Actionable Intelligence for the Warfighter
SPECIAL SECTION
Air Force ISR at Red Flag
UAS Supervisor Col. Tim Baxter Project Manager Unmanned Aircraft Systems U.S. Army
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August 2013
Volume 3, Issue 2
Air Force ISR at Red Flag Exclusive Interview with:
Lt. Gen. Robert P. “Bob” Otto
Tactical UAVs O Automating Intelligence Securing Situational Awareness Data O Ground Penetrating Radar
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Unmanned Systems UAS Training
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sensors and electronics FMV Bandwidth
sensors and electronics Multi-Spectral Imaging
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TACTICAL ISR TECHNOLOGY
August 2013 Volume 3, Issue 2
Features
Cover / Q&A Red Flag 13-3: An Exercise in Intelligence Lt. Gen. Robert P. “Bob” Otto discusses the Air Force ISR Agency’s integral role at Red Flag 13-3 in this exclusive interview.
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Ground Penetrating Radar
Securing Situational Awareness Data
Automating Intelligence
An Unfair Advantage
Both the U.S. Army Research Development and Engineering Command and the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization work to detect IEDs through the use of ground penetrating radar systems. This breathes life into efforts to enhance what was once a civilian technology. By Peter Buxbaum
Departments
The pivot to the Pacific brings with it the prospect of operating under the watchful gaze of some of the world’s most sophisticated militaries. Our reliance on intelligence streams calls their security into question. In this feature, seven industry leaders discuss how to best protect the collection and dissemination of situational awareness data.
2 Editor’s Perspective 3 ALL INT/People 14 ISR KIT 27 Resource Center
The terabytes of data collected today are overwhelming to human analysts and are leading to a greater reliance on automated intelligence systems. The distributed common ground system is one example of a modern ISR system employing limited automation. By Henry Canaday
Smaller tactical UAVs offer the grunts on the ground a reliable and readily deployable ISR asset, minus the logistics necessary to launch much larger UAVs. Tactical UAVs are flexible platforms that augment situational awareness data for deployed servicemembers. By Adam Baddeley
Industry Interview Ellen Lord
President and CEO Textron Systems
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Colonel Tim Baxter
Project Manager Unmanned Aircraft Systems U.S. Army
“These are exciting times to be involved in unmanned aircraft systems. Technology and employment of UAS has matured significantly over the last 10 years. One can only imagine where technology will take us over the next 10 years.” - Colonel Tim Baxter
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
Tactical ISR Technology Volume 3, Issue 2 • August 2013
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 Copy Editors Sean Carmichael seanc@kmimediagroup.com Laural Hobbes lauralh@kmimediagroup.com Correspondents Adam Baddeley • Peter Buxbaum Henry Canaday
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Much has been said of the legion of tech-savvy young people brought into the national security establishment during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden are the most highprofile faces of this generation. Talking heads constantly remark on the political tendencies and characteristics of young tech-savvy intelligence analysts who might pose a threat similar to Manning and Snowden. However, media figures only scratch the surface of the culture of this group of young people. As a 29-year-old ISR editor, I think a more nuanced profile of this generation of intelligence Chris McCoy analysts would elevate the quality of discourse. Editor Our generation inherited much of the culture of the Generation X-ers before us. Our older siblings and cousins had introduced us to the grunge music scene and anti-establishment politics. We grew up in the Wild West days of the Internet, when things were free and open. Peer-to-peer illegal file sharing programs like Napster, Morpheus and others had their hey-day then. Viruses had just conquered the world of email. This was before the advance of the large social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. Many of us had our own websites built around our own interests like bands like Nirvana or Alice in Chains. Some of us had even experimented with creating malware. Those who stuck with computers advanced their skills. A few ended up in the hacking and the antisecrecy groups of today, like Anonymous and Wikileaks. A much larger number of people sympathized with them. It was Napoleon who once said that if you want to understand a man, look at the world as it was when he was 20. Most of the young intelligence analysts of this era were about that age during the terrorist attacks of 9/11. They have a memory of the world before then and they see how the world has changed. Many of them would like to go back to the world they still remember. Feel free to send me any questions or comments for Tactical ISR Technology.
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ALL INT NAVAIR Awards New Persistent Surveillance Contract Raytheon Company was awarded a contract with the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to build an integrated multi-INT system to safeguard forward deployed forces. The Persistent Surveillance System Cross Domain Solution (PSS CDS) gives warfighters an advantage by providing a complete picture of impending threats, from both classified and unclassified sources. The contract was awarded in Raytheon’s second quarter of 2013. “The PSS CDS is a proven solution and one that offers protection to our warfighters in hostile, remote environments by granting them real-time access to secure, multidomain intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data,” said Mark Kipphut, tactical intelligence systems director for Raytheon’s Intelligence, Information and Services business. “What makes this system unique is its gamechanging capability to quickly share data between classified and unclassified environments.” The PSS CDS, a software package small enough to mount onboard an aircraft, transfers sensor data, high-definition surveillance video, and traditional and nontraditional ISR imagery, as well as situational awareness data, to give warfighters a complete picture of impending local threats, including an improvised explosive device or a group of insurgents. Additionally, the system protects U.S. forces by gathering intelligence from hundreds of miles away using sensors on aerostats, towers and unmanned aerial vehicles, allowing warfighters to make confident and informed decisions in real time.
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Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Navy Receives First Newly Upgraded MQ-8 Fire Scout The U.S. Navy got its first look at the upgraded MQ-8 Fire Scout unmanned system when Northrop Grumman Corporation delivered its first MQ-8C system in July. Northrop Grumman is the Navy’s prime contractor for the MQ-8 Fire Scout program of record. The company delivered the first MQ-8C aircraft to the Navy in early July in preparation for ground and flight testing. “The endurance upgrade doubles the time on station of the MQ-8 system and will help reduce the workload for the ship’s crew by cutting the number of times the crew will need to be in flight quarters,” said George Vardoulakis, vice president, medium range tactical systems for Northrop Grumman. “Ground and flight testing are the next steps in meeting the urgent requirement for maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Testing on the Naval Air Systems Command test range provides us with extended air space to conduct and demonstrate long endurance and systems testing in a maritime environment.”
The upcoming tests will be used to validate and mature the upgraded MQ-8 system for operational use. Initial ground testing will ensure that the systems work properly and communicate with the ground control station prior to conducting first flight. The MQ-8 system with the upgraded MQ-8C aircraft will share proven software, avionics, payloads and ship ancillary equipment with the MQ-8B aircraft. The upgraded Fire Scout responds to an urgent need to provide the Navy with increased endurance, range and payload. Using a modified commercially available airframe, the upgraded MQ-8 system can provide commanders with three times the payload and double the endurance at extended ranges compared to the current MQ-8B variant. The MQ-8B aircraft currently operates on Navy frigates and in Afghanistan, where it provides intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to maritime and ground commanders. The first deployment of the upgraded MQ-8 system with the MQ-8C Fire Scout aircraft will be in 2014.
PEOPLE
Lt. Gen. Hyten
Air Force Lieutenant General John E. Hyten has been nominated for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment
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as commander, 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Air Force Space Command, and commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Space, U.S. Strategic Command, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Hyten is currently serving as vice commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Air Force Lieutenant General Susan J. Helms has been nominated for appointment
to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as vice commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Helms is currently serving as commander, 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic-Space), Air Force Space Command, and commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Space, U.S. Strategic Command, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
TISR 3.2 | 3
SPECIAL SECTION
Red Flag 13-3:
An Exercise in Intelligence
Lieutenant General Robert P. “Bob” Otto discusses the Air Force ISR Agency’s integral role at Red Flag 13-3.
