Kwesst Micro Systems Inc. has completed the first phase of three deliverables under a contract to support a U.S. military customer, featuring the company’s signature Tactical Awareness and Situational Control System (TASCS).

This first deliverable under a $500,000 contract demonstrated the TASCS Integrated Fires Module (IFM) on mortars and the augmented weapon sight (AWS), a system developed by AeroVironment Inc. and Kwesst to provide real-time situational awareness and targeting information. AWS streams full-motion video (FMV) from an overhead unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufactured by AeroVironment into the TASCS architecture for the purposes of target identification, accurate first-shot hits and real-time battle damage assessment (BDA). The AWS system has been a continuing collaboration between Kwesst and AeroVironment.

“These important military exercises demonstrate the maturity of the TASCS system,” said Kwesst’s chief executive officer, Jeff MacLeod. “We are very pleased at the performance of the system and the valuable user feedback. We expect the next two contracted demonstration exercises later this year to attract added customer attention and the development of operating procedures that will be employed in more extensive exercises expected in early 2021.”

David Luxton, executive chairman, added: “Demonstration exercises like this with military customers are an important phase in the process towards potential introduction into service. It is very encouraging that this key U.S. military customer is scheduling additional exercises and that at least two other NATO military customers have similar capability demonstration contracts under consideration.”