Information Technology Pioneers
Retirees of UNISYS, Lockheed Martin, et al.
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Systems 
1. Introduction
The grandfather of LEGACY systems is the Naval Tactical Data Systems (NTDS), illustrated in the Naval page.  NTDS included radar inputs, tracking, displays for operators, and communications to other ships for fleet defense.  NTDS soon grew to encompass shore based Marine Corps Tactical Data Systems (MTDS) with communications back to Navy ships.  In 2008, this system was successful in launching and guiding a missile to shoot an errant satellite out of the sky.
     Our initial Navy Air Anti-Submarine Warfare systems communicated with NTDS via Link 11 protocols.  Our International systems were variations of NTDS put together for foreign navies.  Working with Lockheed, our Navy Air surveillance systems extended from the P3C and S3A platforms to Canadian and other ocean search applications. 
     NTDS tracking and flight sector analysis became the base system technology for Air Traffic Control Systems.  In the late 80's Air Traffic Control spawned the Special Air sovereignty Operations Centers hat have now been installed in ten foreign nations. 

On this page, scroll to:

  1.  Introduction [left]
  2.  Systems Evolution
  3.  Tactical Air Command

 

 Introduction continued:    The grandmother of LEGACY systems is the very early 'classified' computer work by Engineering Research Associates (ERA) - discussed in the Computers, 24-bit subsection and other pages on this site.  These led to the AeroSpace missile launch computers and associated software.

     AeroSpace Systems involving communications have been with us for decades - the tracking of various NASA orbits and telemetry there from.  Did you know that we were the Apollo Mission computer supplier?

      Postal and Agriculture systems began in the mid eighties and early nineties. The corporation began defense conversion studies as the former Soviet Bloc's military threat disappeared and defense contracts shriveled up.

     This web site is a living document of our continuing legacy.  We look forward to next decade as drone control systems, software and hardware data becomes available for public discussion. [lab]

2.0 Systems Evolution

Our management and systems engineers provide excellence to many government and commercial industries for five decades plus.  These are illustrated in the backpanel display from Minnesota's sesquicentennial display in May, 2008.  Most of these are discussed in more detail in the 'tabbed' pages. 

 

We expect to develop yet another page - commercial systems descriptions and history during 2010. 

 

3.0 Tactical Air Command by Lyle Franklin

I do remember the TSQ-13 Tactical Air Command System. As I remember the system was designed by MIT Lincoln Labs and Univac implemented the design. The function was to automate the detection and and provide controllers information relating to ability to intercept and also determine the optimum attack angle. Once this was established the analog computer could take over the guidance and the commands to the pilot. These commands could be given via instrumentation in the aircraft or by synthesized voice.

Univac designed all the hardware. The interface to the long range radar was fed to the Data Display Group.This was the radar data as well as the IFF information. The target was locked on and given a tracking number. Information such as friend or foe or unknown was also assigned to the track number.  When the target was identified as hostile the Air Force Controllers would simulate intercepts using the analog computer. The target as well as the friendly aircraft positions were fed into the computer. Based on current positions and speed the computer could determine whether the intercept was feasable. The controller could also feed changes in course of the friendly to obtain optimum attack angle. Once the solution was selected the system provided the guidance to the pilot via the Voice and Digital Data Links. The controller monitored the intercept. The Vector Computer Group consisted of six analog computers so the system could handle six intercepts.

The system itself was heavily analog and digital. A card tester was developed using plugs to interconnect the boards to the test setup. As I remember there were 200 plus card types both analog and digital, vacuum tube and transister. Don Grittner designed the tester and Lyle Franklin and John Saline designed the test blocks and test procedure for the boards.

My involvement in the program was as laying out and instructing the Officers System Course. Glen Kregness was my assistant. We were also responsible for instructing the Voice and Digital specialist course. As the TACS computer was analog, I acquainted Glen with the only digital computer I knew, the Mod 0 File Computer.

This was a great time to be in the training department. Ed Olzewski loaned us out to anyone that had a need and we performed. TACS also had a large screen display designed by Skiotron. Dick Huberty and Lyle Gilbertson were transfered to work on that unit.

In addition to the card tester, I was assigned to design and conduct first article test for the Voice and Digital Data Links.

The TACS units were delivered to all US TACS installations. I was involved in installing the Shaw AFB site as well as teaching the six week specialist course on the Vector Computer Group. The real expert was Al Gresbrink. Al had been a Navy Chief specializing in the Mk1A analog fire control computer used by the US Navy.

Curt Christensen was design engineer on the Voice and Digital Data Links and would be able to expand/correct this as well as identify other engineers and personnel on the program. Roy Hegler led the Field Engineering group. At that time training and field engineering reported to Larry Reid. Clint Haggerty was initially in Pubs and later a field engineer before heading up the NTDS Training Group. Many of the others involved that I knew are no longer with us. This was 50 years ago. Ed Smith was also a design engineer on the front end of the system.

The TACS experience was very helpful in for the development of NTDS. The follow on system termed BADGE was won by Hughes.

VIP Page 60 updated Wednesday, January 20, 2010