TISR 2-6 (Dec. 2012)

Actionable Intelligence for the Warfighter

U.S. Air Force ISR Agency Special supplement

ISR Unifier Maj. Gen. Robert P. Otto Commander U.S. Air Force ISR Agency

UAV Training/Services O ISR Integration O GPS Optionally Piloted Vehicles O Tactical Data Links

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November/ December 2012 Volume 2, Issue 6

Timely Battlefield Decisions Demand Accurate Intelligence.

UTC Aerospace Systems supplies forces around the world with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance products and support through its ISR Systems unit. By streamlining data gathered from space-based and multiple air platforms, through our intelligence exploitation systems, we help commanders access the information they need to make mission critical decisions.

For more information visit www.utcaerospacesystems.com

Tactical ISR Technology

November/December 2012 Volume 2 • Issue 6

Features

Cover / Q&A

 SPECIAL SECTION Training for Unmanned Aerial Systems

7

How the services, aided by private institutions, meet the demands of training UAV specialists across an ever-increasing array of UAV systems.

By Henry Canaday

The Optional Pilot An overview of aircraft that have the option of being piloted by man or automated by machine, depending on the circumstances of the mission.

By J.B. Bissell

10 ISR Integration How information is collected, transferred, analyzed and disseminated across a variety of platforms in a manner that best aids the warfighter.

By Christopher McCoy

12 at U.S. Air Force ISR Agency

18

16 Major General Robert P. Otto Commander U.S. Air Force ISR Agency

Departments

A pictorial organizational chart that looks at the leadership of the agency and its command elements.

2 Editor’s Perspective

Military GPS How the incorporation of digital correction mechanisms and integration with other sensors and technologies augments military GPS systems.

By Peter Buxbaum

6 Army Unmanned

22

4 All Int/People Aircraft Systems

14 ISR Kit 27 Resource Center

Tactical Data Links The challenges faced and the many avenues to broaden and strengthen battlefield communication.

By Hank Hogan

24

Industry Interview

28 Robert R. Horton Chief Executive Officer GPS Source Inc.

Tactical ISR Technology Volume 2, Issue 6 • November/December 2012

Actionable Intelligence for the Warfighter Editorial Editor Chris McCoy chrism@kmimediagroup.com Managing Editor Harrison Donnelly harrisond@kmimediagroup.com Online Editorial Manager Laura Davis laurad@kmimediagroup.com Correspondents Adam Baddeley • Heather Baldwin • J.B. Bissell Peter Buxbaum • Henry Canaday • Hank Hogan Leslie Shaver

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KMI Media Group Publisher Kirk Brown kirkb@kmimediagroup.com Chief Executive Officer Jack Kerrigan jack@kmimediagroup.com Chief Financial Officer Constance Kerrigan connik@kmimediagroup.com Executive Vice President David Leaf davidl@kmimediagroup.com Editor-In-Chief Jeff McKaughan jeffm@kmimediagroup.com Controller Gigi Castro gcastro@kmimediagroup.com Marketing & Communications Manager Holly Winzler hollyw@kmimediagroup.com Operations Assistant Casandra Jones casandraj@kmimediagroup.com Trade Show Coordinator Holly Foster hollyf@kmimediagroup.com Operations, Circulation & Production Circulation & Marketing Administrator Duane Ebanks duanee@kmimediagroup.com Data Specialists Tuesday Johnson tuesdayj@kmimediagroup.com Summer Walker summerw@kmimediagroup.com Raymer Villanueva raymerv@kmimediagroup.com Donisha Winston donishaw@kmimediagroup.com

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE There are a series of disagreements between the United States and Iran over the recent targeting of a Predator drone by two Iranian Su-25 jets.

The incident took place over the Persian Gulf. The United States maintains that the Predator drone was carrying out surveillance operations 16 miles off the coast of Iran. Iran maintains that the incident took place over Iranian airspace while the U.S. contends that the incident occurred over international waters.

Both sides disagree as to whether the Su-25 jets belonged to the Iranian Air Force or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp. Iran argues that they Chris McCoy belonged to the former and the United States argues that they belonged to Editor the latter. Ultimately, these assertions will most likely fade into obscurity.

However, this incident led me to a bit of speculation. What would be the appropriate response to the shooting down of one of our unarmed surveillance drones by a hostile country over international waters? When I say hostile country, let me specify that I mean a hostile country that we are not in a state of war with.

That question above seems rather bland; however, what would the ramifications be if one of our piloted surveillance aircraft was shot down over international waters instead?

The contrast between the two scenarios—a piloted surveillance aircraft vs. a drone aircraft—would most likely engender considerably different passions domestically.

Of course Iran captured one of our drones already; however, in the minds of most Americans, the capture of an American surveillance plane and retention of its pilot would invoke far stronger feelings. I’d argue that’s due to the pathos of the human factor, not the aircraft.

Domestic outrage can often make war more probable as a government caters to popular demand. So maybe there is another argument for surveillance drones over piloted surveillance aircraft: If a drone goes down, we needn’t feel as domestically pressured to respond as forcibly, or at all.

Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments for Tactical ISR Technology.

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Chemical Detector Design, Manufacturing and Training Simulator Contract Argon Electronics and Smiths Detection have signed a five-year agreement granting Argon exclusive worldwide rights to design, manufacture and market training simulators for the Smiths Detection range of lightweight chemical detectors, which includes the LCD 3.2E, LCD 3.3, M4A1 JCAD, M4E1 JCAD and LCD-NEXUS detector series, of which in excess of 80,000 have been sold worldwide to date.

“The signing of this agreement which extends the existing agreement between Smiths and Argon for a further five years underpins the success and value of this arrangement to Smiths as a CBRN detector manufacturer. It also reaffirms Argon’s position as world leader in the design and manufacture CBRN simulation and training systems,” stated Managing Director Steven Pike.

“Despite these economically challenging times, it is clear governments worldwide are placing a very high degree of importance on CBRN training, which has been reflected in both contracts and new inquiries received at Argon.”

Rod Wilson, vice president of product management at Smiths Detection, added, “Our partnership with Argon is already a great success. Through this further extension, we will continue to partner together to provide our customers with world class training, allowing them to get the best performance from our products.”

Sensor Technology Integrated with ScanEagle UAS Insitu Pacific, the Australia-based subsidiary of Insitu Inc., announced that it has successfully completed integration between its ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system and the McQ iScout unattended ground sensor (UGS) and OmniWatch technologies.

McQ is an industry leader in UGS technology and development with its UGS deployed in widespread service with the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Energy and a range of international customers. The McQ iScout sensor provides battlefield-proven, covert, low power and long-endurance sensing capability with best in class, low false alarm rates.

Insitu Pacific engineers successfully integrated the ScanEagle UAS and the McQ UGS to enable UGS target detection alerts to be automatically displayed within ScanEagle’s Insitu multiple UAS software environment (I-MUSE) operating system as new targets.

“This is an excellent demonstration of the operational flexibility of the systems that Insitu Pacific can provide, as well as the synergies that can be gained from linking UAS and UGS in complex surveillance scenarios,” said Insitu Pacific Managing Director Andrew Duggan.

“We believe this newly proven capability offers

an ideal solution for flexible base or perimeter surveillance on operations in places like Afghanistan or in border protection type roles.”

Once a target is detected, the iScout sensor automatically sends a notification to the UAS system operator by displaying the target location, detection type (seismic, magnetic, acoustic or infrared) and other relevant information on the ScanEagle operator’s I-MUSE graphic user interface. The operator is then able to automatically focus the ScanEagle’s sensors on the new contact to verify the data provided by iScout and OmniWatch and continue to track the target once it has moved beyond the OmniWatch camera range.

“The integration of McQ sensor technology with Insitu UAS will enable a rapid and simple enhancement of overall situational awareness for commanders in the field,” said McQ Inc. President John McQuiddy. “McQ is pleased to be working with Insitu Pacific and we are excited to have our iScout and OmniWatch products integrated with ScanEagle on a technical and operational level.”

Insitu Pacific, located in Queensland, Australia, has provided UAS services to defense, civil and commercial interests in the Asia-Pacific region since June 2009.

PEOPLE

Rear Adm. Joseph A. Horn

Rear Admiral Joseph A. Horn will be assigned program executive officer for Integrated Warfare Systems, Washington, D.C. Horn is currently serving as program executive, Aegis BMD, Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, Va.

4 | TISR 2.6

Compiled by KMI Media Group staff

Major General Robert P. Ashley Jr., deputy chief of staff, intelligence, International Security Assistance Force, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, has been assigned to commanding general/commandant, U.S. Army Intelligence Center of Excellence and Fort Huachuca, Fort Huachuca, Ariz.

Major General Gregg C. Potter, commanding general/commandant, U.S. Army Intelligence Center

of Excellence and Fort Huachuca, Fort Huachuca, Ariz., has been assigned to deputy chief of staff, intelligence, International Security Assistance Force, Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan.

James Culmo was appointed vice president of Northrop Grumman Corporation’s newly-formed high-altitude, long endurance enterprise.

David Bennett has been assigned as chief information

officer, Defense Information Systems Agency, Fort Meade, Md. Bennett previously served as vice component acquisition executive, Defense Information Systems Agency, Fort Meade.

Henry Sienkiewicz has been assigned as vice chief information assurance executive, Defense Information Systems Agency, Fort Meade, Md. Sienkiewicz previously served as chief information officer, Defense Information Systems Agency, Fort Meade.

www.TISR-kmi.com

The new Manned Unmanned Operations Capability Development Laboratory uses MetaVR’s real-time visualization software to simulate Level of Interoperability (LOI) between a simulated helicopter and simulated UAV.

See MetaVR at I/ITSEC Booth #1229

With MetaVR visuals used for simulated UAV camera payload video in Kiowa Warrior, F-16, and A-10 FMTs, and UAV camera payload simulations, users can achieve full terrain correlation during their distributed training exercises. UAV operators, helicopter pilots, and JTAC trainees can use the simulated sensor payload imagery in existing ISR assets with accurate KLV metadata.

Real-time scenes from MetaVR’s visualization system and 3D terrain are unedited except as required for printing.

The real-time rendering of the 3D virtual world in all images is generated by MetaVR Virtual Reality Scene Generator™ (VRSG™). 3D models and animations are from MetaVR’s 3D content libraries. © 2012 MetaVR, Inc. All rights reserved.

MetaVR, Virtual Reality Scene Generator, VRSG, the phrase “Geospecific simulation with game quality graphics”, and the MetaVR logo are trademarks of MetaVR, Inc.

http://www.metavr.com sales@metavr.com US 617-739-2667

ARMY UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS

PM UAS Priorities Maintaining our status as the leader in unmanned aircraft and associated systems.

By Colonel Tim Baxter, Project Manager Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems Third is improving efficiencies in our programs. The Project Office has embraced OSD guidance on better buying power (BBP) across our programs. On June 28, 2010, Ashton Carter Ph.D., then Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, issued the initial guidance on BBP. The essence of BBP is delivering better value to the taxpayer and improving the way DoD does business.

An SUAS inventory control point worker conducts final I have challenged PM UAS leaders to become inventories on a Puma small unmanned aircraft system bound for U.S. troops in Afghanistan. [Photo courtesy of experts in BBP and to continuously look for U.S. Army] opportunities to adapt government practices to encourage program efficiencies and to provide incentives for greater efficiency in our dealings with industry. We have worked hard over the Top Five Priorities last year to instill a cost culture across the project office. We have focused on controlling and My first priority is supporting our forces reducing costs while providing best value to the engaged in overseas contingency operations. PM warfighter.

