‘Kraken’ provides needed intel, force protection during evaluation

By Kris Osborn
ARNEWS

September 8, 2011

WHITE SANDS MISSILE RANGE, N.M. — The Army is evaluating a cutting-edge force protection system which combines radar, surveillance cameras, unmanned sensors, gunshot detection and remote-controlled weapons.

The sensors and weapons are combined into a single, integrated system that can scan surrounding terrain for threats, alert Soldiers of potential imminent danger and provide them fires to respond, service officials said.

The Combat Outpost Surveillance and Force Protection System, or COSFPS, nicknamed “Kraken” after the mythological sea-creature with many heads, was evaluated in July as part of the Army’s 3,800-Soldier-strong network integration evaluation, or NIE at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. The exercise was designed to assess and integrate a host of technologies.

The individual technologies assembled for the Kraken are integrated through a government-owned, scalable and open architecture software called Joint Force Protection Advanced Security System, said Tom O’Neill, Integrated Base Defense Product director, Joint Project Manager Guardian.

“While the sensor and device payload is impressive and probably offers the most force protection per cubic foot compared to any other system, the key is the integration standard, fusion and automation which reduces troop to task and provides increased situational awareness — thus resulting in more reaction time for the warfighter,” said O’Neill.

The JFPASS software enables data from all of Kraken’s system components to be integrated via a standard protocol, fused and conditionally automated, O’Neill explained; the information is displayed on screens showing a common operating picture.

“We’ve been able to positively identify targets before they got in range with weapons on our COP. They have tried to raid us multiple times, but we have been able to positively identify them and engage them before they got close. This is great for tracking the people coming in and out of your AO,” said Pvt. James Benham, a forward observer who has been evaluating Kraken/COSFPS at a WSMR “Mountain Village” outpost.

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