Nev., contributed the Air For the first time ever, Force ISR Agency’s intethe Air Force Intelligence, gral role in this exercise. Surveillance and ReconnaisRed Flag exercises sance Agency was fully inteoriginated from the grated into Red Flag, the Air unsatisfactory perforForce’s premier aerial warfare mance of U.S. Air Force exercise. Red Flag 13-3 was pilots operating over conducted on the 2.9 millionNorth Vietnam during acre Nevada Test and Training the Vietnam War. One Range north of Las Vegas and Lt. Gen. Robert P. conclusion drawn from took place from February 25, “Bob” Otto their performance was 2013 to March 15, 2013. Red that a pilot’s survival in combat sorties Flag 13-3 encompassed a wide array of was considerably higher after experiencing Air Force platforms, including but not 10 such sorties. As a result of this insight, limited to F22s, F-16s, F15s, A-10s and Red Flag training exercises were created to other allied aircraft. The 526th Intellisimulate a pilot’s first 10 combat sorties. gence Squadron at Nellis Air Force Base, 4 | TISR 3.2
Discussing the Air Force ISR Agency’s key role in Red Flag 13-3 is the agency’s then commander Lt. General Robert P. “Bob” Otto. Lt. General Otto has since become the Deputy Chief of Staff for ISR, Headquarters U.S.A.F. Otto was 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. www.TISR-kmi.com
Q: Could you tell me how training in the field like Red Flag helps today’s airman? A: Absolutely, and I am going to speak of this from an ISR standpoint. Our ISR airmen have been working in counterintelligence missions really for the last 12 years. And I would say that they are exquisite in what they do, but we’ve all been in the counterinsurgency fight. That has not allowed us the opportunity to challenge ourselves with how we would provide the best ISR in a contested environment. And my perspective is that ISR is absolutely critical to the United States being able to impose its will on a potential adversary. There are really two pieces to that. One is to understand the battlespace, because the better we understand the battlespace the less risk the aircrew will entertain. Also, the better we understand the battlespace, the more effective we are across the spectrum of conflict. The second element of that—of why I believe ISR is critical to this imposing of our will—is because of ISR’s role in targeting. Ultimately, it becomes a targeting equation. We can target something if we can get good coordinates for it. We’ve proven certainly over the past two decades that we can hit things. And we’ve got exquisite platforms that can deliver kinetic effects. But the reality is, when [you] think of ISR, you can’t just think of the platform. Imagine a five-piece band, but they are all playing different songs at the same time. There would be tremendous dissonance there. ISR to me is the platform and the sensor and the analysis and the compass and the data storage retrieval. It is only the intersection of those five things, when they are in unison—like a five-piece band playing the same song at the same time with good musicians—that’s when we are delivering ISR capability. That’s when we’re really making music. We need to exercise all five pieces. Although we may have exquisite platforms, and we’ve used platforms in Red Flag before, what we haven’t been able to do is to exercise all five of these pieces. That is what we are doing here at Red Flag 13-3 for the first time. And we’re just excited to have the opportunity to take these ISR airmen, who are used to doing analysis on counterinsurgency, and flex their muscles in a contested environment. www.TISR-kmi.com
I like to think of it like this: When fighter pilots came to Red Flag—they talked about it as their first 10 sorties—they realized if we can get them to that maturity their likelihood of thriving in conflict was much higher. That is what we seek for our ISR professionals. We want to get them the equivalent of their first 10 sorties in a contested environment in order to exercise their ISR skills. What we found in Korea and Vietnam was we had a much higher loss rate of pilots in combat very early on in their time in combat. And then as they got through their first 10 sorties they had a high likelihood of surviving. Why is that? Well, it is because they gained the experience that was necessary in order to be proficient in combat. That is what we are seeking for our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance professionals. Not that they are physically at risk, but we want them to have the competence equivalent to say, a fighter guy whose had his first 10 sorties in combat. We want them to start the war at a run instead of having to walk and trot and work their way to a run. Q: What led to the Air Force ISR Agency playing such a pivotal role this year at Red Flag? A: Frankly, it was my perception that our ISR skills, for a contested environment, had atrophied because we have not had the opportunity to train and exercise against that type of environment. Moreover, the president is talking about a pivot to the Pacific. Well, that environment will be very different than the counterinsurgency fights. We need to ensure that we are not just training our fighter force for that; we also need to train the ISR airmen that will be integral to success. Q: Could you elaborate on some of types of threats involved in a pivot to the Pacific? A: In a contested type of environment, we are looking at an integrated air defense system that we expect to face. That will make it a hostile environment [in which] to operate initially. It is a much higher threat than a counterinsurgency fight. If we are talking about mobile systems, integrated air defenses, tactical ballistic missiles, those sorts of things are difficult to fly through in order to target what we need to target. And
that is why I say that we need to understand that battlespace. It is kind of job one. What ISR will do is produce an understanding of the battlespace, so that we can do the types of targeting that we need to do, so we can gain and maintain air superiority. We have been flying 12 years in Afghanistan and no one’s given a thought to air superiority. Why? Because the Taliban don’t have integrated air defenses, surface to air missiles and mobile missiles. We don’t expect that to be the case if we end up against an advanced adversary. Q: Do you see the AF ISR Agency playing a greater role with the pivot to the Pacific? That is, more so than we see now with the drawdown in Afghanistan? A: I believe that we will be supporting operations across the spectrum. There will still be a fundamental requirement to support counterterrorism operations and some of the same sorts of missions that we are supporting today with predators and reapers, MC-12s and those types of airframes. We are also building a pattern of life that then facilitates action by special forces or other operations. But beyond that I think that there will be the expectation that the Air Force is prepared to operate against contested and degraded situations and that requires exercise and work. Q: Could you tell us little bit about any specific exercises or missions being carried out during Red Flag 13-3? A: I can tell you broadly that the missions involve integrated air defenses and tactical ballistic missiles against an Air Force that is very credible with near-peer type adversaries. And within that, what we need to do from an ISR standpoint is be able to do broad and directed searches. We need to do cross-domain integration. Meaning using space for some of our ISR, using aircraft or other databases that we have resident, and we need to integrate that information, then turn that data into intelligence that allows the aircraft execute a strike. We need to do pre-strike and post-strike imagery and we need to do time-sensitive targeting. If you think about mobile missiles, that is a challenging target because it is on the move. It is changing its location rapidly and that requires a very tight decision cycle. TISR 3.2 | 5
SPECIAL SECTION Altogether, from discovery to confirmation to dissemination of the analysis, we are seeking to do it in a very tight timeline with existing airborne assets. That is high-end stuff that requires practice and integration, not just for the aircraft but also for the analysts and the air operations center. We are able to exercise all of those pieces here at Red Flag 13-3. Q: Could you tell us anything about the types of platforms that are being tested here today? A: In terms of the types of airplanes that are participating, we have Rivet Joints and E-3s. We have MC-12s, the Predators and the Reapers, that kind of thing, on the ISR side. And then there is the normal range of conventional fighters that you would expect to see. Q: Are you integrating the ISR with allies and synchronizing intelligence data? A: We are. We do some work with the U.K. and they are actually out here at this Red Flag and they are also working as a coalition partner with us for what work we are doing in Afghanistan. They are a very good partner and they are doing some of the analysis and exploitation. Q: I think you touched on this once before, the ISR concept of cross-queuing. Could you explain that for our readers? A: Sure, absolutely. What we typically find is that some assets will be able to pick up, perhaps though signals intelligence or electronic intelligence, that there is a target that we want to be able to destroy. And then we need confirmation because there could be confusion as to what the target is. So we then can use direction finding to locate that target and then put one of our U-2s or Global Hawks that are flying in this exercise over it. Then we have them take a picture of it and then we can send that picture on a satellite communications link to one of our expert analysts, who can look at that picture and say: “Yes, that is this type of target … It’s at this location.” Then we can get that information to an asset that can destroy it. The cross-queue is between two different platforms, perhaps one that is doing signals intelligence and the other that is 6 | TISR 3.2
Then Maj. Gen. Robert Otto speaks to media about the agency’s participation in the Red Flag 13-3 exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. ISR warriors from the agency’s 526th Intelligence Squadron at Nellis, along with more than two dozen ISR airmen from across the agency, brought real-time ISR capabilities for the first time ever to the Air Force’s premier aerial warfare exercise. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force/by Maj. Christian P. Hodge]
doing electro-optical intelligence, that is, essentially taking pictures. That would be an example of a cross-queue. Q: The U-2 has a pretty interesting history. Do you see it playing an active role in the Pacific region for future intelligence gathering? A: The U-2 has a distinguished history and we have continued to modernize it. It has the avionics suite and has the sensors that it needs to be able to operate for many more years. We are using it today in the Pacific. It has been maintaining vigilance on the Korean peninsula for a long number of years and it still has tremendous value to us. Q: We’ve discussed a lot here today. Is there anything else you’d like to add about Red Flag? A: I think I want to underscore that this— maybe a historic moment might be a little too strong—but this is an important moment for the Air Force ISR Agency. Specifically, to have some of our intelligence experts participating here at Fort Nellis. This is the best exercise opportunity that I’m aware of in the world. To have
our analysts here able to exercise their trade and also understand the problems of the rest of the forces is just an incredible opportunity. I cannot even express how much work it was to set up essentially a Distributed Common Ground System node here. And we have a squadron—the 526th intelligence squadron—that has been integral to making this a success. It’s a relatively new squadron that we stood up with the understanding that we wanted to create a more permanent presence for intelligence at Fort Nellis. Our initial goal was to create a RedFlag-like experience for our intelligence experts. Then we’d see the potential in the future to do some operational tests and evaluation, and tactics, techniques and procedures development. Those can gain synergy with what already exists here at Fort Nellis. The 526th squadron is very new but it has done an extraordinary job providing this opportunity for us. 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.
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Detecting the devil below. By Peter Buxbaum TISR Correspondent When United States forces entered Afghanistan, and later, Iraq, they faced a threat environment different than anything they had encountered before. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), buried in shallow pits under roadways or on trails, became the weapons of choice against coalition convoys and dismounted troops of an enemy that worked in very small groups. To counter this threat, DoD entities such as the U.S. Army Research Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), joined by the newly-born Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), set out to acquire, test and field technologies that can detect IEDs. One technology that the U.S. military has successfully acquired and deployed has been ground penetrating radar (GPR). GPR was originally developed for civilian applications such as road engineering and archeology, which did not require real-time returns of data. Over the years, and in part with funding from the DoD, GPR has advanced to provide real-time information on what lurks below the surface as well as higher-fidelity signals and more www.TISR-kmi.com
user-friendly displays. Companies with GPR technologies continue to make advances to allow for faster processing of data and greater ease of use. The military necessity for real-time information is the key requirement that differentiates modern GPR from its ancestors. Older GPR sensors would collect data that would then be brought to a lab or an office for an expert to analyze. “For route clearance in an area of military operations, you want to be able to use data in real time by a trained solider on the ground and not have to wait for a GPR expert to get involved,” explained John Pye, corporate vice president of technology development at Exponent, an engineering company. “The data is used in real time by a trained soldier on the ground who can quickly determine where a buried IED is placed,” said David Small, a JIEDDO spokesperson. “GPR used for this application has been an effective detection system.” GPR uses ultra-wide band radar frequencies to detect objects under the ground’s surface. This helps resolve the distortion that TISR 3.2 | 7