UAS has a significant role is supporting worldwide Fourth is UAS futures. Futures include a preoperations across the UAS portfolio. We continue planned product improvement program for each to support a number of approved joint urgent The Gray Eagle UAS, with the ability to be configured as of the UAS product lines that represent sound operational need statements. a reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition The Project Office is extremely sensitive to asset, as well as an armed aircraft, has been a game investments, are well coordinated with UAS for forward deployed combatant commanders. user representatives, and prepare UAS for the urgent and time-sensitive needs of the warfighter changer [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army] “next war.” PM UAS has been a leader in the area and has excelled at rapid acquisition and fielding of interoperability across DoD. This leadership of our systems. PM UAS continues to focus on includes expanding areas of interoperability to reliable logistics and maintenance support to our allow both manned-unmanned and unmannedforces with over 500 support contractors deployed unmanned teaming. contributing to the success of our systems every Fifth is building a world-class workforce. Our day. I challenge the workforce every day to find a number one priority within this area is identifyway to better support our deployed forces. ing and growing our next generation of UAS Second is executing our programs. The Projacquisition leaders. We work continuously to ect Office focus in this area is executing our proimprove the capability of our workforce by focusgrams within the approved acquisition baseline and/or approved acquisition strategies. Several Shadow TCDL flies off the launcher during testing. [Photo ing first on recruiting and retention of skilled and dedicated employees. These employees are examples include our Gray Eagle and Shadow courtesy of U.S. Army] then developed by taking advantage of opportuprograms. Gray Eagle recently completed a sucnities for schooling, cross training, strong mentorship and a diverse cessful initial operational test and evaluation and continues to work recognition program. diligently to improve system reliability while providing direct support As DoD budgets continue to shrink, this office remains dedicated to deployed units. to exploring all opportunities to gain better buying power in order Additionally, the Gray Eagle program is working toward an April to do more without more. The PM UAS team, soldiers, civilians and 2013 Defense Acquisition Board full rate production decision. The industry partners alike work tirelessly to provide world-class UAS techShadow program is nearing the completion of the tactical common nology and support to our brave forward deployed men and women. data link (TCDL) upgrade program, preparing for a spring 2013 followThe balanced approach taken by this organization has already netted on test and evaluation. TCDL is a significant upgrade for our Shadow across the board cost savings, while having little impact on our missystem, involving substantial upgrades to system subcomponents and sion accomplishment. O conversion of the system from analog to digital.

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) continue to be a critical enabler for our Army. With that in mind, I thought it important to share the Project Office’s vision, mission and top five priorities with the Army aviation community.

Vision: Revolutionize our nation’s war fighting operations by being a world-class leader in the development, production and sustainment of unmanned aircraft and associated systems.

Mission: Provide our nation and its allies world-class interoperable unmanned aircraft systems and integrated payloads through excellence in program management and life cycle support.

6 | TISR 2.6

www.TISR-kmi.com

ď ľ SPECIAL SECTION

Training for Unmanned Aerial Systems

By Henry Canaday TISR Correspondent

Expanding the operator and support force for the expanding drone fleet.

Unmanned aerial systems (UASs) have played a critical and constantly expanding role in U.S. intelligence and military operations. UASs have increased rapidly in number and their capabilities are constantly being improved.

Higher volumes and new functionalities are useless, however, unless there is trained manpower to operate and support these high-tech devices.

Training UAS personnel has been a significant challenge, partly due to the sheer number of UASs, especially smaller UASs. The training challenge has been met mostly by the services themselves, but not without some important help from private institutions.

Training for Army UASs is managed by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Capabilities Manager in Fort Rucker, Ala. There are two types of training for operators of small UASs such as the RQ-11B Raven and the RQ-20A Puma: initial qualification and sustainment.

AeroVironment, the manufacturer, originally did all training for Puma and Raven. Rally Point Management now trains for Raven. Initial training for both UASs takes 80 hours over a 10-day span. There are now six small UAS training stations across the U.S., Europe and Afghanistan.

The 2-13th Aviation Regiment, 1st Aviation Brigade, U.S. Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., trains operators and maintainers for the RQ-7B Shadow, MQ-5 Hunter and www.TISR-kmi.com

TISR  2.6 | 7

 SPECIAL SECTION

the Gray Eagle. Courses take 18 weeks for Shadow operators, 12 weeks for Hunter operators and 25 weeks for Gray Eagle operators. In fiscal year 2012, about 800 operators and more than 800 maintainers were trained.

Maintenance Training

Army requirements and unit selection. For example, Hunter repairers must undergo approximately 10 additional weeks of training beyond the foundation received on Shadow training, and Gray Eagle repairers must get 18 more weeks beyond their Shadow training. The more advanced UAS platforms require additional training due to complexity.

Today, the 15E maintainer performs tasks that were previously done by three soldiers, PMO UAS stressed. “Through adept, robust and comprehensive training, the Army has increased training efficiency and buying power by providing one highly skilled warfighter capable of maintaining the entire spectrum of Army UASs.” No simulations are currently used for UAS maintenance training, but there are plans to use simulation devices in the future.

For the Shadow, Hunter and Gray Eagle, preventive and corrective maintenance is field-level maintenance, according to the Project Management Office for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PMO UAS), Program Executive Office Aviation.

Preventive maintenance is predominantly performed by the uniformed unmanned systems repairer, but all UASs use contractor field service representatives (FSRs) to perform repairs that soldiers are not authorized to repair, based upon level of repair analysis. The Gray Eagle is now transitioning to entirely soldier field-level maintenance.

Private Efforts The other level of maintenance for these UASs is sustainment level, which is considered depot-level repair. Depots Private firms and institutions play a significant role in are currently contractor operated, but both Gray Eagle and supporting and training for UAS operations. Several of these Shadow are transitioning some work at contractor depots to are eager to do more, as UASs become even more critical to the government depots. defense operations.

Soldiers are trained in UAS maintenance at the UAS training With 140 employees in 16 states, veteran-owned Bosh facility at Fort Huachuca, with advanced and senior level training Global Services has four core competencies, according to conducted at Fort Rucker and supplemental CEO Bob Fitzgerald. There is a communication training performed at the unit. FSRs are trained service, an engineering division that provides by the contractor, as each prime contractor curexpertise to Bosh field personnel, aviation serrently provides FSRs and depot operations. vices in the form of pilots and sensor operators PMO UAS emphasizes that the Army has and an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaiscreated a military occupational specialty, MOS sance services.

15E, unmanned aircraft systems repairer. These “We can do anything except build the UAS,” soldiers are responsible for the upkeep of Army Fitzgerald summarized. “We can help customUASs. ers take off-the-shelf UASs and tailor them to In June 2006, the Army Aviation Center individual needs.”

(USAAVNC) was given responsibility for UASs that Bosh also does training and is the first and Bob Fitzgerald had belonged to the Army Military Intelligence only company selected by the Air Force Acadrobert@boshgs.com Center. Previously, UASs were maintained by emy for UAS training of cadets. “We were the MOS 33W, UAV electronic maintenance specialfirst non-manufacturer selected by Air Force ist, combined with other MOS 33s: MOS 35T, military intelliSpecial Operations Command (AFSOC) to teach small UAS gence systems maintainer/integrator and MOS 52D, generator operations,” Fitzgerald said. “We developed the curriculum repairer/UAV mechanical maintenance specialist. Each had an and teach operational employment.” The firm trains on Puma additional skill identifier, U2- for Shadow and U3- for Hunter. and Raven for AFSOC. After transfer to USAAVNC, UAS repairers were initially Bosh training programs include UAS and ISR academic drawn from three existing aviation branch MOSs: 15B, aircraft courses and the practices of all core UAS flight-operation tasks power plant repairer, 15G, aircraft structural repairer, and 15J, supervised by a UAS instructor. The company develops courses aircraft armament electrical avionics. It was later determined and uses technologies such as computer-based training and that MOSs 15B and 15G were not required, and 15J now feeds distance learning. into 15E, UAS repairer.

Courses are taught in UAS roles and missions, orientation The first class of 15E maintainers graduated September on the aircraft, sensors and antennas, UAS employment con24, 2010. Fort Huachuca is the premier training institution cepts, reconnaissance techniques and electro-optical/infrared for MOS 15E, while advanced and senior leader courses are (EO/IR) sensor basics. UAS flight training includes system conducted at Fort Rucker. setup, preflight procedures, aircraft handling, basic sensor Basic 15E instruction contains seven modules: enabling operation and basic autopilot operation. skills, basic electricity, theory, emplace and displace proceBosh does not yet train in UAS maintenance. “That is the dures, maintenance, flight operations and troubleshooting. last element; we can do it, but we don’t do it,” Fitzgerald This basic instruction takes 16 weeks. explained. “It is low margin. There are lots of maintenance Shadow remains the foundation training platform. Solfolks. We focus on the higher end, complex operations and diers may receive additional instruction depending upon intelligence.”

8 | TISR 2.6

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 SPECIAL SECTION

A team of fully-operational Army UASs on display. [Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army]

Bosh hires top people and is seldom the least expensive training option, Fitzgerald acknowledged. “We provide the kind of people that we think the customer needs.” He hopes this high-quality model will survive as budget pressures eventually hit UAS support.

Bosh is establishing a company to serve the commercial UAS market.

Simlat Product Manager Nira Streifler said her company provides a full range of UAS and ISR training and simulation products from fundamentals all the way up to advanced-mission rehearsal training. “Simlat products are either platform-agnostic or highly customized to specific platforms and payloads,” Streifler explained.

The Simlat UAS Stand Alone Trainer (STAR) trains UAS pilots and operators in a synthetic environment. The STAR product family includes STAR-RDR, used to train UAS radar operators. STAR-EO/IR trains EO/IR payload operators or image analysts. STAR-OPR trains UAS pilots and operators. Simlat’s CATCH (Camera Advanced Trainer for Crime and HLS) provides high fidelity simulation of scenarios in various environments, suitable for city applications, to train camera operators, supervisors and directors. The Simlat TALIS (Take-off and Landing Immersive Simulation) provides high-fidelity training for UAS external pilots, training on take-offs and landings. The Simlat C-STAR (Crew Stand Alone Training and Simulation) trains both pilot and sensor operator simultaneously.

These are just a few of the highly sophisticated simulation and training tools the Israel-based Simlat offers for UASs. “These are very high-fidelity simulations of platforms, payloads and sub-systems covering complete mission aspects,” Streifler said. Flexible, modular architecture enables easy customization and integration of Simlat simulators with other simulators.

Simlat devices also offer advanced debriefing tools for excellent standardization of training and qualification of students.

The company is now working on integrating air traffic control simulation for UASs, simulation of complex UAS sensors and improving its after-action review technology. www.TISR-kmi.com

Simulations For High-Tech UAS Training MetaVR’s Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG) generates simulated payload videos for UAS training. The company is the largest supplier of UAS commercial three-dimensional visualization software for the U.S. military.

MetaVR software has been used in several new training efforts this year. For example, AAI purchased 51 new VRSG licenses for use in its universal ground control system, designed to command and control multiple UASs simultaneously. Since 2002, AAI has purchased over 450 VRSG licenses for its embedded Shadow Crew Trainer One System Ground Control Station. These licenses support embedded trainers for AAI’s Hunters, Shadows, Aerosondes and Gray Eagles.

The U.S. Air Force Distributed Mission Operations Center at Kirtland Air Force Base has received 17 new VRSG licenses and computers for use in a Joint Terminal Attack Controller (JTAC) operational simulation suite, used for JTAC training. Eleven VRSG licenses will be installed at several Air Support Operations Squadron sites.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) is building a new UAS simulation and training laboratory in Prescott, Ariz. ERAU has purchased four VRSG licenses and five Battlespace Simulations (BSI) Modern Air Combat Environment (MACE) licenses for its UAS simulation system, to be used in classes in the fall 2012. ERAU’s Daytona Beach campus already offers a B.A. in UAS. ERAU Prescott offers a UAS minor and plans to offer a UAS major in a few years.

