Vehicle Control Station 4586 (VCS-4586)

VCS-4586 is an integrated command, control and information system designed for controlling and monitoring unmanned vehicle systems. It is the world’s first commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) control station software developed in accordance to STANAG 4586.

VCS-4586 allows operators to simultaneously control multiple vehicles of varying types from a single workstation and common user-interface. Vehicles and their associated sensors can be controlled and monitored in real-time though the software’s intuitive and user-friendly interface that can reconfigure itself to support the functionality of the vehicles it is controlling.

Easy to train and easy to operate, our software has been the platform of choice for unmanned vehicle system applications around the world. Our software has been used to operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unmanned ground vehicles, air/sea target drones and loitering munitions for over 15 years. It is a suitable fit for all unmanned vehicle applications from civil to military, mini to large. It is considered a robust and proven platform and has been used to operate the AAI Aerosonde and RQ-7B Shadow, Boeing ScanEagle, Aurora Flight Sciences GoldenEye 80, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Sky Warrior, Meggitt Training Systems Barracuda, Hammerhead and Vindicator, Northrop Grumman MQ-5B Hunter and many more. Our software is installed in all the U.S. Army’s One System Ground Control Station shelters and has accumulated nearly 500,000 hours of operational use.

Interoperability with STANAG 4586

CDL Systems has been an active participant in the development and evolution of the NATO interoperability standard for unmanned vehicles: STANAG 4586. This standard establishes a common control protocol to promote UAV interoperability. It is regarded to be an effective standard for military and emerging commercial unmanned vehicle applications.

In the STANAG 4586 architecture, VCS-4586 communicates with the unmanned vehicle and its payloads through the Vehicle Specific Module (VSM), a component designed to translate the STANAG 4586 protocol to the vehicle’s native protocol and to encapsulate vehicle specific functionality. VCS-4586 can assume control of vehicles connected to a STANAG 4586 compatible VSM or communicate directly with vehicles that natively support the STANAG 4586 protocol. This enables the interoperability of unmanned vehicles and their sensors, irrespective of type, using a common operator interface.

In addition to developing VCS-4586, CDL Systems also develops VSMs for all unmanned vehicle applications.