Anti fratricide funding for Raytheon

has received a $5.4 million US Army contract to develop and validate methods to reduce the cost of its Battlefield Combat Identification Device (BTID), a millimetre wave system that can prevent "friendly fire" incidents in combat.

Successful results of the new Army program -- called Combat Identification Device (CID) Cost Reduction -- could ensure BTID's affordability by minimising production, installation and life-cycle costs. The twenty-month effort will focus on reducing all three.

BTID is a fratricide avoidance system that identifies friendly force fighting vehicles with more than 99 percent accuracy. Recently evaluated for use by US and coalition forces during the recent nine nation combat exercise, Operation Urgent Quest, BTID has demonstrated its ability to track allied forces in real-time.

"There is no question that millimetre wave is proven technology for combat identification," said Lt. Col. Lloyd Crosman, product manager for the Army's Target Identification and Meteorological Sensors Program Office. "However, we understand that current cost is one of the critical issues that we must address, prior to any CID system production and deployment decision.