Finally, Sandia Research Corporation uses VRSG in its UAS research project. Combining VRSG and BSI MACE, Sandia engineers recently built a research test bed, SimSystem, which monitors the behavior of pilots, sensor operators and data exploiters as they fly missions in a shared virtual environment. O For more information, contact TISR Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.tisr-kmi.com.

TISR 2.6 | 9

Manned or automated aircraft.

By J.B. Bissell

are well known, but there are also significant limitations that come From bombers and cargo planes to fighter jets and surveillance with either a remote control or automated system. The military drones, the U.S. military boasts the world’s most technologically would select what controls the aircraft on the basis of what allows advanced fleet of both manned and unmanned aircraft. Yet somethe greatest utility or freedom of action.” times, “neither one alone is sufficient,” said Martin Gomez, the Currently, that selection process is based mostly on policy Centaur program manager at Aurora Flight Sciences. Solving that (such as where UAVs can and cannot fly) and guidance, which in particular conundrum was the impetus for the development of turn is heavily dependent on government and military leaderships’ optionally piloted aircraft (OPA). confidence that an automated system could perform to the same The technology is still relatively new, but the name says it standards that a human crew could. “I see that confidence shiftall. Simply put, an OPA is an aircraft that provides mission coning over time, and different for different missions,” Garretson said. trol three piloting options. “Two are obvious,” explained Gomez.

For example, “in the mobility world,” he continued, “I feel “With manned, you carry a pilot, a sensor operator and a payload. confident today that a large aircraft could depart a dedicated miliUnmanned is just like any other UAV: The crew is in a ground station tary base, fly over the ocean, and either serve as a tanker or ferry and they control the airplane via radio links. The third option is what equipment across that ocean to another dedicated coastal facility we call hybrid mode, which means it’s flying like a UAV—it’s being in an unmanned mode. But if that same aircraft flown by its onboard electronics under the control of a needed to take off from or land at a metropolitan ground station operator—but there’s a human in the airport, I think most citizens, and nations, would airplane who can take over.” expect that a pilot better be onboard until the Even laypeople understand the value of the UAV. safety record of an unmanned system had proven They’re ideal for extremely dangerous or lengthy suritself over time.” veillance and reconnaissance missions. “The disadvanPilots aren’t always required, however, for tage, though, is that you can’t fly them just anywhere,” long-distance or time-intensive ISR missions; that Gomez said. “You have to keep them in restricted is the province of unmanned aircraft, and officials airspace or over a battlefield.” generally are quite comfortable using UAVs in that With an OPA, however, that’s not the case. Aurora capacity. “We do not have the same level of confiFlight Sciences’ Centaur is based on a DA42 platform Martin Gomez dence, though, in an automated system to provide and, when functioning in either manned or the hybrid supporting fire when troops are in close proximmode Gomez described, can fly in essentially any availity,” added Garretson. “Likewise, we do not have able airspace. “A good example of this would be an Air the confidence an automated unmanned system National Guard unit that shares a civilian airfield,” could pick its own targets deep inside enemy lines he said. “They can’t easily fly a UAV right out of there and be able to distinguish real mobile targets from because of other airliners sharing the runways. But decoys, especially if it had to do this in an urban with an OPA they can, because there is a pilot aboard environment where civilian casualties are a poswho can act as a see-and-avoid sensor. From the FAA’s sibility. My assessment is that we could get there point of view, we’re more likely to obtain authorization in two to three decades with a dedicated program.” to fly an OPA than a UAV at a mixed-use airport.”

Crucial Options Coming and going from the neighborhood airstrip may be just the beginning. Lieutenant Colonel Peter Garretson, who is a transformational strategist at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, and currently the division chief of irregular strategy, plans and policy, believes OPAs will continue to evolve and eventually be a crucial component to America’s strategy for continued air superiority.

“The motivation for an optionally manned aircraft is to have the latitude to de-couple the capabilities of the aircraft (its range, sensors, and payload) from the limitations of the intelligence that controls it,” Garretson said. “The limitations imposed by a manned crew 10 | TISR 2.6

Lt. Col. Peter Garretson

Bob Davis

rdavis@proxyaviation.com

Optionally Dedicated And OPAs are a crucial part of that two- to three-decade-long program. They “are an absolutely critical next step if we hope to see an expansion of unmanned technology beyond small, special purpose aircraft,” Garretson said. “As automated aircraft grow larger, as their missions and their failure become more consequential, the fundamental barrier is trust. OPAs provide the possibility of supervision while autonomy grows. They still allow for human intervention should the automatic system fail, prove unable to accomplish the mission to the desired standard, or encounter operating restrictions due to a loss of confidence.” www.TISR-kmi.com

To this end, companies such as Aurora Flight Sciences and others are helping to bolster confidence in unmanned aircraft while developing their own versions of optionally piloted ones. According to Bob Davis, chief executive officer, Proxy Technologies Inc., “In the research and development arena, Proxy has found that OPAs allow for quicker and less expensive prototyping and testing of unmanned technologies without the requirement to utilize military ranges for flight time.”

Similar to the Centaur, Proxy’s SkyRaider plane can operate out of virtually any airfield while allowing “autonomous technology testAn optionally piloted Firebird aircraft parked and ready for operation. [Photo courtesy of Northrop Grumman] ing to be performed with a pilot onboard, which greatly reduces safety risks both to equipment and personnel,” explained Davis.

Optional Planning “I might use the analogy of ‘driver’s ed’ cars that have a steering wheel both for the teenager and the instructor,” added Garretson. “It Still, plenty of up-front planning is required to ensure the ultitakes a while to get a new teen driver up to speed. In the meantime, mate ease-of-use provided by these types of OPAs. “Our Firebird was someone needs to be able to take over and make sure it is safe for designed as an OPA from the get go,” Madigan said. everyone else. But one day they are going to get there and be allowed “One of the key strengths of our technology is the mission systems to drive solo.” architecture that allows us to rapidly integrate various ISR sensors and payloads at far reduced costs from traditional architectures. We have integrated a half dozen sensors and operated them in less than a Working Options week. Since ISR systems tend to continuously upgrade new payloads over time, our Firebird system architecture brings tremendous value And if Garretson’s predictions hold true, one day unmanned by lowering the integration costs. In addition, we optimized the airplanes will carry out more complex and intuitively demanding design for a high level of performance in both manned and optionally missions. Until then, as Davis noted, they provide a wide range of manned configurations with minimal turn time.” research and development opportunities. Make no mistake, however; This minimal turn time is probably the most important qualOPAs aren’t simple laboratory rats. They’re a benefit to many current ity when it comes to living up to the promise of a more flexible and real-world tasks, too. valuable airborne option. “One of the things we do is make sure that “In contrast to unmanned vehicles, OPAs ease logistics, such as all of our OPA modifications can be undone,” explained Gomez. “The platform transportation to distant areas of operation,” said Davis. “In Centaur can go into and out of manned category very easily.” Which, comparison to manned flights, OPAs lend themselves to superior obviously, is an impressive developmental task. “You have to autoperformance in applications that require repeatability or precision mate everything, from engine start to handling of emergencies like flying, such as geospatial mapping and sensor testing. The OPA an engine failure,” Gomez continued. “In any light twin, an engine allows for a dual-purpose vehicle that greatly increases overall utility: failure is a very serious thing that a human pilot is hard pressed to The same aircraft can be deployed when a manned vehicle is needed handle. We have to make our computers handle it.” or when an unmanned vehicle is required.”

Thanks to the Centaur SkyRaider, and Firebird, it seems likely Indeed, the convenient utility of an OPA’s aerial multi-tasking that in the not-too-distant future, the computers will be handling is probably the greatest benefit, and Northrop Grumman’s Firebird even more than that. “In my assessment, the time has come when all is another example of a plane that offers the best of both manned or most future investments in modern aircraft above about 30,000 and unmanned worlds. Jerry Madigan, vice president and Firebird pounds should strongly consider being designed as OPAs,” said executive program manager for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Garretson. “The added cost is quite marginal, but it allows for the Systems, discussed the “significant flexibility” OPAs provide at a capability to ‘future-proof’ these platforms. Imagine the flexibility lower overall cost. you have if your tankers, airlifters and large sensing platforms— “Unmanned systems are a challenge,” he said. “Operations must [like] Airborne Warning and Control and Joint Surveillance Trackbe controlled, chase planes, or airspace restrictions come into play. ing Acquisition and Reconnaissance System—and even hurricane Even UASs that fly above civil traffic must have plans for launch and hunters could be operated confidently without the limits imposed land coming through the airspace in emergency situations. Careby keeping onboard a crew of folks who need to sleep, eat, drink and ful mission plans must be made to fly aircraft from one location who occasionally get sick.” to another. The Firebird OPA can be flown as a manned aircraft or In other words, imagine the options that optionally piloted airunmanned aircraft and integrates into national and international craft provide. O airspace as any manned aircraft would. If there was a domestic catastrophe, such as a hurricane or large uncontrolled forest fire For more information, contact TISR Editor Chris McCoy threatening homes and human life, the manned Firebird could be at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories launched much faster than an unmanned vehicle that requires much at www.tisr-kmi.com. more mission planning.” www.TISR-kmi.com

TISR 2.6 | 11

ISR Integration

By Chris McCoy TISR Editor

The gathering, processing and distribution of ISR information across a variety of operated systems.

The battlespace is not always of one’s choosing. The harsh terrain and temperature encountered in Operation Enduring Freedom is testament to the rigors of warfare that test today’s ISR integrated platforms. As Steven Koenig of Commuter Air Technology (CAT) put it, “forward deployed operations are a challenge in all respects.”

Reducing the weight, the number of operators and the power supply needed for ISR integrated platforms is of premium value when confronted with the extreme weather patterns and poor or non-existent roads that complicate mobility in Afghanistan. As ISR platforms have grown more intricate, the software and networking issues are often more difficult to control than the hardware problems.

Over the last 10 years, ISR technologies have dramatically increased the rate of battlespace data collection and retention. Improvements in collection technology are pervasive and all-encompassing. According to Robert Zitz, senior vice president of SAIC, these technologies take the form of “full motion video (FMV), wide area motion imagery and the increasing use of high resolution synthetic aperture radar, light detection and ranging and other non-literal sources.”

12 | TISR 2.6

Koenig stated, “Data storage will continue to be a challenge, especially for systems that can collect terabytes every minute. The ability to search by metadata is critical, but standards vary by discipline and even within the different disciplines. The ability to store is not that challenging, but searching data will continue to be the larger issue to solve.” To illustrate this terabyte dilemma succinctly, the highest quality personal computer hard drives typically consist of data storage for one or two terabytes.

Zitz offered greater elucidation on this avalanche of accumulated ISR data. “With analysts and operators awash in multi-INT data, the priority has become full stream processing of the data to alleviate the end-user workload.” Zitz further described how “full stream processing means processing data onboard the collector, at the ground station, and at the user’s device. It means running in line [real-time] algorithms on data to detect changes and to correlate data from myriad disparate sources. And it means offering user-friendly advanced analytic tools at the desktop or on the mobile device.” www.TISR-kmi.com

Zitz maintains that counterinsurgency operations like Operation Enduring Freedom require ISR architectures that can “collect, process, exploit and disseminate detailed information regarding the population, anthropological and sociocultural factors.” This ties into the methodology of the new ISR tradecraft of activity-based intelligence (ABI).

