Business Continues to Soar for Cubic's ICADS
Aircrew Display and Debrief System

With the sale of a 401st software license in March, Cubic’s Individual Combat Aircrew Display System (ICADS™) is now the most widely used Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) debriefing software tool in the world. Evidence of the popularity of the system can be found in the fact that there is now an official government-sponsored user group for ICADS with an accompanying web site.

Cubic has sold this colorful, user-friendly, three-dimensional debriefing software since the acquisition of Applied Data Technology Inc. (ADTI) in 2000, and it is a prime feature of the P5 Combat Training System/Tactical Combat Training System (P5CTS/TCTS) installed last year at NAS Key West and Eglin AFB in Florida, and Luke AFB in Arizona. Soon the software will go to P5 customers in the Air National Guard and Marine Corps as well.

With its ability to track up to 100 high-activity aircraft, ICADS is also the display system of choice for the massive Red Flag exercises hosted annually at Nellis AFB, Nevada, and the large Maple Flag exercise in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada, which includes heavy NATO participation. Cubic installed ICADS at two Alaskan air force bases — Eielson and Elmendorf — for Cope Thunder exercises.

It is part of Saudi and UK Rangeless Airborne Instrumented Debriefing System (RAIDS II) and Netherlands AACMI system, and is being integrated into the Alpena-Kadena Instrumented Training System (AKITS) used by the Michigan Air National Guard and other ANG squadrons for air combat training. ICADS also will be the debriefing system used for the Royal Australian Air Force’s training range at RAAF Base Williamtown, as well as an undisclosed Asian customer’s new ACMI system.
Why is ICADS such a hot product?

Philip J. Fisch, senior director of Business Development for CDA, says ICADS is a PC-based debriefing system that works with various manufacturers’ ACMI pods and many different ACMI systems. It also interfaces with Link 16, the military data exchange format of NATO.

A big plus of ICADS is that it is very operator friendly as well as providing vast capabilities. The system has special replay features including time search, event search and cyclic replay and an online user manual in addition to all of the view screens needed for debriefing – plan view, centroid view, missile chase view, quad view, pilot view and threat activity.

Another reason for its success is that Cubic’s ICADS team is very responsive to evolving customer needs.

“Whenever a customer asks for a new capability, we add that feature into the next version of the software,” Fisch said. “Matt Evans, program manager, and Genny Almodovar, software engineer, listen carefully to what the customers want and turn their requirements into reality.”

For example, the ICADS software can now be used to display both ground and air elements during combat training exercises.

“Other ACMI systems cannot do that,” Fisch said.