Future Combat Systems (FCS) is a $4 billion Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program with an immodest purpose that its Web site puts this way:
The FCS program will develop network centric concepts for a multi-mission combat system that will be overwhelmingly lethal, strategically deployable, self-sustaining and highly survivable in combat through the use of an ensemble of manned and unmanned ground and air platforms. The goal of the FCS program is to design such an ensemble that strikes an optimum balance between critical performance factors, including ground platform strategic, operational and tactical mobility; lethality; survivability; and sustainability. This system of systems design will be accomplished by using modeling, simulation and experimentation. The FCS unit will be capable of adjusting to a changing set of missions, ranging from warfighting to peacekeeping, as the deployment unfolds. An FCS-equipped force will be capable of providing mobile-networked command, control, communication and computer (C4) functionalities; autonomous robotic systems; precision direct and indirect fires; airborne and ground organic sensor platforms; and adverse-weather reconnaissance, surveillance, targeting and acquisition.
The Lead System Integrator (LSI) selected for the Army's FCS is The Boeing Company's Science Aplications International Corporation (SAIC), which is expected to field its results in the year 2010. The selection annoucement was made in March, 2002. In November 2002, at a Boeing C4ISR (Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconaisance) conference, a Boeing FAQ addressed the operating system question:
Q: COMPUTERS - What Operating System will FCS use? Windows? VX Works? Lynxos? Linux? Other?
A. FCS C4ISR has selected the Linux OS.