ABI is a growing sector of intelligence gathering and dissemination that emerged from counter-terrorism and counterinsurgency operations over the past 10 years. “ABI dictates the need for persistence,” cited Zitz. “Persistence is gained by removing architecture and policy barriers between space, air and ground collection as well as seamless integration of signal intelligence [SIGINT], geospatial intelligence [GEOINT], human intelligence [HUMINT], measurement and signature itelligence [MASINT] and open source intelligence [OSINT].” Aircraft hovering over a target of interest for hours if not days at a time, in an attempt recognize the rhythms of a community or patterns of a few specific persons, leads to the domain of aerial ISR. SAIC has contributed several innovations to Air Force ISR technology, including the Commercially Hosted Infrared Payload (CHIRP) and the Blue Devil multi-INT airborne system. According to Zitz, the CHIRP sensor is a “low cost, continuous wide field of view staring at a quarter of the Earth for missile warning and other intelligence missions,” while the Blue Devil multi-INT airborne system “is a great success, flying more than 10,000 combat hours, conducting 2,500 sorties and achieving 72 successes with high value targets.”

Koenig also mentioned that CAT technologies are in use by both “the Army MARSS and USAF MC-12 programs”; most recently, “CAT offered a number of solutions to extend the range of standard King Air aircraft to up to eight hours. [CAT does this] with supplemental type certificate products and custom ‘one-offs’ that are certified by the FAA field approval process.”

With regard to those technological improvements, Koenig elaborated further, “These products include nacelle extended range fuel tanks, exhaust gas extractors that provide fuel efficiency and increased performance, external ISR pods to carry multiple sensors of various types, and lightweight interiors to provide increased weight allowances for sensors and operators. Additionally, [CAT has] two types of special camera retraction/extension mechanisms for the most common FMV sensors and other ‘low observable’ innovations to offer.”

Back on the ground, SAIC created the Vigilant Pursuit & Exploit system. The purpose of this project was to provide cutting-edge information technology abilities on the front lines in order to best aid the warfighter. Zitz listed the technical features of Vigilant Pursuit, mentioning that it “consists of two small armored vehicles containing advanced analytics, biometric collection devices, through-the-wall imaging, immersive video, DCGS-A, advanced target resolution and complex signal exploitation tools.”

In order to guard against suicide bombers and IEDs, and in accordance with the ABI methodology, SAIC also created two significant force protection technologies. CounterBomber uses radar and video methods to locate and track suicide bombers from a distance. Max Power is a new vehicle technology that can travel at the front of a convey, at convey speeds, and detonate IEDs on the road ahead at a safe distance.

As is evident in the realm of forward operating bases, force protection systems incorporating ISR technologies are growing more advanced each year. FLIR’s Kraken force protection system, named after the mythical monster, was designed to solve several logistical www.TISR-kmi.com

hurdles by operating under a “first in, last out” philosophy that’s able to scale easily from remote combat operation posts with limited infrastructure to large FOB’s.

According to, Roger Wells, director of CBRNE solutions, the benefits of Kraken are manifold. Kraken is “rapidly deployable, quick to emplace and [an] easy-to-operate package.” Kraken can function with only a single operator and requires less than 30 minutes to set up. Moreover, Kraken bristles with ISR equipment upon its deployment. “It combines multiple cameras and radars, unattended ground sensor systems, shot/sniper detection systems, perimeter lights and cameras, and remotely operated weapon stations to provide a multilayer surveillance system.” Much of Kraken’s strength lies in its government off-the-shelf [GOTS] C2 system.

Using standard interfaces, Kraken’s GOTS C2 system carries out the integration of data, automated functions and the synthesis of ISR information. Specifically, Kraken “is capable of rapidly integrating force protection/integrated base defense systems [using ICD 0100 into the system’s open architecture], managing the systems and data as part of a cohesive infrastructure, and providing automation tools that allows a small contingent of operators to effectively manage a broad and diverse, multi-mission, set of equipment.” All this integraSteven Koenig tion and synthesis of information reduces troop-to-task and provides steve.koenig@commuterair.com the GOTS C2 system with a low level of false positive readings, to the benefit of Kraken’s automated systems and operators.

FLIR has significant upgrades for Kraken in the research and development stage and states it is “working with JPM Guardian and the Rapid Equipping Force to improve and expand Kraken’s abilities to support Robert Zitz integrated base defense and force protection missions. Future Kraken robert.s.zitz@saic.com capabilities may include “laser designation (Tac/FLIR 380 HLD) as well as the ability to generate and send target quality coordinates to further improve the system’s ability to integrate with C RAM systems and provide indirect response to threats.” FLIR’s future plans include configuring Kraken for further integration with other ISR and weapons systems. A mobile form of Kraken is also in development.

All in all, although the battlespace is not always of one’s choosing, one’s choices and options on that battlespace are increasing. Most importantly, more advanced integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems are making that battlespace a good deal more discernible to the warfighter. Moreover, fusing the data of multiple ISR platforms is proving a valid method to avoid drowning in the disparate bits of information that are now ubiquitous elements of the modern battlespace. O For more information, contact Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.tisr-kmi.com.

TISR 2.6 | 13

ISR KIT Small UAS Logs 168 Flight Hours in the Antarctic Supporting Meteorological Research Unmanned Aircraft Systems, an operating unit of Textron Systems, announced that its Aerosonde small unmanned aircraft system logged 168 flight hours in the frigid, harsh climate of Antarctica, supporting meteorological research by the University of Colorado’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Each Aerosonde aircraft was outfitted with meteorological instruments to measure pressure, temperature, relative humidity, winds, net radiation, surface temperature and ice thickness.

The University of Colorado team, led by John Cassano, Ph.D., is studying Antarctic polynyas, or areas of open water surrounded by sea ice. To learn more about this phenomenon, the crew directed the Aerosonde aircraft through low-level flights around 300 feet above the water’s surface to measure wind speed, temperature and moisture in an area called Terra Nova Bay. Flights also included spiral ascents and descents to capture the atmosphere at various heights over the polynyas.

Launching from an ice runway, the Aerosonde

aircraft conducted beyond-line-of-sight operations of up to 18 hours in temperatures as low as -37 degrees Celsius and winds up to 81 miles per hour.

“The crew and aircraft have really proven themselves in one of the harshest, least-forgiving environments possible for unmanned aircraft system operations,” said Cassano.

This was the second successful deployment AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems has conducted with the University of Colorado team. In 2009, a sixweek exploration of the katabatic winds present on the coast of Antarctica allowed researchers to generate highly detailed, 3-D maps to help study their relationship to sea ice formation.

“Once again, Antarctica has proven to be an extremely challenging environment; however, this small group of dedicated professionals has demonstrated what is possible at the extreme edge,” said Nick Logan, flight operations manager for AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems’ Australia-based strategic business Aerosonde Pty Ltd, which led the 2012 and 2009 Aerosonde SUAS deployments.

Hunter-Killer UAV Demonstrates Automatic Takeoff and Landing Capability General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA‑ASI) announced that its Predator B/MQ-9 Reaper RPA successfully completed 106 fullstop automatic takeoff and landing capability (ATLC) landings, a first for the multi-mission aircraft. The milestone was first achieved with four ATLC landings on June 27 at the company’s Gray Butte flight operations facility in Palmdale, Calif.

“We are pleased that all landings have been textbook in execution with no issues,” said Frank Pace, president, Aircraft Systems Group, GA-ASI. “The addition of ATLC will greatly reduce the land incident rate and the training expenditures for our customers.”

During the landings, the aircraft tracked the centerline, decelerated smoothly, and applied reverse thrust and full brakes at the appropriate ground speeds to a complete stop.

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Envelope expansion for takeoffs and landings at higher wind limits, maximum aircraft gross weight, differential GPS enhancements, and terrain avoidance with adjustable glideslope has now begun.

The design of the ATLC system was leveraged directly from the highly successful and proven automatic takeoff and landing system developed by GA-ASI for its Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system, which has reached a record of 10,000-plus successful automatic takeoff and landings.

A technologically advanced derivative of the combat-proven Predator, the multimission Predator B provides essential situational awareness for warfighters, excelling in combat missions focusing on ISR, precision strike on time-sensitive targets, close air support, laser designation and illumination, signals intelligence, forward air control, convoy protection, IED detection, and bomb damage assessment.

Foliage-Penetrating Reconnaissance Radar Integrated with System to Detect Slow Moving Objects After multiple ground demonstrations in operational environments, a Lockheed Martin penetrating radar capability that can peer through trees to detect slowly moving troops and ground vehicles is ready for the next step in testing. A ground/ dismounted-moving target indication (GMTI/DMTI) system developed for the U.S. Army’s tactical reconnaissance and counter-concealment-enabled radar (TRACER) has been integrated into a modular pod for airborne testing on a Black Hawk helicopter or a Predator-B aircraft.

“Integrating MTI into our foliage penetrating capability provides an unprecedented level of situational awareness,” said Jim Quinn, vice president of C4ISR systems with Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions-Defense. “By combining these two capabilities we offer analysts the ability to accurately locate virtually any surface target from a standoff range, in any type of weather.”

Based on the Lockheed Martin’s foliage penetrating radar system, first deployed in 2005, TRACER is a lightweight, low-frequency synthetic-aperture radar that can peer through foliage, rain, darkness, dust storms, or atmospheric haze to provide real-time, high-quality tactical ground imagery. The system combines fine-resolution UHF radar and a broad swath to provide single-pass radar images as well as multi-pass change detection products for multiple imaging modes. Currently deployed in support of the U.S. Southern Command’s missions in counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, TRACER has flown hundreds of operational missions.

During an exercise at a U.S. Army test range, the team integrated and demonstrated GMTI (which uses a moving target’s Doppler radar return to distinguish it from surface clutter) into the TRACER system. In both ground-based and 300-foot tower testing, TRACER consistently detected groups of foliage-obscured moving targets, including moving vehicles and dismounted troops. The addition of MTI capability to TRACER will enable troops to detect subtlety obscured dismounted activity in a single pass. TRACER images can overlay GMTI tracks on accurate SAR maps, allowing activity in an area of interest to become easier to detect and interpret.

www.TISR-kmi.com

Compiled by KMI Media Group staff

Wearable New Modular Tactical System Equips Air National Guard Units Black Diamond Advanced Technology has completed delivery of its Modular Tactical System (MTS) to several units within the U.S. Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC). Having fulfilled equipment delivery of the 92 MTS kits specified in the two separate contracts, Black Diamond is now training end-users on the proper operation and employment of the MTS. The MTS units will be used by tactical air control party (TACP) personnel within select ANG air support operations squadrons (ASOS), and Guardian Angel combat rescue officer team commanders (CROTCs) and pararescue team leaders (PJTLs) within the 10th AFRC. The Black Diamond Advanced Technology MTS is a versatile, wearable multi-mission system that funnels control of mission-critical peripherals to a central display to eliminate battery and equipment redundancies and lighten load-out. As an off-the-shelf solution with a patent-pending cable-management cummerbund system, the MTS allows the ANG and AFRC to fulfill their requirements and field truly foot-mobile solutions.

TACP personnel within 13 different ANG ASOS elements make up an elite combat force whose mission is to provide airspace deconfliction and close air support for ground troops. TACPs will receive training on using the MTS in a dismounted role to digitally aid their mission of precision terminal attack guidance including targeting, communications management, and other command and control functions.

The 10th Air Force houses the combat Air Forces components of AFRC. CROTCs and PJTLs at a number of these installations will receive equipment and training from Black Diamond Advanced Technology, enabling them to aid their vital personnel recovery mission and provide emergency medical care and evacuation in combat and humanitarian operations.

Boston SWAT Team Evaluating Small Unmanned Aerial System Aurora Flight Sciences recently signed an agreement with the Boston-area Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council (MetroLEC) to establish a program to evaluate Aurora’s Skate small unmanned aerial system (SUAS) by their special weapons and tactics (SWAT) operations.

This program will allow MetroLEC to evaluate the utility of SUAS in a law enforcement environment. In addition to Aurora’s Skate SUAS system, Aurora will also provide MetroLEC with operator training and planning and support for SWAT operations.

“MetroLEC SWAT is an extremely forwardthinking and innovative agency that has great ideas on UAS applications in law enforcement.

