▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁System ▁Program ▁Office ▁Chief . ▁ ▁The ▁J oint ▁Service ▁SP O ▁was ▁co - located ▁with ▁Ell ings on ' s ▁development ▁group ▁at ▁M IT RE . ▁From ▁then ▁on , ▁the ▁program ▁was ▁officially ▁known ▁as ▁J oint ▁T act ical ▁Information ▁Distribution ▁System ▁( J T ID S ). ▁ ▁A ▁second ▁European ▁demonstr ation ▁of ▁A W AC S ▁and ▁J T ID S ▁was ▁conducted ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 ▁under ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁A W AC S ▁SP O ▁Director ▁Gen . ▁( Lar ry ) ▁Lawrence ▁A . ▁Sk ant ze . ▁ ▁An ▁interface ▁with ▁the ▁Navy ▁N T DS ▁system ▁was ▁added ▁and ▁demonstrated ▁ab o ard ▁a ▁Gu ided ▁Miss ile ▁Cru iser ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter rane an . ▁ ▁D ign itar ies ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁view ▁A W AC S ▁data ▁at ▁various ▁N T DS ▁locations ▁including ▁a ▁N uc lear ▁A ircraft ▁Car rier . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁these ▁demonstr ations , ▁and ▁resulting ▁NAT O ▁interest , ▁a ▁NAT O ▁J T ID S ▁program ▁was ▁instit uted ▁called ▁Mult if unction ▁Information ▁Distribution ▁System ▁( M ID S ). ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁period ▁contract s ▁were ▁awarded ▁to ▁Hugh es ▁A ircraft ▁( Gr ound ▁Systems ▁Group ) ▁to ▁develop ▁a ▁terminal ▁suitable ▁for ▁oper ational ▁use ▁in ▁A W AC S ▁and ▁ground ▁command ▁and ▁control ▁systems ▁and ▁to ▁S inger ▁K ear f ott ▁Corporation , ▁now ▁B