Atos has successfully delivered SICS, the command and control system for the SCORPION program, to the French Defense Procurement Agency (Direction Générale de l’Armement, DGA).
Additionally, the DGA has also entrusted Atos to further develop the system and maintain it in working condition. This information system has a provisional authorization to operate at the “Restricted Distribution” level and will soon be deployed across all regiments of the army and its digitized carriers. The amount committed under this new 12-year contract consists of several tens of millions of euros.
The SCORPION program aims to develop the Army’s close combat capabilities, so that they are better equipped to deal with new tactical challenges. Better protected and more mobile, all the systems developed as part of the SCORPION program, and which equip the Joint Battle Group, are fully connected and share combat information instantaneously. SICS (Système d’information du combat Scorpion),the unique information system developed by Atos, at the heart of SCORPION, aims to federate and exploit this combat information.
The deployment of SICS across all units will be led by the Army. The development of an enriched version of SICS will be carried out by Atos over the coming years. This includes functionality in order to extend collaborative combat, as well as maintaining the entire system in working condition.
“The initial feedback from the regiments is very promising.” said the Army Program Officer SCORPION.
“Developed by Atos teams, SICS is part of the SCORPION program that will enable the French Army to maintain its operational superiority.” said Pierre Barnabé, SEVP, Head of Big Data and Cybersecurity at Atos. “With SICS, we enable land forces to access a new command system, which represents a complete break from previous systems. With this new strategic contract, Atos is committed to providing enriched versions of SICS each year for all units in the field and is thus asserting itself as a long-term partner of the French Army”.
The aim of the SICS command system is to deliver, in an immediately comprehensible form, relevant information to the person who will have to decide and lead the action. SICS allows, through human-machine interaction adapted to operational needs, tasks to be automated and to be made transparent to the user.
The system offers unparalleled capabilities for tracking the geolocation of friendly forces with near real-time visibility of all units. This feature helps prevent fratricidal fire and contributes to the safeguarding of soldiers. It also makes it possible to monitor the tactical situation on the battlefield and to conduct operations at the level of a Joint Battle Group. With SICS, the combat leader has a better understanding of his environment and can thus make decisions adapted to the situations in which he finds himself. SICS also offers a new way of writing orders, with advanced text-mapping interaction.
For SICS, Atos is an industrial ecosystem that includes seven French defense SMEs and VSEs and is aiming to export this expertise to allied countries, such as Belgium, which recently decided to adopt the Scorpion system and its SICS component as part of the CAMO inter-governmental agreement.