We are excited for this opportunity to work with them to evaluate the capabilities of Skate to support law enforcement,” said Carl Schaefer, Aurora’s director of small UAS programs.

MetroLEC is a consortium of over 43 local area police departments and law enforcement

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agencies. These agencies work together to provide unique and highly specialized law enforcement resources to its member communities. MetroLEC is currently in the process of obtaining a certificate of authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration, and following a thorough operator training program, will begin the operational evaluation of Skate SUAS during training and live SWAT exercises.

"Our team is excited to explore the fantastic potential that this technology will provide to us.

Working with Aurora to offer real-world, handson feedback to the engineers and designers makes this a great opportunity for all of us," said Peter McGowan, MetroLEC SWAT control chief.

Aurora’s Skate is an internally developed SUAS ISR platform ideal for budget conscious military, law enforcement and commercial operators. Skate SUAS will be highlighted, along with other Aurora UAS technologies, at the upcoming International Chiefs of Police Exhibition in San Diego.

U.S. Navy DRFM Jammer Contract Kor Electronics, a subsidiary of Mercury Computer Systems Inc., announced that it has received a five-year sole source basic ordering agreement (BOA) from the U.S. Navy. This BOA supports the continued development of state-ofthe-art techniques and target generation capabilities in conjunction with the advanced digital RF memory architecture developed under a prior Small Business Innovation Research Phase II.5 award issued to Kor Electronics. The BOA provides for research and development, production, engineering services and ongoing support and is valued at up to $58 million.

“This agreement is a perfect example of how the SBIR program can benefit our country’s defense and small business,” said Kevin Carnino, Kor Electronics president and CEO. “Under this agreement, we will be producing a subset of our latest advanced radar jammer equipment. Our successive and continuing technology development allows us to continually provide stateof-the-art performance and best value to our customers and ultimately to the warfighter.”

TISR 2.6 | 15

ISR Unifier

Q& A

Connecting the Dots Across an Ever-Evolving Battlespace Major General Robert P. “Bob” Otto Commander U.S. Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency Major General Robert P. “Bob” Otto is the commander, Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Otto is responsible for providing multisource ISR products, applications, capabilities and resources, as well as Cyber ISR forces and expertise. The AF ISR Agency includes the 70th and 480th ISR Wings; National Air and Space Intelligence Center; Air Force Technical Applications Center; 361st Special Operations Forces ISR Group; and all Air Force cryptologic operations.

In his position as AF ISR Agency commander, he also serves as the commander of the Service Cryptologic Component. In this capacity, he is responsible to the director, National Security Agency, and chief, Central Security Service, as the Air Force’s sole authority for matters involving the conduct of cryptologic activities, including the spectrum of missions directly related to both tactical war fighting and national-level operations. In addition, as the Air Force Geospatial Intelligence Element commander, Otto facilitates AF GEOINT federation and integration into the National System for Geospatial Intelligence; orchestrates programmatic, policy and systemic requirements developed by the deputy chief of staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance at Headquarters U.S. Air Force; and organizes, trains, equips and presents AF GEOINT forces.

Otto entered the Air Force in 1982 as a distinguished graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. He has served as a squadron, group and wing commander. His staff duties include three tours at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, one tour with the Operations Directorate on the Joint Staff, and one tour at Headquarters, Air Education and Training Command. He has also served as the chief of staff of the Air Force Chair and professor of military strategy at the National War College.

He is a command pilot with more than 2,800 hours in the U-2, RQ-4, F-15, AT-38, T-38, O-2 and OT-37, with combat and combat support hours in Operation Southern Watch. His most recent deployment was in 2011 as the Air Forces Central Command Combined Air Operations Center director, overseeing Air Force operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Southwest Asia.

Q: You’ve been in the job for over a year now. What has “the enterprise” accomplished?

A: I’m glad you called it ‘the enterprise,’ because that’s truly what’s involved in everything we can count as accomplishments this past 16 | TISR 2.6

year. First, I want to call out our talented airmen—military and civilian—and the close relationships they maintain with our service and coalition partners. They are key to our many successes.

This past year we’ve increased our processing, exploitation and dissemination [PED] capabilities with the addition of new platforms and sensors. We are also operating in new theaters with existing ISR platforms.

Before expanding on our accomplishments, though, let me give you a brief reminder about our weapon system, the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System [AF DCGS], because many of our accomplishments relate directly to that system. Not everything we do is tied into DCGS, though, because we strive to be a domain neutral, multi-intelligence source organization.

AF DCGS, our service’s globally networked ISR weapon system, produces intelligence collected by the U-2, RQ-4 Global Hawk, MQ-9 Reaper, MQ-1 Predator, and most recently the MC-12 Project Liberty platforms. It also relies upon national imagery and signals intelligence. Combining these sources, DCGS provides multisource, near real-time ISR products in response to theater-prioritized needs. The DCGS creates intelligence to answer requests for information. They serve the warfighter at the joint task force level and below. DCGS is composed of geographically separated, networked locations, including five distributed ground stations that www.TISR-kmi.com

provide the core production capacity, 13 distributed mission sites that provide unique mission-essential skill sets, and deployed liaison officers and elements that ensure the warfighters in theater are able to leverage the maximum benefit from our ISR products. AF DCGS is not just active duty—it’s total force, with significant contributions by the Air National Guard and reserves.

Mission sites are a mixture of active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units working as an integrated combat capability.

With that background, here are some of the advances we’ve seen this year. First, we are employing the airborne cueing and exploitation system-hyperspectral, or ACES-HY, sensor. In concert with Air Combat Command, we deployed ACES-HY to the Central Command theater, standing up cooperative exploitation between our National Air and Space Intelligence Center and our 480th ISR Wing to ensure complete support for this new capability. Another first was adding the ability to process and exploit data from the MC-12 via a reachback process. This was in response to a U.S. Air Forces Central request to reduce in theater deployed ‘boots on the ground.’ We are now processing all MC-12 full motion video in our DCGS enterprise via reachback, and are proud that we’ve maintained the same level of ISR quality and support.

We also stood up a capability to support the Global Hawk RQ-4 in the Pacific Command theater. This now gives PACOM a long dwell ISR asset for intelligence collection over that vast area of operations.

We formed an ISR Studies and Analysis section here at the Agency in order to perform long-range analysis and assessments of ISR needs. Initially we completed small, focused studies on ISR capability gaps. Now, we are in the final stages of completing three major studies on ISR capabilities. Those include AF ISR capability planning baseline, ISR capability future/projected baseline, and ISR capability gap analysis.

Another initiative is to create an enhanced presence at Nellis Air Force Base by establishing the 526th Intelligence Squadron [IS] at the U.S. Air Force Information Warfare Center. This will allow the intelligence community and our joint and coalition partners to exercise with current war fighting assets. Intel has never been able to ‘play’ in this manner before. In the future, this can allow us to test new tactics, techniques and procedures [TTPs], and provide a venue for testing and training soon-to-be fielded ISR equipment. For aircrew familiarization in operational environments, there is no better place than Nellis. Our presence puts us in the heart of training and pre-deployment mission rehearsals. The 526th includes national tactical integration and tactics analysis support element teams that will showcase our capabilities and train our airmen in realistic settings. The warfare center will be able to send operators to the 526th for handson ISR immersion training, where real-time ISR inputs to the cockpit will provide pilots exposure and training with an integrated ISR exploitation and production cell. While the operators will be physically separated to accurately simulate the challenges of reachback operations, their co-location at the warfare center will allow direct interaction between the agency and USAFWC. This steepens the learning curve and accelerates the maturing of our TTPs. By providing enhanced ISR at Nellis through the 526th IS, we see a true win/win/win situation, benefiting combat forces, the Warfare Center and us. www.TISR-kmi.com

Q: What are your top challenges to effectively provide ISR capabilities to the warfighter, and what is the AF ISR Agency doing to address these challenges?

A: First is the explosion of data and required expert analysis to create usable intelligence. The requirements for more full motion video have skyrocketed because the input we get from these sensors is critical to the fight. In response to these requirements we’ve fielded more and more platforms, on which we’ve hung even more sensors. Many of those sensors are now more capable in terms of the area they cover, the length of collection time, and the complexity and density of the data collected.

We have invested in more airmen analysts, but the growth in our force cannot keep up with the growth of raw data. To meet this challenge we’re shifting from a collection-based model, where crews are organized based on the collection platform, to a model where the teams are formed specifically to support a prioritized operation. Our teams will pull whatever data is necessary to support their assigned operation, then analyze and report directly to the warfighters working that operation.

This model allows us to open the aperture on what data we’ll be pulling to provide that support. In today’s operational environment, data collected from any platform may be relevant to support operational needs at any level. While this model addresses the problem of keeping up with all the data, by only looking at the data we care about now, it creates other issues. First, ‘Why collect that other data if we will not look at it?’ We collect and expose it so that others, such as the Army or national agency analysts, can look at it if it satisfies their needs. Second, by acknowledging we use all the data out there, we have increased the volume of data we need to sift through. To deal with this we need to develop more advanced, more automated search and analysis tools.

Another challenge is to make smart decisions on effective use of ISR capabilities after we leave Afghanistan. Our national leaders have set an aggressive timeline to get us out of Afghanistan. No one is exactly sure what the requirements will look like post-Afghanistan, but we anticipate a shift to look at more traditional threats. The Secretary of the Air Force directed a comprehensive review of all ISR assets to determine what we need for future capabilities.

Our direction assumes that we will be dealing in air environments that are not as permissive as we’ve seen in Afghanistan or Iraq. The medium altitude platforms we’ve relied upon during those conflicts may not work in future conflicts. So, we’ll have to look to different sensors and platforms to deal with contested airspace. It’s likely we’ll need to retrain airmen to deal with a challenging Integrated Air Defense System. Analysts will have to recognize missile systems and radar signatures we haven’t had to worry about since the Cold War. The good news is the airmen we have in today’s force are second to none. They are an all-volunteer force who joined when they could reasonably expect to go into combat. They are the most educated and highly motivated fighting force we’ve ever known and they are ready for the task of returning to world-class status in traditional threat environments.

A third challenge will be helping our customers understand ISR capabilities. The last few years we’ve fielded some pretty astounding capabilities, from wide-area FMV to hyperspectral TISR 2.6 | 17

U.S. AIR FORCE ISR AGENCY

LEADERSHIP

70TH ISR WING

Col. Mary O’Brien Commander

Maj. Gen. Robert P. Otto Commander

Brig. Gen. Mark R. Kraus Air National Guard Assistant to the Commander

Col. Mark D. Stillwagon Mobilization Assistant to the Commander

Dominic Pohl Executive Director

480TH ISR WING

Col. Michael C. Harasimowicz Vice Commander

Chief Master Sgt. Danny L. Crudup Command Chief

Col. Jeffrey A. Kruse Commander

Col. Lourdes M. Duvall Vice Commander

Cmd. Sgt. Troy L. Eden Command Chief

U.S. AIR FORCE ISR AGENCY

Col. Paul D. Nelson Vice Commander

Cmd. Sgt. Arleen K. Heath Command Chief

Col. Kevin D. Dixon Assistant Vice Commander

Kenneth Williams Director of Staff

Eileen K. Preisser Senior Technical Advisor

Keith Thomas Director, AFCO

AIR FORCE TECHNICAL APPLICATIONS CENTER

NATIONAL AIR & SPACE INTELLIGENCE CENTER

Col. Christopher A. Worley Commander

Col. John L. Parker Vice Commander

Col. Aaron M. Prupas Commander

Col. Timothy J. Traub Jr. Vice Commander

Cmd. Sgt. John E. Nederhoed Superintendent

Dr. David F. O’Brien Chief Scientist

Gary A. O’Connell Chief Scientist

Cmd. Sgt. Michael C. Perry Command Chief

sensors, and we’re tapped into a vast national intelligence system. We need to be better at marketing how we can help Component Numbered Air Force [C-NAF] commanders with their intelligence questions. I’ve also mentioned to you the benefits of participating in the exercise environment at Nellis. That interaction will help customers better understand leading-edge capabilities and legacy ISR systems.

