by Nuala Kimball
MC LEAN, Va. - Most people connected with the defense business know how important commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment is in today`s military procurement.
But what many people may not understand is the degree to which COTS components and subsystems will be part of large weapon systems, such as the improved M1A2 main battle tank, Joint Strike Fighter, next-generation aircraft carrier, or upgraded F/A-18 fighter-bombers.
Influential experts from U.S. military services, the Department of Defense, and the defense industry will lay out how COTS will be used on these military platforms May 29 during the closing session of the COTScon `98 conference and exhibition at the McLean Hilton at Tysons Corner in McLean, Va.
Giving the COTS story on the improved M1A2 tank will be Rick Wyrembelski, program manager of Abrams vetronics programs at the General Dynamics Land Systems Division in Sterling Heights, Mich.
Speaking on COTS content in the next generation of the F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter will be Don Winter, manager of mission systems software at The Boeing Co. Phantom Works in St. Louis.
The hows and whys of COTS electronics aboard the next-generation U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, now designated the CVX, will be Navy Capt. Tal Manvel, the CVX program manager.
And, finally, discussing how COTS will be part of the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft will be Lt. Col. Vik Jonkoff, mission systems team leader at the Joint Strike Fighter Joint Program Office.
Kicking off the two-day conference May 28 will be Greg Saunders, the Defense Department`s deputy director for acquisition practices, who in his keynote address will settle, once and for all how leaders of the U.S. Department of Defense define the term COTS.
The cost of COTScon`98, which is sponsored by Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, is $550 per person.
For more information, or to register for the conference, contact Nuala Kimball at PennWell by phone at 603-891-9267, by fax at 603-891-9490, or by e-mail at [email protected]. Those interested in exhibiting can contact Jerry Boyle by phone at 603-891-9202, by fax at 603-891-9146, or by e-mail at [email protected].