would otherwise occur when radar penetrates the ground with frequencies that easily pass through the air. The ultra-wide band frequencies penetrate the surface with multiple frequencies from high to low. The lower frequencies help penetrate the dirt, while the higher frequencies achieve greater resolution. “A GPR-based detection system consists of two main software-related components: algorithmic data processing and a graphical user interface,” explained the countermine branch chief for RDECOM. “The detection algorithms reduce the operator workload and support the system’s realtime capability. The graphical user interface provides audible and visual cues to aid the operator in making the ultimate decision.” “Air is fairly friendly to radar,” said Paul Fowler, vice president of sales and marketing at Geophysical SurA U.S. Army Specialist prepares his Husky Mounted Detection System for a route clearance mission. He is one of the two husky drivers and vey Systems Inc. (GSSI). “Radar will ground penetrating radar operators that help to lead a platoon in finding and identifying improvised explosive devices. [Photo courtesy of U.S. not travel through saline or brackish Army/by Jessica Jackson] water very well. Other materials such “A well-trained Minehound operator has proven himself to be a as clay or granite exhibit different properties. The GPR pulse of force multiplier because of the tool’s proven effectiveness in detectradio frequency energy as it transmits through some medium, in ing buried IEDs on foot patrol,” said Small. “JIEDDO this case the earth, is affected by the medium it is has received positive feedback from deployed units going through. When there is some change in the with Minehound experience during pre-deployment electrical properties of the medium, for example training, hence JIEDDO’s initiative to outfit training from dirt to air, you get a reflection back which is centers with Minehound to prepare for operating in received by the antenna.” GSSI makes GPRs that an IED environment.” The Minehound contains an specialize in such applications as tunnel detection internal processor to analyze the data collected by and search and rescue. the sensor and provides the appropriate feedback to One reason that the advent of improvised the operator. explosives spurred the acquisition of new detection Today, the Marine Corps holds the program of technologies is that many IEDs have low metallic record for Minehound. “It is an enduring acquisicontent, rendering metal detection sensors less Paul Fowler tion program funded through the service’s annual valuable. “The Marine Corps pursued GPR technolbudget,” said Small, “as the Marine Corps intends to ogy through an urgent requirement to fill a caparetain this tool after Afghanistan winds down.” bility gap in the detection of low metallic signature “The HMDS is mounted on the Husky Mine improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan,” said Detection Vehicle for use by route clearance platoons Joe Klocek, a product manager in the combat supfor mounted operations,” said Klocek. “The HMDS port systems program of the Marine Corps Systems has increased the effectiveness of the route clearCommand. “GPR provides a technologically mature ance platoons due to its ability to locate non-metallic sensor that is capable of locating explosive threats explosive hazards.” which have little to no metallic content, with a The HMDS used by the Marine Corps, produced high probability of detection and low false alarm by Non-Intrusive Inspection Technology Incorporates.” rated (NIITEK) of Dulles, Va., uses a proprietary comJIEDDO has deployed GPR detection sysJuan Navarro puter to collect the data from the sensors, runs the tems for vehicles, for warfighters on foot patrols, detection algorithms and then provides feedback to and on both manned and unmanned aircraft. the operator. The NIITEK technology differs from some other GPRs Marine combat engineers and explosive ordnance disposal in that it was originally developed for military and not commercial technicians use handheld Vallon VMR2 Minehound detection purposes, noted Juan Navarro, the company’s president. “This techsystems on dismounted missions while the Husky nology was developed back in the 1950s by Gunther Wichmann [a Mounted Detection System (HMDS) is used to conduct mobile NIITEK co-founder], to look for mines and unexploded ordnance.” operations. 8 | TISR 3.2
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technologies that provide quicker responses and cleaner signals The original technology was purely analog and was displayed and which filter out unwanted noise.” on an oscilloscope. The system has transitioned to digital tech“There is still fairly significant room for improvement on the nology thanks to funding from DoD. “The difference between the development side,” said Pye. “The holy grail is to have a kind of analog and digital systems,” said Navarro, “is like the difference X-ray machine that can see underneath the ground and return between black and white TV and high-def. The fidelity of the sig3-D images. That is not yet the state of the technology.” nal and the image have all evolved to take advantage of new signal It is also possible for the technology to be made easier to use acquisition and processing technologies. At the same time, the by operators, according to Fowler. “As it stands now, the radar software used to run the system had to change.” interacts with some object underneath the ground,” he said, Even as recently as the early 1990s, the radar return was rep“and it is up to the operator to interpret whether that object resented as a blip on a screen signifying that there was something represents a threat, much the way a physician would interpret an different in the ground. The equipment was bulky and did not ultrasound.” operate in real time. Since that time, improvements have been Making GPR more user-friendly could involve making the made to the processing algorithms, to the user interface, and to GPR itself more intelligent so that it could discern the presentation to the user of any potential threats threats and then merely communicate that to the that have been identified. user with beeps, buzzers or flashing lights. “Recent “[In] the early days, the system provided a fairly advances in computing and cost reductions for simplistic view of images,” said Navarro. “We’ve memory now make this a possibility,” said Fowler. done a lot of human factors analysis for the curOther improvements that Navarro foresees rent environment so the image the operator sees include the speed of the GPR scanning, the fidelity is much more representative of the target and it is of the GPR signals and signatures, and the facilitadisplayed in three dimensions.” tion of remote visualization. “It would be beneficial Several hundred NIITEK GPR systems have if other folks in other vehicles in a road clearance been deployed with U.S. forces in the current theoperation could view the GPR data as well. This is ater of operations. NIITEK has also sold its units Thomas Örnevik an enhancement that we will soon be rolling out.” to the Canadian, Australian, Spanish and Italian Thomas Örnevik, managing director of militaries. 3D-Radar, detects interest among GPR users in vehicle-mounted Another competitive, Husky-mounted GPR was provided off-road capabilities. This would require a company to mount a to the U.S. Army by a partnership of Exponent, an engineering GPR unit on a smaller vehicle and to solve the problem of how firm headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., and 3D-Radar, a technolto deliver a consistent signal into the ground while the unit is ogy company based in Norway. The U.S. Army’s Rapid Equipping traversing rough terrain. Force asked Exponent to come up with a counter-IED solution RDECOM is working on just such a project. “Research and and Exponent brought 3D-Radar into the picture. “The first step development continues to improve capabilities and reduce limiwas to add software and processing around the system to add a tations of GPR technologies,” said the RDECOM countermine real-time capability to the GPR,” said Pye. “3D-Radar also had to branch chief. “Programs continue to integrate several forms of reengineer its antenna so that it could clear a road lane at one GPR technologies onto tactical vehicles as well as smaller vehicles time. We have continued to make improvements all the way along supporting dismounted operations.” since then.” 3D-Radar and Exponent are now working on combining other 3D-Radar produces the antenna and controller and provides sensors with GPS to provide better information to operators. the raw GPR signal data. Exponent provides the software that “One approach we are taking is to combine the GPS sensor with interprets the data and acts as the integrator that puts the packa metal detector and camera on the sensor head,” said Örnevik. age onto the vehicle and supports it downrange. The 3D-Radar “With a camera, the operator has a view of the surface just below system rapidly sends narrow slices of the frequency spectrum the antenna. The disturbance of the top soil combined with a into the ground, allowing for a clearer picture to be generated. radar indication of something below the surface gives the opera3D-Radar can build systems of various widths to accommodate tor a clear indication of a potential threat buried there.” diverse needs in increments of 15 centimeters. As for GPR’s military users, “The Marine Corps expects future 3D-Radar recently updated its system with a new set of antenGPR sensors to have increased detection range, increased pronas that improves the signal-to-noise ratio being captured form cessing speed, decreased weight and decreased power consumpthe GPR. It is also equipped with a dual-channel receiver, which tion requirements,” said Klocek. makes signal capture and interpretation faster. “These are order“JIEDDO foresees the continued growth and development of-magnitude improvements,” said Pye, “not just in what the of its radar systems,” said Small. “The organization continues operator can see but also in clutter rejection and the false alarm to explore new sensors and exploitation methods to increase rate.” the ability to detect observables associated with emplaced IEDs. 3D and Exponent are now in the process of adapting their sysToday’s challenge is to make handhelds lighter, faster and easier tem to smaller vehicles. “There is interest in putting the system to use.” O on remote controlled and robotic vehicles,” said Pye. “It can be put on any vehicle moving through a high-threat area.” NIITEK continues research to provide higher fidelity for the For more information, contact Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related GPR signal return. According to Navarro, “Fidelity has a lot to do stories at www.tisr-kmi.com. with electronics and taking advantage of new signal acquisition www.TISR-kmi.com
TISR 3.2 | 9
Industry leaders discuss how to secure situational awareness data.
With the rebalancing of military forces to the Pacific and drawdown from Afghanistan, U.S. forces will be faced with a new set of challenges from technologically adept nations in a vast region. Moreover, U.S. servicemembers are becoming more and more reliant upon the collection and dissemination of ISR data streams. Tactical ISR Technology asked several large defense contractors to provide their insight on the following question concerning securing situational awareness data:
“
In a deployed environment with sophisticated militaries, what methods are there to best protect the collection and dissemination of situational awareness data?
“
Melissa Hildebrandt
Vice President, Ground Control Technologies AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Information streamlining and immediacy are two important factors in the collection and dissemination of situational awareness data. Currently, warfighters and decision-makers have access to useful, but often disparate, sources for sensor data, fullmotion video feeds and other situational awareness information. Coupled with additional sources for intelligence and analysis information, this results in a piecemeal approach that increases both time to decision and possible points of data assurance failure. Further, the resulting operational picture is neither as comprehensive nor as timely as desired. Department of Defense leaders are focused on a concise solution to this current operational 10 | TISR 3.2
issue. AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems considered how to streamline the process of gathering data across all of these sources, layering it in one operational tool. What if we could put the needed information at the user’s fingertips in a comprehensive fashion that remains integrated within the secure battlespace network? Additionally, we want to give leaders the ability to collaborate data across multiple viewers and direct assets with a unified approach. Such a solution would improve decision-making efficiency and decrease time to decision and execution. We’ve addressed these issues with our Integrated Command, or iCommand, suite, which includes three distinct components. ICommand Distributed Data Services harness a networked framework for secure information synchronization. Core nodes are established
at secure strategic sites, which are linked to the deployed network to accommodate data collection, storage, load balancing, information assurance and processing. Decision-makers utilize the iCommand Table, a robust, multi-touchscreen device, to easily collaborate with dismounted teams, evaluate real-time situational awareness and dynamically task assets from a single interface. Edge users can employ iCommand Mobile tools on smartphone and tablet devices for full iCommand functionality at their fingertips. These three components work together to deliver a comprehensive, collaborative view of the battlespace, real-time situational awareness and dynamic asset tasking. In essence, iCommand empowers immediacy and streamlining of information between decision-makers, dismounted warfighters, and the
countless assets and intelligence sources competing for their attention at any given time. The collection and dissemination of situational awareness is automated, yet still fully integrated within the secure battlespace network for information assurance. The result is a secure, real-time link between people and platforms for synchronization, collaboration and decision making. As our customers equip for evolving mission sets, they are looking for lessons learned throughout two theaters of war that can be applied to a leaner, more efficient future force. One of these is the importance of translating mammoth amounts of raw data from multiple sources into a comprehensive, actionable and secure operational picture. AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems has responded to that need with the iCommand suite. www.TISR-kmi.com
Norman Lange
Director of Product Development Black Diamond Advanced Technology
Many technology advances in the recent past have focused on protecting the collection, transmission, and storage of battlefield situational awareness data. At Black Diamond Advanced Technology [BDATECH], our modular
tactical system [MTS] product is an operationally foot-mobile wearable weapon system that today’s battlefield communicators, precision fires, intelligence, explosive ordnance disposal units, and ground forces command and control personnel are employing to both collect and share situational awareness information. The MTS is available off the shelf and has been fielded in combat since 2010. BDATECH
systems consider sensitive data security as a primary system requirement. For example, MTS provides the dismounted Joint Terminal Attack Controller the capability to view his location on a moving map, as well as the location of adjacent friendly positions using a variety of radios. Protecting the storage of this information was carefully planned when the MTS product was architected. The MTS
utilizes BDATECH’s patented firmware-defined architecture and operates at its core as an embedded system, much like a missile or similar weapon system. That’s what makes the MTS different than other fielded military computing solutions, and it’s what allows MTS security architecture to be adaptable to varying customer requirements without having to reinvent the wheel.