We are clearly in a constrained fiscal environment and we face uncertain ISR budgets. This compounds the challenge of dealing with increased data from advanced sensors. The investments we make in our people, sensors and analytic tools must align with the warfighters’ needs as efficiently and effectively as possible. We must reduce redundant or overlapping capabilities while reinforcing the importance of multi-intelligence fusion.

Finally, to meet the ever-increasing demand signal for ISR products, we must invest in our people—and we are. The Air Force has or will soon implement numerous initiatives to improve the capabilities of our already effective analyst force.

The overall idea is to create a phased analyst training continuum, to build better analysts from the beginning, and to provide intermediate and advanced level training at designated career or assignment milestones.

Continuing to improve our analysts’ skill level begins with integrating additional analysis and critical thinking techniques training into our initial skill-level courses. That’s followed by the Analysis Formal Training Unit designed for first-term ISR airmen who are assigned to analytic positions. In the current fiscal year, we’re working with our higher headquarters, the office of the deputy chief of staff for ISR [HAF/A2], to finalize an Advanced Analysis Course. This will become a normalized Air Force intelligence analysis course under Air Education and Training Command for mid-level commissioned officers, enlisted members and civilians who perform analytic duties at their current or projected organizations.

HAF/A2 is also considering an executive-level ‘analysis and critical thinking’ seminar for senior Air Force intelligence leaders. In addition to critical thinking, this macro-level course would also include an overview on the total ISR force.

Q: What sort of partnering activities would you like to see out of the intelligence community?

A: Our relationship with the intelligence community isn’t simply a partnership; it’s even closer than that. Our missions, systems and people are inherently woven together—we’re inseparable. Complementing this is a deepening relationship with our sister services. The conflicts we’ve been involved in over the last decade have been largely ground actions. So, we have had to optimize our ability to support ground operations.

This fight has highlighted strengths and differences between the Army’s ISR capabilities and ours. One key area of difference is in the AF-DCGS and DCGS-Army; each provides different strengths. The services have unique fighting missions and capabilities and we have tailored DCGS resources and capabilities to match our service’s roles and responsibilities in that fight. We create synergy through our service differences.

But we need to ensure our systems and processes are compatible and complementary. We need continued collaboration to ensure the joint force commanders get the full benefit of all the 20 | TISR 2.6

services’ ISR capabilities. At the AF ISR Agency, we engaged with the Army’s Intelligence and Security Command to tighten the bonds between its DCGS-A and our AF-DCGS. That relationship will ensure that all the work the Army has done in developing its analytic tools and use of the ‘tactical’ cloud is easily accessible from any AF-DCGS terminal. It will also give the Army access to the Air Force’s vast collection and analysis capabilities. We want to allow seamless access to all our collected data as rapidly from a DCGS-A terminal as from our own terminals.

The challenge is to focus on the common areas of support and cooperation and ensure our investments are compatible, especially in tasking, training and operations standards. I believe the strength-through-diversity model will hold for the foreseeable future.

Finally, we’ve made great strides in working with partner nations. Most notable is our effort with The United Kingdom’s Tactical Intelligence Wing [TIW], which receives coalition tasking through our 480th ISR Wing’s operations center. The TIW handles airborne collection missions that would previously have been sent to one of our DCGS units. We call this ‘burdensharing.’ It lets us benefit from the skills of our British partners and increase the overall capacity of the coalition ISR enterprise.

Today the TIW exploits FMV missions on a 24/7 basis.

We also work with the Australians in a DCGS node we call Joint Airborne ISR Exploitation Environment, which allows us to partner missions in the Pacific. This effort is not as mature as our partnership with The United Kingdom, although we have trained 25 Royal Australian Air Force airmen in various ISR specialties and have established data paths that will support future joint missions.

Q: Last time we talked, we focused on the Distributed Common Ground System and real-time intelligence. What can you tell us about secondary and tertiary intelligence products?

A: We’ve been successful in uniquely positioning our National Air and Space Intelligence Center [NASIC] to deliver specialized secondary and tertiary intelligence products to operational customers. We’ve established a distributed mission site [DMS] at NASIC that uses Air Force DCGS resources to better leverage NASIC’s time dominant and content dominant analytic capabilities. These in-depth products enhance and complement, but don’t duplicate, existing national and AF DCGS ISR capabilities.

DMS-NASIC produces activity-based and forensic intelligence analytic products derived from a wide range of national, service, space, airborne and surface based geospatial intelligence and measurement and signature intelligence sources. NASIC analysts are pulling data from synthetic aperture radar, overthe-horizon and line-of-sight radar, infrared, multi- and hyperspectral imaging, overhead persistent infrared, space object identification, ground moving target indicator and traditional electro-optical sources. To provide operational customers the full spectrum of battlespace threats, DMS-NASIC collaborates virtually with other service centers, national-level agencies, and the operational intelligence community. That collaboration creates timely, accurate and tailored ISR. Q: We hear a lot about cyber ISR in the news lately. What part does the AF ISR Agency play in the cyber arena? www.TISR-kmi.com

A: The attention devoted to cyber ISR will continue to increase.

In a recent speech, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta warned that future cyber-attacks ‘could be as destructive as the terrorist attack of 9/11’ and have the crippling impact of a ‘cyber Pearl Harbor.’ Preventing such a blow demands robust cyber capabilities, to include cyber ISR. Just as ISR is critical in the other domains—air, space, land and maritime—ISR is also essential for operating effectively in the man-made domain of cyberspace.

Cyber lines of operation are ISR intensive. For defensive cyberspace operations, ISR provides indications and warning so our defenses can be postured against attacks, as well as analysis and attribution when our networks are threatened. Offensive cyberspace operations could require months or even years of ISR preparation before an operational mission, and significant analytical expertise is required to assess post mission effectiveness. Even DoD global information grid operations depend on ISR to expand, maintain and defend Air Force networks.

We’ve established strong relationships with our Air Force and joint cyber partners. Just over two years ago, we stood up the 659th ISR Group under the 70th ISR Wing, at Fort Meade, Md. The 659th provides direct cyber ISR support to the 24th Air Force here at Lackland. The 659th is composed of two squadrons at Fort Meade and Lackland. They work closely with the National Security Agency, 24th Air Force, the 624th Operations Center and the Air Force Computer Emergency Response Team. We also present cyber forces through the 480th ISR Wing and NASIC. We gain access to NSA’s training, support national intelligence requirements, and ensure cyber ISR informs not only Air Force cyber operations, but operations in all the war fighting domains.

In April 2012, USCYBERCOM issued an operational directive assigning functional and geographic responsibilities to each of its service components. Since then we have worked with 24 AF and USCYBERCOM to identify manpower requirements and hammer out the most effective team structure to support the directive. What remains clear is the need to grow our cyber ISR forces to meet the increasing demands in this domain—to prevent a potential ‘cyber Pearl Harbor.’ This is no easy task given the current and future fiscal environment.

operators—air, land, surface, subsurface, space and cyber— across all domains.

Q: Can you share a success story of how ISR has contributed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?

A: A mantra of mine since taking over as commander at the agency is ‘crew communications save lives!’ When I was deployed to the Combined Air and Space Operations Center in Southwest Asia, I saw instances where coalition aircraft wrongly engaged friendly personnel—either civilians or coalition military members. I felt that intel analysts, who can help commanders determine if people on the ground are friendly or hostile, could help reduce wrongful engagements. But they could not speak directly to our on mission aircrew. The establishment of Distributed Mission Crew Communications [DMCC] connected our Distributed Ground Station crews to the MQ 1/9 crew intercom systems. This way, the entire mission crew, from pilots to analysts, can talk to each other during the mission in real time. On May 7 this year, our analysts at DGS-2 at Beale Air Force Base saved the lives of eight Marines.

DMCC enabled our analysts to know that there was an impending air strike—but the pilot was unaware that the strike would target our own forces. Our analysts called to stop the attack. The bottom line is that the analysts at DGS-2 with their situational awareness prevented fratricide because they had the ability to communicate with the pilots operating the MQ 1/9. O

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Q: Space is another important domain for the Air Force. How is the agency involved in space ISR? A: General Kehler was prescient when he asked those of us steeped in traditional air operations to broaden our thinking to understand that space and cyber are domains, just like the air domain. To help us close the gap between the AF ISR Agency and the Air Force’s space operations community, a team of experienced former ISR operators were commissioned to conduct a study and provide senior perspectives on providing ISR support to the space operator and to explore exploitation of AF space-derived information that might have broader ISR value.

We are currently working to implement some of the team’s recommendations; we are partnering with Air Force Space Command, 14th Air Force and HAF/A2 to determine when and how ISR can inform critical decisions. We want to effectively share space-derived data with the rest of the IC, and better synchronize technologies employed by AFSPC and agency analysts to create a common operational picture that serves all www.TISR-kmi.com

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Military GPS Global Positioning Systems for the U.S. warfighter.

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is known to most every American driver. The U.S. military also makes use of GPS technology for tactical operations and situational awareness.

The difference between the technologies used by the average citizen and those used by the warfighter is that military GPS systems have been enhanced, through the incorporation of digital correction mechanisms and through integration with other sensors and technologies, to provide a greater degree of accuracy than the GPS one finds on U.S. roads.

GPS is a satellite-based navigation system developed and operated by the U.S. Air Force. GPS users on land, sea and in the air can determine their position, velocity and time anywhere in the world by measuring their distance from the GPS satellites in space. The receiver measures the time delay for the signal to reach the receiver to direct measure of the range to the satellite. Measurements collected simultaneously from at least four satellites are processed to provide the three dimensions of position, velocity and time.

GPS is becoming increasingly important to the operation of tactical ISR platforms such as unmanned aerial vehicles. “ISR is all about the sensor,” said Trevor Landon, director of research and development at Technology Advancement Group Inc. (TAG). “Knowing where that sensor is critical to ISR. GPS is the proven technology to give position information.”

According to Brian Paul, defense business development manager of GPS Source Inc., “Advances in GPS technology provides better intelligence to more consumers. GPS has become a technology embodied in nearly every piece of C4ISR used on the battlefield today. From encryption in tactical communications equipment to smart phones and moving map software in the hands of soldiers, GPS provides a value add to the information network never before seen.

“We integrate GPS with other sensors to provide improved position information from those sensors and GPS,” said Jeremy Davis, director of engineering at VectorNav. “By adding devices like gyroscopes and accelerometers, we can get improved accuracies and can better handle problems that GPS encounters.”

VectorNav recently introduced a new product which it describes as the smallest and lightest GPS enabled inertial navigation system available. The unit can be installed on a wide variety of vehicles, according to Davis, and can also be used by individual warfighters in conjunction with devices such as heads-up displays.

The U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN) uses GPS technologies to meet its mission of providing the authoritative source for maritime navigation and information services. That information, in turn, supports Coast Guard missions that enhance the safety, security and efficiency of U.S. waterways. NAVCEN services include tracking vessel movements over the Automated Identification System (AIS), providing nationwide GPS augmentation signals, and receiving and coordinating the investigation of GPS outage reports.

22 | TISR 2.6

By Peter Buxbaum TISR Correspondent

“All commercial vessels entering U.S. waters are required to be equipped with AIS,” said NAVCEN’s Chief Warrant Officer Mike Abel.

“Some recreational vessels use AIS as well. AIS receives its positioning information from GPS.” The AIS is a shipboard broadcast system that acts like a transponder in the VHF maritime band, and is capable of handling 4,500 reports per minute and updates as often as every two seconds.

