MCWL Case Study - KWESST

Digitizing the 81mm M252 Mortar System for the MCWL

For the United States Marine Corps Warfighting Lab (MCWL), from 2020 to 2022, KWESST Inc. designed, developed, demonstrated, and delivered a digitized Mortars Indirect Fires Direction Application Firepower Application for the 81mm M252 Mortar System. The application includes a Forward Observer (FO), Fires Direction Centre (FDC), and On-Weapon components of the MIFDA solution.

Development included:

 

  • Weapon recoil and mount testing
  • Integration of Ballistic Tables and Weapon Deflection limits specifications
  • Test and Trial Support for two live fire events
  • Six (6) instantiations to equip two M252 mortar platoons
  • Training of operators in the use of the MIFDA solution
  • Establishment of Call for Fires (CFF) Network to integrate the M252 Mortar weapons, FO, and FDC, as well as integration of a UAS feed via a specific ISR Application: AeroVironment PUMA Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Control Application

Integration as an APK Plugin-In For the Android Team Awareness Kit

Figure 1 CFF App in ATAK

For this contract, KWESST Firepower Application is integrated as an APK Plug-in into the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) C4ISR software application, for use in conjunction with, and in support of, the full Indirect Fire “Call-For-Fire” Process between a Forward Observer (FO), a Fire Direction or Fire Support Coordination Centre (FDC), and the Weapon Crew roles and functions for the M252 81mm Mortar System equipped Mortar Platoon. For each role fit, the application presents a simplified visual representation or Graphical User Interface (GUI) for Call for Fire initiation and Fires correction management (see figure 1 below). The GUI depicts projectile impact points on a map, exponentially time on target, first round target effects, and improves user safety/deconfliction for indirect fires.

Finally, the KWESST solution interfaces with ISR Applications such as the AeroVironment PUMA Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Control Application, which provides the operator real time video of impacts and allows the operator to engage targets directly from the video feed of a connected UAS.