General John Custer (Ret.) Director of Federal Strategic Missions and Programs EMC
First, let’s look at why protecting this military data is increasingly critical and difficult. As military technologies collect exponentially greater amounts of ISR data, the requirement for more sophisticated storage, analytics and security grows dynamically. Network architects are pursuing converged infrastructures, integrating big data analytics directly into the data storage and virtualization layers. Networks can’t cope with the hundreds of terabytes of data created daily by today’s sensors. We can, however, incorporate massively parallel, sharednothing federated architectures to
perform analytics where the data is stored. This capability is emerging from several storage and network vendors. With these analytical technologies, agencies can close the big data gap—and sift through mind-numbing mountains of noise to find the essential signal needed to make the right decision. And just as important is our ability to make big data analytics mobile and get it into the hands of the military user on the battlefield. Agencies need to store data cost-effectively and intelligently based on frequency of access, which streamlines the process. Automated tiered storage transfers active data to highperformance storage tiers, and inactive data to low-cost, highcapacity tiers. This allows rapid
access to the most critical data, enhancing performance, saving money and enabling access to the right information at the right time. Concurrent with these emerging capabilities, we must operate with the “assumption of breach.” We must change the security paradigm from “what happened” to “what if?” Rather than monitor and manage networks, we must apply advanced analytics and algorithms to generate predictive insights and active controls as a direct result of real time data. New practices for managing risk, minimizing vulnerabilities and reducing attack surfaces assets are required. We must focus on numerous areas, including:
• Identity, access and authorization management • Governance/risk/compliance • Continuous threat monitoring, rapid detection and remediation • Insider threat management • Cyber analytics • Data protection—disaster recovery/continuity of operations and data backup • Cloud and mobile security • Footprint reduction—data center consolidation and virtualization Evolving information security is vital to every military mission, empowering troops to manage risk and enable informed decisions by taking full advantage of realtime situational data.
Karl Fuchs
Vice President of Technology iDirect Government Technologies
Situational awareness data encompasses a number of different data types, each with their own data collection architecture. www.TISR-kmi.com
Therefore there is no single solution to protect situational awareness data. For example, Blue Force Tracking [BFT] data, which consists of many streams of short messages, is usually transmitted using terrestrial wireless to a central aggregation point then back-
hauled out of the area of operation. Real-time ISR, on the other hand, consists of a very few or just one high-bandwidth data stream which is either exfiltrated by line of sight to the ground then backhauled or directed to satellite. Voice traffic, which is arguably the single most
important situational awareness data type, often consists of multiple data flows with a mix of prioritizations. These prioritizations include routine as well as flash-override calls. With the possible exception of BFT data, end-to-end protection of TISR 3.2 | 11
the actual data itself can be accomplished with Type 1 encryption. BFT data, of course, can be encrypted using Type 1 encryptors; however, size weight and power limitations can make Type 1 encryption for BFT impractical and other encryption may be employed. Regardless, the difficulty in protecting situational awareness data comes not from encrypting the data streams; instead, it lies in obfuscating the
source, destination, traffic volumes, and prioritizations and other traffic characteristics of the situational awareness traffic from a sophisticated adversary. The use of radio frequency technology, whether terrestrial wireless or transponded satellite traffic patterns and types, can be intercepted by an adversary. As an example, when a HAIPE Type 1 encryptor is employed to encrypt data, the HAIPE device builds an IP tunnel. The tunnel
header is transmitted in the clear, which of course includes the source, destination and even the type of service field. All of this information and more can be collected and utilized by a sophisticated adversary. The solution to these vulnerabilwities is for radio frequency equipment to utilize transmission security or TRANSEC. Just as communications security encrypts the data being transmitted, TRANSEC
encrypts all the layer two protocol information and IP headers, which would have previously been transmitted in the clear. In addition, TRANSEC employs mechanisms to obfuscate traffic patterns and acquisition activity. With TRANSEC mechanisms employed, an adversary cannot determine the normal network busy hour or determine the number of transmitting devices, thus hiding blue force size and activities.
Jim Quinn
Vice President of C4ISR Systems Lockheed Martin
The world we live in today compels all forces to acquire relevant situation awareness data as events dictate. That’s where we have focused: getting the right intelligence to the right consumer at the right time. And without protecting that data, collaborative intelligence sharing won’t happen. Those producing the data will not expose sensitive intelligence to others if they are not confident that the proper data guards are in place. There are many methods to protect the collection and dissemination of situational awareness data, from supply chain controls to anti-tampering, to common enterprisewide identity management. While Lockheed Martin is actively engaged on all those methods, I want to highlight methods we’ve developed to securely share intelligence across a broad multi-national enterprise.
Simply stated, a broad enterprise is one with many distributed locations, spanning from buildings in friendly territory to deployed units in contested regions. Across such an enterprise, many networks are utilized with multiple levels of security at play. Lockheed Martin has been working extensively on creating multiple methods of distributing intelligence through the enterprise, toward the end goal of providing secure situational awareness data to those in a deployed environment. These layered methods include a non-proprietary, standards-based secure intelligence discovery and access framework, multi-level security technologies both to connect networks at different security levels with Web 2.0 standard protocols to provide a data access point without necessitating replication, and comms-level protections for cyber defense from enterprise to the edge. A sophisticated military employs cutting-edge technologies in order to rapidly respond
to operational demands. In the multinational fight, interoperability between multiple military forces demands an interoperability framework that is standardsbased both in terms of interfaces and data, and is non-proprietary and open source so that it can be used with no export restrictions and can also be extended as needed. To securely connect such disparate networks, Lockheed Martin has developed multi-level, or cross-domain, secure information sharing technologies. We’ve also created small form factor versions that enable PL-4 devices to securely network to each other as well as across the broader enterprise in a deployed environment. These cross domain constructs support web-based protocols such as HTTP, and combined with the interoperability framework layer, securely connect those in the deployed environment—providing seamless discovery and access to intelligence available
based on the authorization of any given consumer. Another security layer that then applied for on-thewire/over-the-air security. With the interoperability framework and cross-domain [i.e., multi-level security] devices enabling the discovery and flow of situational awareness data, the next question is how do you protect that data? One example that Lockheed Martin has used to protect data flows on wireless networks is with a smartcard authenticated virtual private network. Standard card readers can be attached to mobile devices, providing a secure method for accessing applications and data for users with CAC cards. Such a smartcard/VPN system ensures the integrity and compliance of the device and the applications, allows the authorized user enterprise access using strong, twofactor authentication, and can be used over any reliable transport network, such as WiFi, 3G and 4G.
Steven B. Bergjans
Vice President, Ground Systems Business Unit Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Intelligence Systems 12 | TISR 3.2
division takes great measures in protecting and taking care of customers’ needs for dynamic surveillance capabilities by ensuring that a sophisticated adversary does not take advantage of
sensitive data sources. Technologies such as mobile ad-hoc networks, Smart Grids and sensor webs provide adaptable and resilient methods for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
collection and dissemination within deployed environments. These systems are decentralized and are able to self-configure, making them incredibly robust during disruptive events. www.TISR-kmi.com
Over the past several years, Northrop Grumman Corporation has been conducting research and development to extend these concepts to create rapidly reconfigurable networks of airborne space-based ground and cyber sensors. This research goes beyond the communications layer to encompass the entire tasking, collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination chain. These sensor networks have the ability to team up rapidly and help answer challenging intelligence questions. The system self-optimizes to prevent duplication of effort and eliminate resource contention. The networks have the ability to rapidly adapt to circumstances resulting from changes in sensor tasking, changes in the sensor mix and actions of potential adversaries. The systems are resilient to
single points of failure and enable multiple collection and dissemination data paths. This approach is attractive from an affordability standpoint as well, since the sensors can be added incrementally while the system still provides value, increasing the overall capabilities as the numbers of nodes grow. This technology has the potential to revolutionize ISR by providing warfighters adaptable and resilient collection and dissemination capabilities across a range of sensors and platforms which historically would not be possible. Northrop Grumman Corporation is also addressing the opportunities presented by the proliferation of tactical unmanned aerial vehicles in theater to provide enhanced situational awareness through multi-sensor processing,
exploitation and dissemination [PED]. The goal of a tactical PED capability is to improve situational awareness, improve operator focus and the utilization of the UAV sensor suites. By combining the local sensor data with external data sources Northrop Grumman Corporation is able to provide comprehensive and timely intelligence to tactical warfighters. The PED capabilities combined with dynamic tasking enhance mission perception provide near real-time comprehension and situational awareness through tasking sensors based on current intelligence needs. Tactical exploitation services enable man-in-the-loop control to address the need for rapid response for dynamic mission events. Timely dissemination services provide processing centers
with transparent collection status to enable manual and automatic cross-cueing to off-board cooperative sensors. Near real-time dynamic loop feedback services provide self-cueing of onboard sensors such as radar, movement intelligence and electro-optical/ infrared during mission execution. Collaboration services allow users to coordinate effects with operation centers, external UAV users and other individuals as necessary. Visualization capabilities provide situational awareness to payload operators and tactical users. Additional capabilities such as the dynamic management of communications bandwidth, processing resources and semi-automated tradecraft across multiple sources all provide robust, timely situational awareness across the echelons.
Matthew Rapier
Chief Technology Officer-Cyber Security and Information Assurance Selex ES, a Finmeccanica company (Smart Systems Division)
In modern coalition warfare, situational awareness data is obtained, correlated and fused from multiple sources—from the most strategic national resources to coalition military partners and direct reports from troops on the ground. That information set is fundamental to the effective management and conduct of asymmetric warfare such as counterinsurgency. Efforts to protect this situational awareness data will focus on confidentiality, integrity and availability. • Confidentiality: Much of the information handling will be in conventional secure IT systems—protected
by strong cryptography in transit and at rest, strong authentication and traditional physical security measures (clear perimeters and armed guards). These mechanisms work as well in the field, down to operational headquarters, as they do in fixed bases. The situation is more challenging in the truly tactical environment, where it is much harder to avoid endpoints of the information system falling into enemy hands—here, we would want to see remote kill and cryptographic self-destruct functions to protect the dataset. • Integrity: The key issue here is in maintaining accurate interpretation of complex and sophisticated data throughout the command
chain. An application which is ideal for the headquarters, rich in information and with powerful manipulation, has no place in the back of a moving armored vehicle where simplicity is key—technologies must be configured to be appropriate to their operating environment, but ensure that warfighters maintain a common understanding of the data they are seeing. There are significant risks at any point where a dataset is translated into a new protocol or portrayed in a different application that meaning will be lost or confused—an example of this is the differing interpretation of symbology by different products.
