under the Follow On Incremental Capabilities Package of the BCT Modernization program. The first variant of the vehicle was to be prototyped in 2015 and fielded by 2017. It replaced the canceled Future Combat Systems, manned ground vehicles program. The GCV program was cancelled in February 2014. Its replacement was the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle.

FCS/BCT unmanned aerial vehicles was a collection of unmanned aerial vehicles developed under the jurisdiction of the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program until it was dissolved and succeeded by the BCT Modernization program.

GCV Infantry Fighting Vehicle

The Ground Combat Infantry Fighting Vehicle was an infantry fighting vehicle being developed for the U.S. Army. The program originated as the lead vehicle of the U.S. Army's Ground Combat Vehicle program coordinated by TACOM and spawned a parallel program coordinated by DARPA. The purpose of the program was to replace existing armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles in U.S. Army service. The DARPA project aimed to have the vehicle designed by 2015. Derivatives of the vehicle based on a common chassis—such as tanks and ambulances—were expected to be manufactured. It replaced the previous attempt at a next-generation infantry transport, the XM1206 Infantry Carrier Vehicle. The Ground Combat Vehicle program was cancelled in February 2014.

United States Army Futures Command US Army command aimed at moderniziation

The United States Army Futures Command (AFC) is a United States Army command, designed as a public-private initiative, that runs modernization projects for the Army. It is headquartered in Austin, Texas, and was first commanded by General John Murray.

The Internet of Military Things (IoMT) is a class of Internet of things for combat operations and warfare. It is a complex network of interconnected entities, or "things", in the military domain that continually communicate with each other to coordinate, learn, and interact with the physical environment to accomplish a broad range of activities in a more efficient and informed manner. The concept of IoMT is largely driven by the idea that future military battles will be dominated by machine intelligence and cyber warfare and will likely take place in urban environments. By creating a miniature ecosystem of smart technology capable of distilling sensory information and autonomously governing multiple tasks at once, the IoMT is conceptually designed to offload much of the physical and mental burden that warfighters encounter in a combat setting.

The XM1100 Scorpion, formerly known as the Intelligent Munitions System, was an anti-vehicle, smart ground munition developed by Textron Defense Systems as a safer alternative to traditional landmines. The Scorpion was originally a component of the Future Combat Systems program. It was a remotely controlled, integrated system of lethal and non-lethal munitions, ground sensors, and communication technology that could autonomously detect, track, and destroy light-wheeled to heavy-tracked vehicles.

References

  1. "XM1100 Scorpion Completes Successful End-to-End Live Fire Testing", Jan 2010, Project Manager Close Combat Systems (PM CCS), U.S. Army Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology,
  2. "Digital Future Force Emerges", Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association,, September 2008.
  3. French to Set Road Map for Army Network, Defense News, August 2007
  4. French to Set Road Map for Army Network, Defense News, August 2007
  5. "CMI: lancement du projet scorpion" Archived 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Digital Future Force Emerges", Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association,, September 2008.
  7. S. Hrg. 109-693 -- Nominations of Vice Admiral Thad W. Allen to be Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard and Robert M. McDowell to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission, March 9, 2006
  8. "XM1100 Scorpion Completes Successful End-to-End Live Fire Testing", Jan 2010, Project Manager Close Combat Systems (PM CCS), U.S. Army Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology
  9. "XM1100 Scorpion Completes Successful End-to-End Live Fire Testing", Jan 2010, Project Manager Close Combat Systems (PM CCS), U.S. Army Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology, http://www.pica.army.mil/pmccs/docs/Scorpion.pdf

Further reading

Project Scorpion in France

Project Scorpion in United States

Project Scorpion in Germany

Project Scorpion in Israel

Project Scorpion in United Kingdom

Government