October 20, 2006 Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is not your run-of-the-mill video game developer – a massive corporation providing scientific, engineering, systems integration and technical services and solutions to all branches of the U.S. military, agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other U.S. Government civil agencies, as well as to customers in selected commercial markets. Now it has created a videogame: Future Force Company Commander (F2C2) was designed by the company's Tactical Systems and Solutions Business Unit to help demonstrate the networked battle command that the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program is developing for the U.S. Army. It’s not the first time the American military has used video games to capture the hearts and minds of America’s high-tech youth. F2C2 is a real-time tactical strategy game that allows the player to learn about the Army's FCS program by assuming command of a Mounted Company Team in the year 2015. Through game play, F2C2 showcases how FCS can provide the 21st century soldier unprecedented situational awareness, and the ability to see first, understand first, act first and finish decisively.
"SAIC's F2C2 videogame demonstrates the FCS network-centric architecture that is being designed to seamlessly link advanced communications and networking systems with soldiers, platforms, weapons, and sensors," said John Gully, SAIC senior vice president and general manager of the Tactical Systems and Solutions Business Unit.
F2C2 currently is featured on the U.S. Army's public Web site: (http://www.army.mil/fcs/f2c2) where it can be downloaded for free. SAIC recently exhibited F2C2 at the Congressional Modeling and Simulation Caucus held in July 2006 in Washington D.C. The videogame also was presented at the Infantry Warfighting Conference, September 12 at Ft. Benning, Ga., and the Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting and Exposition, October 9 in Washington, D.C.
SAIC with its teammate Boeing, is the lead systems integrator on the FCS contract. The company is executing on the project, which is currently in the system development and demonstration phase. Last year the FCS team was evaluated at 100 percent when it completed its System of Systems Functional Review. In August 2006 the One Team successfully accomplished all of the performance, cost, and schedule criteria associated with 'Capability Maturity 0' (CM0) and announced successful completion of the Initial Preliminary Design Review (IPDR). The IPDR is the FCS program's most important technical milestone to date and the largest review of the year.
SAIC is a leading provider of scientific, engineering, systems integration and technical services and solutions to all branches of the U.S. military, agencies of the Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other U.S. Government civil agencies, as well as to customers in selected commercial markets. With more than 43,000 employees in over 150 cities worldwide, SAIC engineers and scientists solve complex technical challenges requiring innovative solutions for customers' mission-critical functions. SAIC had annual revenues of $7.8 billion for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2006.