• Availability: Here the biggest challenge is again at the tactical level. All communications technologies are unreliable in the field. Here it is vital the information sets are reliably synchronized before units go on patrol, and highly robust protocols are used to maintain synchronization as and when data can be exchanged. Operations in Afghanistan have shown that even the most complex coalitions can form highly sophisticated and effective solutions to protect and share situational awareness data. We believe the models deployed in this environment are a credible model for future coalition operations. 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.
www.TISR-kmi.com
TISR 3.2 | 13
ISR KIT Global Strike Near Real Time Battle Data Assessment System Robert Pazda said his team within the U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center is accustomed to having to fit 10 pounds of equipment into a 5-pound bag. But his team’s latest project—the Global Strike Near Real Time Battle Data Assessment System—could change all that. The Global Strike NRT-BDA System incorporates unattended sensors and a remote warfighter interface to provide timely reporting of conditions during reconnaissance operations. One sensor includes a chemical agent detector similar in shape and size to a 2-pound soda can. The sensors are intended to be air deployed and have been tested from a P-3 Orion aircraft at 1,000 feet. The sensor is equipped with an accelerometer, which triggers the release of the cap and small parachute (ballute). Once it lands, spring-loaded legs pop open, allowing it to sit upright. The detector is also equipped with a GPS tracking device. Once the detector has landed and the position remains the same, the device initiates the start sequence of the detector so it can detect chemical agents and other threats, in addition to seismic activity. This detector, which was a redesign of the Joint Chemical Agent Detector, can feed information to a satellite and then to soldiers manning a warfighter interface as far as a few thousand miles away. ECBC has collaborated with other organizations to design sensors and other parts that the Electronic Design and Integration Branch incorporated into the device. They worked with ECBC’s Engineering Design and Analysis Branch, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab, Air Force Research Laboratory, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division, Kansas State University and Smith’s Detection.
14 | TISR 3.2
Subsea Lithium Battery Receives Navy Safety Approval
Bluefin Robotics, a provider of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and related subsea technologies, announced that the U.S. Navy has granted a safety approval for its standard 1.5 kWh subsea battery for use with the HAUV system including transport aboard naval aircraft. “We are very pleased with the results of the testing,” said Richard Wilson, Ph.D., director of power systems at Bluefin Robotics. “The approval adds to our safety reputation for subsea battery technology and highlights the quality and effort we put into all our battery systems, both for our military and commercial clients.” In October 2012, the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division performed an updated series of lithium battery safety tests, including those addressing both performance and safety. Safety tests were conducted primarily in accordance with NAVSEA TM S9310AQ-SAF-010, but also with some input from NAVSEA TM SG270BV-SAF-010. Results concluded that the battery delivered a consistent amount of energy without significant capacity fade, and safety devices were highly effective with respect to voltage, current and temperature. When the battery was cycled under high-current conditions, it experienced high temperatures, which activated the safeties and prevented the battery from further charging, preventing high-temperature conditions. Safety testing of the battery produced predictable and expected results for a Li-ion battery utilizing a LiCoO2 cathode in a pouch cell format. In addition, the battery management system was highly effective in preventing unsafe operating conditions. Testing was performed by NSWCCD’s Materials and Power Systems Branch, Code 616. Bluefin Robotics has been designing, manufacturing and fielding subsea batteries and custom power solutions for over 10 years and has produced over 1,000,000 watt-hours of energy. Bluefin batteries have powered autonomous underwater vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, manned vehicles and other subsea platforms and structures. Deanna Talbot; dtalbot@bluefinrobotics.com www.TISR-kmi.com
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Camcopter S-100 Unmanned Air System Building on its position as a proven vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) maritime UAS, the Camcopter S-100 is in service in many different countries worldwide. It has successfully demonstrated its capabilities to the German Navy, Spanish military, Spanish Guardia Civil, Pakistani Navy, Italian Navy, Malaysian Navy, French Navy and numerous other clients. Tested on three oceans of the world, on 14 different classes of vessels, each trial is a unique and challenging experience. The platform has experienced hundreds of takeoffs and landings, relative wind speeds up to 40 knots, sea states up to four, all while hovering close above the helicopter deck and automatically following the ship’s movements, with a subsequent smooth touch down and automatic decking capabilities. The VTOL UAS needs no prepared area or supporting launch or recovery equipment. It operates during the day or night, under adverse weather conditions, with a beyond line-of-sight capability out to 200 km, both on land and at sea. The S-100 navigates via pre-programmed GPS waypoints or is operated with a pilot control unit. Missions are planned and controlled via a simple point-and-click graphical user interface. High-definition payload imagery is transmitted to the control station in real time. Using “fly-by-wire” technology controlled by a triple-redundant flight computer, the UAV can complete its mission automatically. Its carbon fiber and titanium fuselage provides capacity for a wide range of payload/ endurance combinations up to a service ceiling of 18,000 feet. In its standard configuration, the Camcopter S-100 carries a 75 pound/34 kilogram payload up to 10 hours and is powered with AVGas or heavy fuel. The unmanned helicopter has been designed as an efficient tool for extended situational awareness, either on its own or as part of a modern ISR network. The S-100’s modular design means that the integration of different payloads is straightforward and the control station (CS) can easily be integrated into other systems, in various configurations. Communication between the UAV and the CS is set up via highly secure (encrypted) direct links that carry sensor, command and control data. The CS system is network-enabled and with its Windows-based architecture and Ethernet single cabling, it can be easily integrated, seamlessly passing information around the user community.
www.TISR-kmi.com
Multi Configuration Tactical UAS Reliable visual intelligence in all weather conditions, the SpyLite was designed to supply immediate and independent visual intelligence for the Army and civilian markets. It meets the required operational needs for tactical visual intelligence asset acquisition, providing extended range, enhanced visual intelligence and real-time gathering capability in stringent situations. The SpyLite is specifically designed to allow critical, visual recognition of elements in real time and gain dominant situational awareness of the inspected area. The system can be carried by two operators with the overall weight of 20 kg for each and it flies in almost any weather condition (up to 40 knots). The SpyLite can be operated in a long-endurance mode with longer wing tips and higher capacity battery. Ronen Nadir; ronen@bluebird-uav.com
Advanced High-Resolution Sensors for Hawk Air Defense System Northrop Grumman Corporation has launched its fourth generation tracking adjunct sensor (4G TAS), the latest upgrade to the company’s range of high-resolution electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors for the Hawk air defense system. Northrop Grumman’s 4G TAS, the only approved EO/IR upgrade available to Hawk customers worldwide, detects and tracks low, fast targets both day and night and passes them to the Hawk’s fire control radar. “With the launch of 4G TAS, Northrop Grumman brings powerful and sustainable new capabilities to operators of the Hawk system,” said Jim Mocarski, vice president of airborne tactical sensors. “We continue to invest in sensors for the Hawk and will support our customers worldwide with these upgrades to help them maintain their national security.” Northrop Grumman’s upgrades to the baseline configuration include a new 640-by-480-pixel infrared sensor that will more than double the resolution of the current system. The upgrade will also include a new charged-coupled device camera that will increase resolution and enhance operation in low-light environments. The upgrades also include more reliable and sustainable electronics to ensure continued logistics support for the system. All existing TAS, improved TAS and advanced infrared TAS systems can be upgraded to the 4G TAS configuration. The 4G TAS is a gimbaled, stabilized, high-resolution sensor system that provides passive EO/IR searching, tracking, launch and pass-off capability for the Hawk air defense system. It can provide threat assessment and identification beyond visual range, providing real-time situational awareness. The Hawk and TAS sensors are in operation throughout the world.
TISR 3.2 | 15
UAS Supervisor
Q& A
Steering Army UAS Programs Through Uncertain Times
Colonel Tim Baxter Project Manager Unmanned Aircraft Systems U.S. Army
Colonel Timothy R. Baxter assumed duties as the project manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Program Executive Office Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., on July 11, 2011. Baxter previously served in a number of challenging acquisition assignments within the Army and the special operations community. Baxter was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He began his Army career as an infantryman in 1979. He served six years as an enlisted soldier and in 1986 accepted a twoyear ROTC scholarship at Northern Michigan University, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in computer information systems. He later earned a Master of Science in computer science from Central Michigan University. Baxter completed a Senior Service College Fellowship at the University of Texas, Austin in 2011. Baxter has served in a number of infantry and special operations assignments prior to transitioning to the Acquisition Corps. He has earned the Ranger Tab and Special Forces Tab as well as the Master Parachutist Badge with Combat Jump Star and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Q: What do you consider the priorities of your office? A: Our priorities have been consistent over the last couple of years—number one has been to fully support overseas contingency operations. All of our systems are deployed in support of the current fight, so it is imperative that we provide immediate response to the field regarding any life cycle support needs of the weapon systems under our purview—supporting the soldier is job one. Number two is to continue to improve execution of our programs, both program of record and non-program of record. Gray Eagle, Shadow, the universal ground control station, One System Remote Video Terminal and our family of small UAS [SUAS] have all recently achieved or are approaching key programmatic events. For example, in June 2013 we received a full rate production [FRP] decision for the ACAT-1D Gray Eagle Program. The FRP required significant coordination across OSD and the Army staff to be successful. PM UAS is focused on key upcoming follow-on test and evaluation events for both Gray Eagle and Shadow systems. We continue modernization efforts across the portfolio while continuing to improving the interoperability of UAS. 16 | TISR 3.2
PM UAS third priority is improving efficiency. PM UAS leadership and workforce has embraced the tenets of better buying power. We have efficiency initiatives across our portfolio in an effort to reduce the cost associated with our acquisition programs. Priority number four is a look to the future of UAS—ensuring improved capability to our combined arms force and ensuring viability against future threats. We have established robust product improvement programs that are aligned with the future needs of the Army. Lastly, I want to ensure that we continue to develop the world-class UAS workforce that has been so successful in developing, integrating and fielding the Army UAS family of systems. Q: What advanced technologies do you expect to be incorporated into the next generation of UASs? A: Keeping the fiscal environment in mind, we expect to incorporate new technology and associated capability through modernization and upgrade of our existing UAS, rather than through introduction of next-generation systems over the 2013-2020 timeframe. One exception is that we will likely introduce a small micro variant UAS once the Rucksack Portable UAS Capability Production Document that is currently in staffing is approved. This system will feature a handheld perch and stare capability www.TISR-kmi.com
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The iCommand™ Suite and Shadow ® TUAS Multi-Mission Payloads AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems delivers the flexibility to answer rapidly evolving threats. The iCommand suite includes the iCommand Table for real-time mission management*, iCommand Mobile for dismounted troops and iCommand Cloud Services framework for synchronization to the last tactical mile. Together, the iCommand suite enables immediate situational awareness, dynamic collaboration and mission planning. The renowned Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (TUAS) has been enhanced with Multi-Mission Payload capability. Each modular “pod” equips the aircraft for a new mission, from signals intelligence to communications relay and chem/bio detection. AAI’s FASTCOM Multi-Mission Payload facilitates a secure communications network for commercial smartphone data and voice connectivity in the most austere locations. TM
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aaicorp.com © 2013 AAI Corporation. All rights reserved. AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems is an operating unit of Textron Systems, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company. iCommand and FASTCOM are trademarks and Shadow is a registered trademark of AAI Corporation. AAI and design is a registered trademark of AAI Corporation. *iCommand Table leverages the REPLAY visualization framework, a commercial and government framework maintained by the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC), located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., and developed by RingTail Design of Austin, Texas.