The company VectorNav integrates inertial sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers and pressure sensors with GPS to provide greater positional accuracy. “You can use inertial sensors to provide a position estimate independent of GPS,” said Davis. “By combining those two sources of information you can get a more accurate estimate of positions and velocities than a GPS receiver can do. This higher level of accuracy is generally required for unmanned vehicle control. It allows users to handle the multipath problem of GPS signals bouncing off buildings, which can degrade GPS performance. Once you have the inertial sensor data you Jeremy Davis can do a better job of positioning when multipath is occurring.” Multipath is a term used to describe the phenomenon of GPS signals coming in from different directions in a cluttered environment.

VectorNav’s latest contribution to the multi-sensor GPS arena is the VN-200, a miniature GPS-aided inertial navigation system. The device combines inertial sensors, a highsensitivity GPS receiver, and advanced Trevor Landon filtering algorithms to provide optimal estimates of position, velocity and trevor.landon@tag.com orientation. The VN-200 incorporates inertial sensors such as a three-axis accelerometer, three-axis gyroscope, three-axis magnetometer and a barometric pressure sensor. The VN-200 has been designed to eliminate common error sources such as sensitivity to bias drift and temperature.

“GPS provides long-term position accuracy, but is incapable of providing low-latency high bandwidth measurements,” said Davis.

“Inertial sensors provide high bandwidth acceleration and angular rates, but cannot provide long-term position and orientation accuracy due to drift and integration errors.”

The algorithms combine the two to provide low latency high accuracy position velocity and attitude measurements. Calibrations www.TISR-kmi.com

are stored on the sensor and are temperature compensated in realtime onboard to ensure high accuracy measurements over a range of operating temperatures.

“Because these devices are getting smaller and consuming less power, they can be used to provide navigation requirements for unmanned vehicles performing ISR. The VN-200 can be deployed on more of those kinds of platforms to enhance their ability to generate ISR,” Davis said.

TAG has a contract with the Army Geospatial Center to develop a military grade surveying system that incorporates GPS technology.

“This is a survey system intended for the Army Corps of Engineers to do airfield and other technical surveys,” said Landon. “We are about 90 percent finished with the contract. All key milestones have been met.”

One key differentiator between the usual surveying system and the one TAG is developing, known as the precise positioning service global positioning system surveying system (PGSS), is the incorporation of selective availability anti-spoofing module (SAASM) technology.

“SAASM can provide guaranteed assurances that positions are true and are not being spoofed,” said Landon. “There is also additional protection to prevent the receiver from being jammed. Those are the two big things that SAASM brings to the table. The survey systems need accuracy to within 2 centimeters. Our systems meet those accuracy requirements.”

The GPS technology incorporated into PGSS comes from ITT Exelis. TAG’s core capability is to provide the ruggedized devices into which the positioning technology is incorporated. PGSS uses a tablet computer. TAG has incorporated similar technology into handheld devices as well. TAG provided integration services as well as research and development to the project. Also being incorporated into PGSS is the TAG Commander, an interface that allows users to remotely monitor operating conditions and have access to real-time data being gathered out in the field.

“This core technology can easily be customized to fit a wide range of other military applications, such as machine control, robotics and unmanned vehicles,” said Landon. “The user can be assured of full military system performance during all operational phases. The single receiver architecture minimizes size, weight, power and cost.

This integrated system will deliver real-time on-site positioning with centimeter-level accuracy, using real-time kinematic [RTK] software combining data from a reference station and rover units.”

The system could be adapted to ISR applications, according to Landon, because “ISR platforms need precise positioning as part of the solution.”

“The connection with SAASM and RTK is important to the ISR and UAV communities,” he added. “UAVs need to use RTK-based GPS receivers to operate their sensors and to precisely position the UAV to get a fix on what it is looking at. What has been flown up until now has been non-SAASM-based RTK system and there has been a push to move over to SAASM.” TAG is looking to further miniaturize its technology so that it can be embedded in UAV avionics systems.

GPS Source Inc. offers GPS retransmission technology. Paul stated that, “this is an innovation that has seen significant growth in the hands of the warfighter. Providing a live, wireless L1/L2 GPS signal while mounted inside a ground vehicle or aircraft, GPS retransmission dramatically improves the lethality and capability of the warfighter.”

Rockwell Collins is working on a three-year contract from the Office of Naval Research to develop technology called modernized integrated spoofer tracking (MIST) to locate and classify an adverwww.TISR-kmi.com

sary’s attempts to interfere with GPS signals and disrupt military operations. “The contract for program calls for Rockwell Collins to develop technology and prototype system concepts to detect and locate the sources of transmitted signals that are intended to disrupt the warfighter’s ability to navigate and communicate,” said John Borghese, vice president of the Rockwell Collins Advanced Technology Center. “This program will help assure that essential high accuracy navigation and timekeeping services are available to weapons platforms and military users while enabling warfighters to identify potential threats.”

In the first year, Rockwell Collins will develop the system’s algorithms. During the second and third years, the company will validate and refine the capability through lab testing and demonstrations.

VectorNav’s emphasis going forward is to provide a positioning solution in situations where GPS is unavailable due to jamming or other causes. “Inertial sensors are a critical part of the answer,” said Davis. “We are looking into a variety of other sensing systems that can be integrated besides GPS. We are also working on developing protocols for users to pipe in that additional information from other sensing systems such camera data, LiDAR data and others. Incorporating these other sensor technologies will enable us to provide position data regardless of the availability of GPS.” O For more information, contact TISR Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.tisr-kmi.com.

GPS Source Signal Distribution Equipment on Any ISR Platform

GPS Source, Inc. For more information visit www.gpssource.com TISR 2.6 | 23

The many challenges and the industry’s solutions to assist battlefield communication.

By Hank Hogan TISR Correspondent

FreeWave’s Spartan Series of wireless radios incorporates advanced implementation of FIPS 140-2 encryption technology for secure long-range communications in government and defense industries. [Photo courtesy of FreeWave Technologies]

The ARC-210 Gen5 includes crucial networking waveforms such as the soldier radio waveform to connect air and ground assets.

Future capabilities can be easily added through software updates.

[Photo courtesy of Rockwell Collins]

Quint Networking Technology is a small, powerful, spectrumefficient solution that enables network communications between ground and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets.

[Photo courtesy of Rockwell Collins]

24 | TISR 2.6

The old adage about a picture’s worth is being proved over and over again, thanks to the advent of high definition full motion video and the tactical data links that support its distribution. Before, such tasks as targeting a tunnel going into the side of a cliff might involve a description of landmarks, with some verbal back and forth to hone in on the right spot.

Now, warfighters on the ground can point a camera at the target and have what they see show up on the screen of an Apache attack helicopter, saving valuable time. That communication capability will increase in the future due to technological advances such as the incorporation of cell phone and FPGA technology, noted Lieutenant Colonel James Kennedy, product manager for the U.S. Army’s Common Systems Integration program.

www.TISR-kmi.com

“The trend is to move to a more efficient waveform that utilizes significantly less bandwidth while providing the same throughput in terms of information. The result should be an easing of the spectrum congestion,” he said.

Under development are waveforms that are spectrum agnostic and thus are not tied to a particular piece of electromagnetic real estate. This would allow units to tailor spectrum and data link needs to different operating environments.

The cost, size and power of tactical data links are shrinking, while throughput is headed up. However, smaller purchase quantities, as well as having to meet more stringent performance and environmental standards, are some of the reasons why this improvement trails that found in consumer electronics, Kennedy said.

Let’s Talk A key goal for today and tomorrow’s tactical data links is that various pieces play nicely together. This can be accomplished through compliance with interoperability profiles, or IOPs, said Robert Johnston, director of Army programs at defense prime contractor L-3 Communications of Systems-West of Salt Lake City, Utah. Thus, IOP compliant tactical data links on an Apache helicopter can talk to similarly compliant communication pods mounted on an A-10 Warthog aircraft.

“Predator, Gray Eagle, Global Hawk, Shadow UAVs—the list goes on and on and on that L-3 Communications provides data links to that are all interoperable and now jointly receive data,” Johnston said.

The company’s Rover 6 Transceiver and Soldier ISR Receiver are interoperable portable radios that enable sensor data from multiple airborne platforms to reach those on the ground who need the information. L-3’s Net-T tactical network product uses existing military radios, frequencies and waveforms in a hub and spoke architecture that allows broadband speed connections despite urban canyons and mountainous terrain.

Handheld interoperable encrypted receive-only devices are already part of the company’s product line. In about a year and a half, there will be a handheld transceiver that will feature Type 1 encryption transmission and reception, thereby further improving data integrity in a hostile environment. The new device www.TISR-kmi.com

out to be about 130 milliseconds. Thus, illustrates the general trend toward makwhat is seen is close to real time, an imporing products smaller, lighter, cheaper and tant attribute in any tactical situation. less power hungry.

Such products should be able to talk to one another, thanks to the Army’s Opening Things Up Interoperability Board of Directors. This consortium is made up of government Software programmable radios are entities and major industry players. It another innovation that offers some sigmandates that all boxes and data links nificant benefits for tactical data links, said meet certain profile stanRobert Kalebaugh, senior dards. That requirement director of business developensures interoperability, ment for ground combat trainas evidenced by L-3’s own ing and communications at products, Johnston said.

San Diego-based Cubic Defense Interoperability is Applications. present in more than the As the name implies, a softradios. It also can be found ware programmable radio can in the data itself, said Mike by dynamically reconfigured Kulinski, vice president of to handle different waveforms business development at without having to change Robert Kalebaugh Carlsbad, Calif.-based satelhardware. Cubic’s multiband lite and digital communi- robert.kalebaugh@cubic.com miniature transceiver platcations provider ViaSat. In form, for instance, can do so addition to the U.S. milifor frequencies from 225 MHz tary, ViaSat is also involved up to 15 GHz. This programin intelligence, reconnaismability means that radios sance and surveillance in can act as backups to one border monitoring projects another, allowing weight to for the European Union be cut. In one case, software and Turkey. In these applidefined radios allowed Cubic cations, video is generated to reduce the weight in a small by optical and infrared unmanned aerial vehicle by 20 systems, and there is also pounds, said Kalebaugh.

Lt. Col. James Kennedy other ISR sensor data. All He added that a software of it arrives in a configuradefined radio also helps keep tion that is easily handled missions running. In a configby systems designed to deal uration with two line-of-sight with data in an Internet and one beyond-line-of-sight Protocol, or IP, format. links, losing the latter can be “The video comes disastrous—unless one of the down as a MPEG2 transremaining links can quickly port stream. So everything take over the beyond-line-ofcomes down as IP, and then sight communication. With a it can be disseminated very software programmable radio, easily through your private the switchover can be done in Robert Johnston network,” Kulinski said. half a minute.

When dealing with this “Now you’re back up. video, the H.264 standard You’re fully mission capable and the compression it again. That’s the difference allows are important. That between bringing the bird enables ViaSat to squeeze home or keeping it on station,” good quality high definition Kalebaugh said. video into only three megaThere are some limitabits per second bandwidth, tions that arise from the Kulinski said. laws of physics, however. For For ISR applications, it instance, antennas have to be is important that latency be a wavelength-dependent size Mike Kulinski low. In the case of ViaSat’s in order to work. But as long products, this lag works as such requirements are met, mike.kulinski@viasat.com TISR 2.6 | 25

then any waveform already stored in the radio can be rapidly deployed.

Defense electronic and electro-optic systems manufacturer Elbit Systems of Netanya, Israel, also makes software programmable radios, such as its Tadiran SDR7200HH. It offers a narrowband tactical voice and data channel, as well as wideband channels for data from 30 to 512 MHz with multiple waveforms. To some degree, the software-defined approach future proofs products, since it allows them to implement more efficient features or algorithms as they are developed.

