Industry
Polish Topaz Artillery System to Be Integrated Within ASCA
Photo. Michał Derela https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZZKO_Topaz#/media/Plik:WB_Topaz_mspo1.jpg
The spokesman for the Armament Agency, Lt. Col. Krzysztof Płatek, announced that the Armament Agency has signed a framework agreement with the WB Group in November, on the modification and upgrade of the Topaz Integrated Fire Control System, up to the Topaz+ Automated Fires C2 Suite standard, with extra ASCA interface implementation.
ASCA is a software suite that makes it possible to fuse data from all artillery command systems in real-time, thanks to interconnectivity established between different systems, across a single interface. The language barrier has been overcome. The system also accelerates all processes in the command chain. This has been made possible thanks to the elimination of radio communications combined with direct, digital data transfer.
13 states with 12 different systems are a part of the ASCA framework, furthermore, 8 members receive financing, and 4 states are interested in membership.
ZZKO TOPAZ is the WB Group's integrated artillery C2 suite. The development of the aforesaid solution began in 1994, as cooperation between the Military Institute for Armament Technology and the WB Electronics company.
The system prototype was developed in 1998. The field test programme took part in 1999 - with a success. In 2002 WB Electronics signed an agreement that made it possible to modernize ten 122 mm 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer squadrons. Topaz is also integrated on the wheeled Type 1977 Dana Howitzers (152 mm), 155 mm Krab self-propelled howitzers, and SMK120 Rak-K self-propelled mortars, as well as on the M-98 towed mortars, and 122 mm WR-40 Langusta MLRS.