The MQ-1C Gray Eagle is an upgrade of the MQ-1 Predator. Two newly-built Gray Eagles sit on a tarmac. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army/by Sergeant Ken Scar]
for our infantry squads. As we look to modernize our systems, we are focused on introducing technologies that will reduce the life cycle cost of operating our systems, improve our ability to operate in contested environments, and allow cost-effective autonomy of operation and multi-modality sensing. Ongoing efforts to incorporate open architecture, to increase the mobility, expeditionary utility and rapid deployability of all of our systems will also increase over the near term. As we look long term, introduction of next-generation UAS capability is certainly necessary. We are currently working with the UAS stakeholders in the TRADOC community to identify what capabilities future generation UAS must address. We must be cognizant of the vulnerabilities and capability gaps that will arise from the “next war” and the potential to be engaged with a peer or nearpeer threat. At present, capabilities that are being explored include an unmanned cargo platform, longer endurance ISR platforms and a battalion class UAS. One of the beneficial attributes of our current UAS architecture is that introduction of a new capability can be done very cost effectively. Introduction of a new component of the system, for example a new UAS aircraft, can be integrated with existing ground support equipment at minimal cost to provide an entirely new capability to the battlefield. Q: Are there any specific technologies that you would like to develop or improve in conjunction with the private sector? A: Collaboration with private industry is precisely why Army UAS has been so successful over the last 15 years. We have been the beneficiaries of outstanding collaborations and targeted investments by the private sector toward Army UAS capability needs. A key to this successful collaboration has been open communication in both directions, on both state-of-the-art technology and UAS art of the possible. A great example of this collaboration is our joint government and industry Interface Control Working Group for interoperability standards. This group has achieved enormous success in working together to create standards-based technical interoperability. I fully expect that as UAS is commercialized, the military will cease to be the innovation driver in some areas 18 | TISR 3.2
related to UAS operations. We are already seeing this at the component level and for SUAS systems. This makes effective partnerships between the Army and industry even more critical as UAS technologies mature. The key to success in the future is having the ability to costeffectively modernize our systems to meet emerging and continuing requirements. Modernization will primarily come in the form of new and advanced payloads to add capability to our systems. For that reason, partnering with industry and the other acquisition organizations within the Army and the other services is critical. It is imperative that the developers understand the physical, electronic and software interface requirement associated with our systems and are cognizant of system integration nuances. Our planned implementation of open systems architectures and model driven architectures when coupled with integrated code development and qualification will go a long way toward minimizing the cost of integrating future payloads. Q: How is the pivot to the Pacific expected to affect requirements for future UASs? A: As the U.S. considers where it may be fighting in the future, there is a renewed emphasis on full-spectrum conflict and the future potential of facing near-peer opponents—a potential aspect of this is the pivot to the Pacific, as is expeditionary warfare. UAS stakeholders are conducting focused reviews of our base UAS philosophies and supporting DOTML-PF [doctrine, organization, training, material, leadership, personnel and facilities] to determine the most efficient and cost-effective ways to address the vulnerabilities and capability gaps associated with our UAS in this “next war.” We are also looking hard at opportunities presented by UAS interoperability, both internal to the UAS family of systems and within the combined arms force as a whole. Mobile warfare in the expansive plains of Eurasia or large ocean regions present similar environments and needs from a UAS perspective. Given this, the pivot to the Pacific won’t create new requirements; rather, it will add weight to existing requirement areas related to expeditionary warfare, mobile operations, family-of-system interoperability, www.TISR-kmi.com
for more than a decade. Modernizing is also expensive. The key is a balanced approach that maximizes return on investment for our tax dollars. Although counterintuitive, the other factor slowing UAS growth is the ubiquitous nature of the systems. Over the last decade we have introduced UAS to every echelon within the Army, and these systems provide operational advantages to a broad array of Army forces executing aviation, maneuver, infantry, fires and intelligence missions. From a portfolio perspective, each of these stakeholders often approaches UAS from a different doctrinal and technological perspective. It is therefore challenging to fully explore and exploit the conceptual implications of UAS on the current and future combined arms battlefield and as a result, requirement prioritization, UAS conceptual development and funding prioritization can at times be hindered. Q: In our last interview, you mentioned the outreach to academia partnership with Middle Tennessee State University. Are any other outreaches to academia now proceeding?
datalink options and ranges, and redundant navigation. I see renewed emphasis on such topics as footprint and signature reduction, sortie planning for UAS systems, jump operations, datalink security and operating in GPS-denied environments. Existing technology will open the door to new doctrinal concepts just as developing those doctrinal concepts will drive technology to support the conceptual evolution of UAS. Q: How is sequestration altering your office’s acquisitions strategy? A: Sequestration is just one of several fiscal constraints that DoD is currently challenged with. The collective result of these fiscal challenges is that the Army and all the services must think very deliberately on long-range strategic and fiscal planning. Army leadership is revisiting operational capability, future force structure, equipping strategies, etc., to determine the extent of the impact of the fiscal constraints and how to best prioritize requirements for future development and system modernization efforts. At present, no acquisition programs are immune from the impacts of our new fiscal reality. Fortunately, we have been anticipating the current fiscal challenges for some time and have been working across all of our programs to increase efficiencies in our efforts and reap savings in the acquisition of the systems. Introduction of competition, revised contract types and fee structures, transition from contractor logistic support to performance-based logistic sustainment, and myriad other efforts have better positioned us to reduce the impacts. These fiscal limitations are not going away any time soon, so we plan to continue any and all efforts to reduce the cost of acquiring and sustaining our unmanned aircraft systems. Q: What are the greatest factors involved in retarding the development of military unmanned air systems? A: Obviously, the primary factor limiting development of not only UAS but all future weapon systems is the fiscal environment. Waging a war is an expensive endeavor and the U.S. has been at war www.TISR-kmi.com
A: Yes, we have continued to expand our outreach activities. The primary objectives of these endeavors are to assist in the development and training of the next generation of scientists and engineers and to focus enabling research activities toward the development of UAS-specific technologies. To that end, our initial efforts have been focused on partnership with the preeminent research universities in our immediate geographic region. The majority of our workforce is recruited regionally and fortuitously, these universities have both unique research facilities and capabilities that are pertinent to UAS technology needs. Specifically, we have signed memorandums of agreements with Auburn University, the University of Alabama at Huntsville, Mississippi State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Alabama A&M University and the University of Texas-Arlington. We have also published a list of our top UAS technological challenges to provide our academic partners increased situational awareness on the tough operational and performance problems we anticipate in the future. This provides them the opportunity to focus their unique research capabilities and interests on these challenges so that technology solutions can be brought to bear on these tough problems. Q: Is there anything I haven’t asked that you would like to discuss? A: These are exciting times to be involved in unmanned aircraft systems. Technology and employment of UAS has matured significantly over the last 10 years. One can only imagine where technology will take us over the next 10 years. UAS is now part of the fabric of our Army formations. It is not hard to imagine how employment of UAS will mature in the future. Tactics, techniques and procedures [TTPs] associated with manned-unmanned teaming [MUM-T] are only now in their infancy. With the positioning of a Gray Eagle unit at the National Training Center in the near future, conditions will be set for the rapid maturation of MUM-T. More is needed though; we must fully integrate UAS across the combined arms team. As we talk about advanced technologies and improved TTPs, we must also keep in mind the current budget crisis. The Army can only pay for limited improvements each year—we must get it right. O TISR 3.2 | 19
Speeding data to decision makers. By Henry Canaday TISR correspondent The rapid multiplication of tools for collecting ISR data, the many terabytes of data collected and the importance of that data to both tactical and strategic decisions have put a premium on automating its collection, handling and distribution. The effort to automate intelligence involves military and civilian agencies as well as many private firms. Today’s distributed common ground system (DCGS), or Sentinel, has limited automation to streamline various functions for data 20 | TISR 3.2
processing, exploitation and dissemination, explained Colonel Michael Shields, chief of the capabilities division at the Air Force ISR Agency. Software applications assist analysts in building a sensor plan and researching historical data. These applications also clue in analysts to specific areas of probable interest, build secondary imagery products for dissemination and move, mark and store data efficiently. The applications work with the U-2 while research and secondary-image software tools support geospatial sensors on the www.TISR-kmi.com
amount of experience in doing that and working with industry U-2, RQ-4 Global Hawk, MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper and MC-12 partners to provide systems that automate things we do,” explained Liberty. Mike Hale, director of the NRO Ground Enterprise Directorate. “We Using approved navigation plans, the sensor-planner tool for work diligently to automate those processes that give us the biggest geospatial intelligence builds a corresponding sensor-collection bang for the buck. These automation priorities include mission plan. It focuses on the approved target deck and areas to be imaged management, command-and-control and processing of collected at optimal locations along the navigation track. Specifically focused data. Those are areas we’ve focused on successfully in the past and on are view angles, terrain and the distance from the track. The we will continue to focus on in the future.” human Air Force DCGS mission/sensor planner Hale said the NRO is ensuring that what is can also override automatic results to move targets automated is moving away from unique, stovepiped along the navigation track in order to optimize data systems toward a broad common-infrastructure collection. approach. Such an approach provides the greatest “We are also looking to receive automated misopportunity to pursue effective systems that meet sion-planning capabilities through our ongoing time and cost requirements. cryptologic mission management efforts,” Shields For the future, NRO is closely monitoring the said. “This will aid operators in planning mission pace of change in commercial markets, as well as routes optimized for signals intelligence [SIGINT] in other federal agencies, including the National collection.” Security Agency (NSA) and the National GeospatialThe DCGS Workflow application stages reference Col. Mike Shields Intelligence Agency (NGA). “We believe the pace of data or images to analyst workstations based on tarchange provides us with opportunities for improveget number and geo-coordinates. “This reduces the ment that we can channel into our baseline systems time required by the analyst to pull data from system to maintain or increase our effectiveness while archives,” Shields said. becoming more efficient,” Hale said. When a multispectral image is collected with a NRO works most closely with