The company’s high data rate, longrange products intended for ISR with unmanned aerial systems are capable of handling an open architecture approach.

This is done through the use of the VIP X AVDM, a router that learns the network environment inside a vehicle and then connects all sources using IP. “It supplies the connectivity between the radios to the open architecture system,” said Avi Peleg, senior director of marketing.

Boulder, Colo.-based FreeWave Technologies makes radios used for command and control, said Jeff Allen, marketing manager for government and defense. It has products with an Ethernet interface, making them open architecture.

The company’s Spartan Series of products are the industry’s first long-range wireless radio solutions incorporating advanced encryption and meeting FIPS 140-2 Level 2 technology for secure command and control, according to Allen. FreeWave Technologies also has come up with an add-on that can be retrofitted to products in the field for the 225-400 MHz, 1.3 GHz and 2.4 GHz bands. This solution has attributes that make it attractive to small unmanned aerial vehicles.

“In UAVs, size and weight is everything.

The module that we designed is in the grams, just less than 67 grams for the total solution,” Allen said.

Sidestepping Jamming FreeWave’s products offer some jamming protection through the use of frequency hopping. Typically, this will entail shifting the signal between 112 frequencies, with the cycling period set by the end user.

In the case of the U.S. Navy, the cycling period depends upon mission function but is preset, noted Bob Spink, tactical data 26 | TISR 2.6

links branch head of the San Diego-based Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific. Certain time slots, for instance, may be allocated to ships while others are given to aircraft.

The time slot allocation may be static or dynamic, with the latter technology improving bandwidth use efficiency. Pre- A Rover 6 Transceiver and Soldier ISR Receiver deployed and in operation. [Photo courtesy of L-3] senting a moving electromagnetic target actions, said Lizy Paul, principal marketing also can help not only with jamming but manager for advance communication prodalso when dealing with spoofing, in which ucts in the government systems division. an adversary attempts to deceive a system.

For instance, the company’s MicroGRAM, a “Hardware-based Link 16 frequency postage-stamp-sized chipset, provides GPS hopping has aided in anti-jamming and capability in a package that guards against anti-spoofing efforts to the point where electromagnetic jamming and spoofing burn-through via the high-powered ampliwhile also protecting against tampering. fier is rarely needed,” Spink said.

Before the release of the chipset, data Getting data through is important links and other gear often would employ because tactical data links help deliver commercial chips in their GPS solution. critical C4ISR information, he added. That That made the devices less secure and provides the needed common operational less well suited to the sometimes harsh tactical picture and over-the-horizon targetenvironment military products have to ing data that Navy fleets need. contend with.

An approach just now being deployed The company has software defined

by Silvus Technologies of Los Angeles could radios, such as its ARC-210, and software provide a different way to tackle the jamcommunications architecture designs, ming problem. It also promises to help meet which can make it possible to more easily requirements for data rates and bandwidth implement future jamming, spoofing and demanded by high definition video, syntamper mitigation strategies. thetic aperture radar and other sensors.

Technology can also help ease spectrum The company has a multiple input, congestion. For instance, Rockwell Collins’ multiple output (MIMO) antenna technolQNT-200 radio only uses spectrum when ogy. The latest in its series of StreamCaster needed and releases it otherwise. The probradios, the SC3800 offers triple the data lem of having two radios trying to talk at rate, 2.5 times the range, and a tenth the once is minimized through complex collitransmit power of a single antenna radio, sion avoidance algorithms, Paul said. said director of technology development Such technologies can be combined Abhishek Tiwari. with network management tools and autoThe multiple antennas make it posmated intelligent network control and sible to create constructive and destructive coordination. The goal is to turn the now interference between the different outputs. somewhat cumbersome tactical data link Consequently, instead of expanding out like communication configuration and operaripples from a pebble dropped in water, the tion process into a simple one that people RF energy aims toward specific directions are familiar with. and away from others.

As Paul said, “We want it to be as easy as “We can create beam nulls. We can steer using a cellphone.” O them in the directions of jammers. We have demonstrated up to 25 dB of suppression for For more information, contact Editor wideband jammers,” Tiwari said.

Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or Rockwell Collins of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, search our online archives for related stories has its own solutions to combat hostile at www.tisr-kmi.com. www.TISR-kmi.com

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Digital Results Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C4 www.drgisr.com FLIR Systems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 www.flir.com/gs GPS Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 www.gpssource.com GPS Source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 www.gpssource.com MetaVR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 www.metavr.com Selex Galileo Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C3 www.selexgalileo.com UTC Aerospace Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C2 www.utcaerospacesystems.com

February 12-14, 2013 AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems Program Review Tysons Corner, Va. www.auvsi.org/uspr

April 10-14, 2013 AAAA Annual Professional Forum & Exposition Fort Worth, Texas www.quad-a.org

February 25-27, 2013 Military Radar Summit Washington, D.C. www.militaryradarsummit.com

April 17-18, 2013 Spring Intelligence Symposium Washington, D.C. www.afcea.org

NEXTIssue

February 2013 Volume 3, Issue 1

Cover and In-Depth Interview with:

Maj. Gen. Stephen G. Fogarty Commander Army Intelligence and Security Command FEATURES Synchronizing ISR Operations

The challenges encountered in orchestrating a range of ISR platforms in an ever-changing battlespace.

Automating Intelligence

The terabytes of data collected today is overwhelming to human analysts. Sifting through this information via supercomputer makes for a more efficient process.

STUAS

Small tactical unmanned aircraft systems are a nascent intelligence and reconnaissance source for the armed services.

Ground Penetrating Radar

Imaging the subsurface is no longer left to archaeologists and dinosaur hunters. This advancing technology is a crucial tool in discovering mines and IEDs.

SPECIAL SECTION

Force Protection ISR

Protecting our troops in remote bases requires a special breed of ISR platforms.

Insertion Order Deadline: January 28, 2013 • Ad Materials Deadline: February 4, 2013 www.TISR-kmi.com

TISR 2.6 | 27

INDUSTRY INTERVIEW

Tactical ISR Technology

Robert R. Horton Chief Executive Officer GPS Source Inc. Robert R. Horton is the chief executive officer of GPS Source Inc. Horton comes to GPS Source with over 18 years experience in the wireless communications and GPS industries. He received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Arkansas and an M.S. in digital communications theory from North Carolina State University. Horton enjoyed over 10 years of service in the USAF and ANG. He currently holds 11 U.S. patents and has two patents pending. Horton has been instrumental in leading GPS Source in the design and airworthiness approval of permanent and mission kit GPS retransmission systems for the C-17 and all variants of the C-130 and many other DoD aircraft. These systems allow carryon military and commercial GPS receivers, including JPADS GPS guidance units, to receive satellite signals inside the aircraft.

GPS receivers experience no loss in signal coverage as they deploy from the aircraft.

Q: What types of products and services is GPS Source offering defense customers?

A: GPS Source offers a full line of GPS signal distribution equipment targeted at moving the GPS, Galileo, and GLONASS signals from an antenna to a peripheral device. We are recognized as industry leaders in GPS retransmission and providing robust RF signal distribution solutions to system integrators.

We’ve grown our line of MIL SPEC qualified RF splitters and now offer two, four and eight output units capable of supporting the integration of multiple GPS-enabled sensors and devices onto military aircraft and ground vehicle platforms. Our GPS retransmission solutions are providing a tool for rapid implementation of new and evolving intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technology to the aircraft and ground vehicles platforms.

This is also exemplified by our new GLI-FLO GPS Hub, supporting an efficient integration architecture for secure GPS. Q: What are some of the most significant programs GPS Source is currently supporting?

28 | TISR 2.6

A: GPS Source’s wide range of GPS signal distribution solutions support multiple domestic international ground vehicle and aircraft programs. Most notably, our GLI-ECHO II retransmission technology is supporting the “soldier as a sensor” concept, enabling the use of moving map technology at the squad and soldier level with the U.S. Army’s Nett Warrior Program. Each M-ATV, MRAP and Stryker is outfitted with the GLI-ECHO II enabling GPS devices, such as the Rifleman Radio and Nett Warrior ensemble while mounted, providing an unprecedented level of tactical information and communication at the squad level. In addition, GPS Source products enable ISR equipment on the P-8, JLTV and other new platforms.

Q: Where is GPS Source headed with technology and solutions?

A: GPS Source is naturally progressing our products and technology up the value chain within C4ISR market. Our new products and solutions for the military are focused on enhancing GPS capabilities and making it easier for the consumer to manage the GPS signal. At the same time, our objective is to ensure GPS derived position, velocity, navigation and timing [PVNT] data that is resilient and resistant to loss of service due to momentary blockage or denial of service attack. This ensures resilient PVNT data service to the various C4ISR systems on the platform. This is exemplified by our new GLI-FLO GPS Hub product, which incorporates the GB-GRAM GPS receiver, allowing a reliable single point of GPS

data distribution within the vehicle. As new technologies or peripheral devices are brought to the platform, a secure means to distribute a military standard GPS message format is available. More and more devices are incorporating the GPS signals to efficiently accomplish their mission, it is GPS Source’s desire to continue promoting this path and ensuring integrators or ISR and C4 platforms can have access to secure GPS information.

At the same time, the current political and economic landscape is requiring us to become more efficient. We have to remain lean and flexible in everything we do. Thankfully, GPS Source has a great group of engineers who understand how quickly the market changes and are very resourceful when addressing these challenges. Everyone is open to new ideas on how to make things smaller, lighter, more energy efficient, realizing a reduced total fielding package cost to the government.

Being a veteran-owned business makes us even more cognizant of the soldier and his safety and what we can do to make things easier for him or her.

Q: What is the future of GPS Source products?

A: The core of GPS Source products is efficiently distributing GPS signals from point A to B, enabling the ever-growing number of communications, control and ISR equipment supporting our warfighters. As a veteran-owned small business, we have the unique opportunity to collaborate closely with our customers and partners to address technology gaps. New products like the GLI-FLO “GPS Hub” are specifically targeted at our customer’s technology gaps.

GPS Source is able to work in concert with our customers, identify gaps and move in strategic directions to develop solutions conducive to their needs. GPS Source will continue to add capability to our existing line of GPS signal distribution equipment, smartly merging capabilities to produce cost effective products. O www.TISR-kmi.com

Giving you the tactical advantage you need.

Whatever your mission, our range of UAS, sensors and mission systems expertise provide responsive, persistent real-time situational awareness, disseminating intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance giving you the tactical advantage you need.

Always adapting to your ISR needs. We build your strength from within. selexgalileo.com

The Next Generation of Multi-INT PED for

Platforms, Ground Stations & Ops Centers DRG is expanding its deployment of Ageon ISR in support of an even bolder mission – moving multi-INT data from the tactical edge to the global defense and intelligence community. Deployed as a compact 1u appliance or virtual machine, Ageon ISR scales easily from a single site to an enterprise-wide architecture. Strong emphasis on standards and interoperability make Ageon ISR quick to deploy and easy to modify.

Multi-INT Sensor Processing, Exploitation & Dissemination

Real-Time Federation Across the Network

FMV

GMTI

Observations/Tags

Cross-Domain Security Support

WAMI

SIGACTS

Annotations

SIGINT

UGS

Chat Dialog

Intelligence DIB / DCGS Interoperability

Currently Fielded /

Surveillance Reconnaissance Classifi ed Networks

DoD, NATO & MISB Compliant

A i rb orn e Wo r k s t a t i o n I G ro u n d S t at i o ns I Op erat i o ns Cent ers I I S R Ed g e So l ut ions

Call or email today to discuss how Ageon ISR can support your mission.

Stephen St. Mary I 617-517-3210 I sstmary@drgISR.com

Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance

Demonstrations and range evaluations available for qualified inquires.

www.drgISR.com