The Optimum Solution for the Ultimate Environment

SMART Technologies UK announces the use of SMART Board interactive whiteboards by the MoDs forward area troops in Iraq as part of the Bowman Combat, Infrastructure and Platform (C.I.P) project. The objective is to build on the Bowman platform to provide a new battle management capability. The search for best of breed products that will function in the harshest environments, has resulted in large displays  from market leader SMART being used for briefings in forward areas of the Iraq battle fields.

Fast access to accurate information is the key to success on the modern battlefield. In 2001 the UK led consortium General Dynamics, won the MODs 1.9 Billion contract to build and supply the Bowman digital communications infrastructure. Currently Bowman is the Army's number one equipment priority and of high importance for the RAF and Royal Navy. In the second stage of the project, General Dynamics were also selected to be the preferred bidder for a 300 million Battlefield Information Management System.

Staff who were using manual systems to plan and monitor operations, are now able to use automated, integrated computer management systems which  enables them to work together faster and more efficiently across the entire battlefield.  All the relevant data and resources available on the MODs network, such as GIS maps and surveillance information, can be selected and presented via the SMART displays, with all annotations and actions saved electronically, creating a complete briefing document and audit trail.

Used for briefing forward area and HQ staff, the SMART Board interactive whiteboards have been ruggedised by AV & IT specialists BlazePoint Ltd, to withstand the battle field environment. They are housed in a tough, light-weight, aluminium stand and supplied with an NEC projector with parallax adjustment, such that regardless of the position of the projector, a square picture image is still displayed on the SMART Board.  The daily briefings can also utilise an AO plotter, so that  a mapping overlay can be printed to give a hard copy  of the operations status.

Selwyn Petterson, Business Development Manager at BlazePoint Ltd. confirms: These ruggedised SMART Boards enable the MOD to give fully interactive briefings in forward areas with the latest IT equipment available. Other defence agencies are now showing interest in this ground-breaking solution for front-line operations.