NSA and NGA spectral signature, software creates a square-shape but also collaborates with the Air Force, Army, file, overlays it on the image and signals an analyst to Navy and other defense agencies and intelligence look at that area. For SIGINT, automated tools plug community members. “We view combatant comin events of interest that may indicate higher-priority mand chiefly as our end-users,” Hale said. “We activities worthy of collection. regularly talk to them and provide them with data, The secondary-image application automatically and NGA and NSA provide them with intelligence fills certain fields in the product template using products.” metadata embedded in the image. Mike Hale While sharing many common concerns with DCGS has made much progress in automation, other intelligence agencies, Hale noted that NRO’s “but we believe there is much more to be accomunique focus on space means it faces distinctive plished,” Shields said. “We continue to look for applichallenges and opportunities. cations and tools to deal with [the] ever-increasing Private firms are critical to the automation amount of data we need to analyze.” effort. Eight automation technology requirements have Sentient Vision Systems has two fielded prodbeen documented for the acquisition program office. ucts, the Kestrel Land and Kestrel Maritime sysSeveral, for planning, tipping and cueing, have been tems for airborne ISR. Chief Technology Officer funded in the last four fiscal years. DCGS works with Tom Loveard, Ph.D., said, “Both systems provide the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Air automatic detection capability for electro-optical Force research labs, Mitre, select universities and and infrared [EO/IR] full-motion video [FMV] sysother industry partners to identify technologies ready Tom Loveard, Ph.D. tems. for implementation. It also develops technologies at “Kestrel Land provides a moving target indilower technology readiness levels that show promise. cation capability and can detect and track objects that are very Shields said DCGS seeks tools that increase accuracy and difficult for human operators to see,” Loveard explained. “Kestrel reliability or reduce exploitation time. Some current automation Maritime detects objects on the surface of the ocean, whether works only in ideal circumstances—for example, rural areas versus moving or stationary.” Kestrel Maritime thus applies to ISR operaheavily trafficked suburbs or sparsely versus densely forested areas. tions for the military, border protection and homeland security, as Some tools fail to produce results or produce too many false posiwell as search and rescue operations. “We reliably detect targets tives, wasting analysts’ time. And some tools work only with limited down to two-by-two pixels in size, but with proven performance target sets. down to a half pixel in certain conditions.” Moreover, DCGS remains very interested in automated crossThe Kestrel tools primarily assist with detection, where the cueing between sensor data and data types, voice-to-text transcriplocation or presence of a search target is not known or the target tion, speaker/language-dialect identification and automated target is difficult to locate and track. These situations require coverage recognition. of large areas, often over a long period of time. “This can become “The nature of our business means we’ve had to automate extremely taxing and difficult for human operators,” Loveard things from the very inception of the NRO [National Reconnaisemphasized. sance Office] more than 50 years ago, so we have a tremendous www.TISR-kmi.com
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movements to make sense of it. “We filter data, we triage data,” Kestrel’s ability to automatically detect very small objects Biltgen said. “We have tools to make it easy to move through large allows a wide field of view with a large coverage area, while still volumes of data.” maintaining a high probability of detection. “Human eyes just don’t For automation platforms, Biltgen said that some argue that scale so well, particularly over long-duration operations,” Loveard relational databases are still the best, while others argue schemas said. “Kestrel watches every pixel, hour after hour, and enables are changing so relational databases will not work. He stateed, “We operators to concentrate on detected targets, rather than draining take a hybrid approach, using each kind of database for what it is their focus with the base search task.” best at. You need both to handle big data.” Another Kestrel function is assisting image exploitation and In the 1990s and early in the new millennium, ISR tools data fusion. Kestrel exports each detected target with latitude and emphasized bringing all data to user desktops as PCs grew more longitude coordinates. These coordinates can be used for tracking, powerful. “Now we want to leverage the technology of web browsmanagement, display on mapping systems or cross-cueing between ers, keep some data on servers and integrate it on servers, rather the EO/IR FMV system and other systems such as radar. than bring it all to users,” Biltgen said. “Why bog them down? They Kestrel systems have been operated on more than 15 airborne only need a small part on the desktop.” Moreover, retaining data platforms, including unmanned aerial systems (UAS) like the RQ-7 on servers lowers storage and communication costs and makes it Shadow, Predator, RQ-11 Raven, Israeli Aerospace’s Heron and easier to upgrade software. manned aircraft including the P-3 Orion and several helicopters. The BAE engineer said ISR data analysts will increasingly “The system is designed to scale across the very wide range of require statistical and mathematical skills, rather than just cultural air vehicles and sensor systems found across the airborne ISR skills. “Even if you don’t like math, you will need it.” domain,” Loveard said. The big challenge remains, “How do we really Kestrel has been used in Afghanistan, Iraq and visually understand very large amounts of data?” Colombia as well as on maritime patrol missions off Biltgen said. “We have so much data it is hard for the horn of Africa, Libya and Australia. Australian humans to process it. There is no easy answer or forces have used it with Heron, Shadow and Scasilver bullet.” nEagle. A number of U.S. and coalition partners have And even when analysts have sorted through also used the system. the immensity of ISR data, “How do you present it Loveard said Kestrel’s moving target indication to decision makers?” Biltgen asked. “You don’t have can detect small and slow-moving objects with low hours to present 6,000 PowerPoint slides. You must false-detection rates and argues this capability is a boil it down. How do you do that convincingly?” key differentiator. “We are able to detect the kind of Red Hen Systems provides hardware and softtargets that human eyes find the most difficult, such ware to collect geo-referenced video and photo data as dismounts. This adds great value, compared with Patrick Biltgen in the field and bring this data into desktops and operation without Kestrel.” Doing all this in the real web-based maps to aid decision makers. world makes Kestrel distinctive, Loveard said. He Sales exec Hoot Gibson said Red Hen’s easy-to-use digital camadded that Kestrel Maritime is “completely unique.” era accessories and GPS video-digital recorders collect the video Furthermore, Sentient has extensive experience with Kestrel. images, along with location information. “Our software lets you “The time and development required to mature auto-detection process the images and generate multimedia maps that bring vital capabilities from a lab-based prototype to effective and successful information to the eyes and fingertips of decision makers,” Gibson deployment in theater is substantial,” Loveard said. “Only Kestrel explained. “With the click of a button you know where something has proven in-theater results.” is and what it looks like. And you can share maps with others over Sentient is working on expanding its capabilities from airborne the Internet.” ISR to surface-based operations on ground vehicles, fixed-mounted Specific equipment includes the Blue2CAN, used with a comsensors and ships. patible Bluetooth GPS receiver to record the geo-location of every “You cannot automate analysis; that is judgment—it would be picture taken with a Nikon camera; the high-definition Video like automating a jury,” summarized Patrick Biltgen, senior misMapping System; the MediaMapper Server, to store and distribute sion engineer for BAE Systems Intelligence and Security. “We do geo-tagged photos and geo-path videos; multimedia mapping for data conditioning to help analysis. We help with the mundane tasks aerial patrols; and the RouteScout that extends the functions of to make data ready to be analyzed, make it easier to discover and FalconView mission planning. get on the screen.” Gibson argued that Red Hen sets the standard for geo-referencData conditioning can include putting data in standard format. ing digital and video images from the field. From this, both analysts “Everybody says they already have a standard format but no one and decision makers can easily build interactive maps using digital does,” Biltgen observed. photographs, video and audio. The tools extend from decision-makBAE also helps give temporal and geo-reference coordinates to ers and planners to forward warfighters and field agents. Red Hen activities and events that may come from many different sources thus “creates a more detailed and integrated common operational or from sensors that do not necessarily have geo-references. This is picture, visualizing the world as you need to see it.” O necessary since “people need to see data in time and space to make sense of it,” Biltgen explained. People tend to equate automation with pattern matching and For more information, TISR contact Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related that usually means integrating several sources of information. And stories at www.tisr-kmi.com. most analysts want to see ISR data on a map and in time and see 22 | TISR 3.2
www.TISR-kmi.com
By Adam Baddeley TISR Correspondent “We don’t want to be in a fair fight. We want to bring a gun to the knife fight—but we aren’t seeing that at the squad-level from an operational Army perspective,” explained Rich Kretschmar, deputy project manager for Unmanned Aircraft Systems Management Office. “At that echelon they are all in a fair fight with the adversary and we are trying to equip those guys so they can be overwhelmingly dominant. The situational awareness and the flexibility that [small and micro unmanned aircraft systems] provide to them will get them out of that fair fight.”
Army SUAS Roadmap In the SUAS arena the program of record (PoR) is the RQ-11B Raven with the RQ-20A Puma, originally fielded as a joint urgent operational needs statement, potentially transitioning to PoR status, comprising the Army’s fleet. Both have grown out of the Army’s demands for immediate capability in Iraq and Afghanistan. With the role of SUAS in future force structures now secured, the Army is in the midst of establishing its long-term plans, which are currently at the capability production document level with the requirements community. Kioutas www.TISR-kmi.com
The role of tactical UAVs in the modern military. outlined those plans: “What we are trying to do is to establish a family of UAS systems built around a common controller. If approved, it will lay out three different capability areas: a long range reconnaissance (LRR) and surveillance system, which would be a Puma class system; a medium range mobile (MRM) system, which is a Raven class system; and a short range micro (SRM) system, which is a smaller, squad-level capability that has some different requirements such as perch and stare.” Currently the Puma will fulfill the LRR requirements and Raven will deliver the MRM. The Army plans to procure the last Raven in 2019, which would see a new MRM capability/platform fielding in 2027-2029. The SRM has no equivalent in-service system, with the initial research and development funds planned to be allocated in fiscal year 2016 and fielding of this new capability planned for 2020. Rich Kretzschmar, deputy project manager for Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems Management Office, outlined the strategy being considered in developing the new SRM capability with industry: “The way we are structuring it now is to allow industry to compete for the production of that micro-UAV system in the 2018 timeframe with fielding targeted at 2020.”
This approach is part of a sea change in how SUAS are being procured. SUAS are now being considered by the program office using a commercial business model in order to refresh capability incrementally. Kretzschmar said, “We think that small UAS are at the right price point that maybe one-sixth of the total capability could be replaced every year, like businesses do with laptops, for example. That would allow then for industry to do technology investment and more frequent competitions.” Kretschmar emphasised the importance of interoperability profiles in the long-term improvement of capability: “How we achieve interoperability is by the government owning the interfaces. We work very hard to develop these profiles so that third parties can come in and develop subsystems that can easily plug and play into the architecture.”
Raven and Puma Upgrades Upgrades to the Raven are planned to keep it relevant after its procurement is scheduled to end. There has, however, already been significant improvement to the Raven system, moving from an analogue to digital data links and now switching to a gimballed payload. For the Puma, Kioutas said, “When TISR 3.2 | 23
Puma becomes a PoR, we will have a lot of S&T [science and technology] efforts to integrate new capabilities to keep those systems modern.” The Puma’s modernization will include radio frequency receivers to do vectored looks at battlefield signatures to better point the RF transmitters. Another innovation, as Kioutas explained, is “looking at integrating the system into the counter rocket, artillery and mortar architecture so they can use actionable targeting coordinates from our video and pass that into the shooter systems to reduce the timelines.” The first Pumas were delivered to troops in December with procurement processes beginning in August 2011.
S&T Future capability requirements are being established within the aviation community. The Center of Excellence at Fort Benning and the Signal Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon. Kioutas outlined several key tasks for future development including big reductions in training times, reducing sustainment costs by 30 percent, reducing the cognitive load associated with operating an SUAS and removing the need for soldiers to have additional security while operating it in the field. He added, “Right now, squads are often not looking to use unmanned systems while out on patrol because it takes up a lot of people to do that. It takes two guys to operate [them] and two more to secure them. What we want to do is to detach [the unmanned system] from the contingency operating bases and fixed base locations and allow [the troops] to operate the system while on patrol. Another objective is to provide sensor-to-shooter capabilities in order to allow the squad to access indirect fire from higher headquarters and target handovers to joint tactical air controller/effects platforms to help coordinate closer air support.”
AeroVironment AeroVironment was one of five recipients of a recent $248 million IDIQ contract for the Army’s future SUAS needs, along with Altavian, Elbit Systems of America, Innovative Automation Technologies and Lockheed Martin. As Steve Gitlin, vice president of investor relations, explained, “This is the latest in a line of U.S. DoD competitions that AeroVironment has won. We have competed 24 | TISR 3.2
for four major DoD programs of record involving SUAS. The first was in 2003 for the Marine Corps, the second was in October 2005 for the Army, the third was in December 2006 for the USAF and the fourth was in July 2008 for USSOCOM. We won all four of them and as a result we became prime contractor and sole supplier.” The Army program from 2005 for SUAS was originally a five-year IDIQ award in which the company supplied the RQ-11 B Raven, a contract subsequently extended for two years. The Army’s new $248 million award takes over from this contract vehicle and covers the delivery of long and medium range SUAVs. Gitlin added that the Marines have bought every one of the company’s SUAS, dating back to the Pointer. AeroVironment also produces the Dragon Eye, designed by the Naval Research Lab, for the Marines. The Marines have also been an early customer for the company’s Wasp 3 Micro-UAS. AeroVironment’s Digital Data Link (DDL)—developed for the Raven B and now integrated into all its SUASs is designed to provide greater spectrum efficiency so that many more SUAVs can operate in the same area without radio frequency interference—is seeing wider application. It has been employed on larger platforms as an additional datalink. As part of the Army’s multi-use special intelligence communication demonstration the DDL was added to the General Atomics Gray Eagle and equipped with the Triclops payload. Gitlin said, “Army operators were able to control one of three sensor packages on the Gray Eagle through that DDL from our GCS.” Normally when a Raven moves out of datalink range, it will automatically move to a higher altitude to regain a link or, failing that, turn back into range. AeroVironment DDL-based relays can overcome issues of range and topographical barriers created when operating in mountainous terrain or valleys. Gitlin outlined a scenario where one Raven moves into a valley with its feed able to be relayed to a second platform circling overhead. Another option is to use the DDL relay available in all the company’s SUASs and GCS IP address addressable battlefield WiFi hotspot for users on the ground. Working with Boeing, AeroVironment has already demonstrated a communication module on the Puma UAS with the capability to link users 40-80 kilometers away. New platforms and technology have also been developed and acquired. These include
the Shrike vertical take-off and landing, man-portable hover, perch and stare UAS. In the air, it has an endurance of 45-50 minutes, but once landed and operating in its perch and stare mode, it can transmit hours of video before flying off and returning home. AeroVironment has also licensed Sentient’s Kestrel software to display an MTI capability on the GCS. Looking to the future, Gitlin commented, “Expanding the size, weight and power domain for a given platform is what customers want. They want quicker, lighter, cheaper, longer flight duration, better sensors and more payload, and within that domain we are constantly taking advantage of new technologies.”
FLIR Commercial Systems Stan Laband, director of original equipment manufacturer sales at FLIR Commercial Systems Inc., estimates that the company supplies upward of 80 percent of the thermal cameras used in small UAVs, with notable customers including AeroVironment, Lockheed Martin and CloudCap. A stalwart of FLIR’s offering in this space is the Tau camera which, together with the newer, smaller Quark camera, makes up the bulk of cameras supplied for SUAVs. Both rugged and reliable, the Tau, now in its sixth year of production, takes up 5 cubic inches not including the lens. However, it is in the Quark, launched in 2011, where the real breakthroughs in technology have occurred. Laband explained, “About two years ago we started delivering a newer, smaller product called the Quark, which is less that 1 cubic inch and is, to our knowledge, the smallest VGA format thermal imager in existence. It was developed using the latest wafer level packaging technology, which allows the camera body size to be reduced by about 80 percent.” Volume production is not just for the SUAV market; the sensor is used in fire fighting equipment, military thermal sights and, perhaps most significantly from a volume production and thus unit cost perspective, night driving devices in cars and other civilian vehicles. Smaller and lighter cameras can often mean less rugged cameras. Laband argues that in fact the opposite is the case. While the shock rating of the Tau was 200G, the stated shock rating for the Quark is 1000G, with feedback from the user community suggesting it considerably exceeds this in the field. Changes do have to be made. The same basic www.TISR-kmi.com
circuitry of the Tau is shared with the Quark, although the smaller, lighter system means that there is less physical mass to dissipate heat, with FLIR advising integrators as to how this should best be addressed. FLIR has also introduced a new software-based calibration technique in the Quark that operates while the camera is in motion, which eliminates the need for a shutter mechanism to maintain performance. The reduction in size and weight has, Laband observed, allowed integrators and UAV manufacturers to move from fixed nose, single-sensor-only designs to gimballed multi-user solutions hitherto seen only in larger tactical UAVs. Laband points to the new Mantis mount in AeroVironment’s latest Raven RQ-11B, which uses the space that the new design frees up to place the Quark in a new gimballed mount that can be fitted to the existing space on the Raven’s nose. It also adds a lasing device and an electro-optical sensor in the same mount. Laband said, “That is a game changer. Even better because the Raven is a modular system, you don’t buy a whole new aircraft, you just buy a new nose.” Quark has also been used in AeroVironment’s Switchblade product. Quark has also been used in Lockheed Martin’s Desert Hawk III SUAV, transitioning from the Tau in earlier versions. CloudCap continues to use the Tau as well as longerrange FLIR cameras for other, specialised applications. At less than 1 cubic inch, thermal cameras are reaching the size limits imposed by the laws of physics. Laband explained, “We are not far from the point where you can’t make pixels any smaller. The rule there is that you can’t have a pixel size smaller than the wavelength of light that you are trying to detect for this type of device.”
Datron Scout The Datron Scout has had varied and diverse roles to date, from homeland security to law enforcement as well as military tasks. The first principles of the compact 2.6-pound, vertical take-off and landing Scout are its simplicity of use and durability. John Neumann, UAV business development manager for Scout, explained, “The ease of use of this system is that anyone can fly it. We have demonstrated this over and over again to customers ranging from military to law enforcement to commercial users. And we can deploy this bird in just about any weather. We can handle www.TISR-kmi.com
An infantryman goes through pre-checks before launching a Raven into the sky. [Photo courtesy of U.S. Army/by Staff Sergeant Nancy Lugo]
sustained winds of 30 mph and we have flown the bird in gusts of up of to 60 mph.” The UAV has been used in a number of military tests, evaluations and assessments, which have been used to refine and develop the design based on user feedback. One of the first was in late 2010 during trials with the Marine Corps in Camp Lejeune as part of the Empire Challenge in a drug interdiction scenario. Neumann explained the Scout’s role there: “There was an array of unattended ground sensors scattered over the specific area of operation. Any time a sensor was triggered, we would launch the Scout off a [52ft CB-90 fast assault] boat, take it to that area and reconnoiter the area. We just launched and recovered it from the boat’s aft, literally by grabbing it from the sky.” The Scout used different payloads to the find the target. In one example, the optical zoom payload was used to take a snapshot of an individual on the exercise’s “watchlist” as well as to locate where the smuggler’s amphibious aircraft was stashed. Video was also able to be streamed directly back from the boat to multiple terminals. The exercise took place in the camp’s dense pine forest, with the Scout demonstrating a niche capability when unexpected weather presented itself. Neumann said, “A fog bank came in and all the high- and medium-altitude assets found it very difficult to see. The Scout, however, could get below the fog bank but above the treeline using the optical zoom camera, and at that time we were successful [in finding the target] when no one else was.” The Scout has also participated in USSOCOM’s Tactical Network Testbed held
in Avon Park, Fla., as well as the Navy evaluation as part of Trident Spectre. The Scout took the place of manned helicopters in the hazmat clean-up operation at the train wreck at the Louisville, Ky., derailment in October 2012, involving the chemical butadiene, which damages the central nervous system. Neumann said, “When the train derailed it came down an embankment, so it was very difficult for the ground responders to go in for an assessment. What the Scout did was provide real-time assessment to [the] emergency operations crew, [which was then able] to go ahead and appropriately deal with a multi-faceted hazard.” A single Scout was used for multiple sorties for up for six hours a day, sending highres photography to a command post using the 5Mp Photo3S daylight camera payload housed in a three-axis gimballed housing. Once landed, a new battery pack could be substituted, taking just 90 seconds before the Scout could fly again. Scout’s development path includes further improvement in battery life and flight times. Integration of the video feed into various networks used in the field is also planned. Of special focus are instances when video is pulled down onto smartphone devices. This maximizes the metadata in the photography and supports volumetric analysis to create topographical maps using the data embedded in the photography. 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 3.2 | 25
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The Navy’s shift to the Pacific inspires our twelfth title and website...
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PREVIEW ISSUE
SEPTEMBER
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Cover Q&A:
Cover Q&A:
Cover Q&A:
Cover Q&A:
Rear Adm. Thomas Moore, PEO Aircraft Carriers
Rear Adm. Donald Gaddis, PEO Tactical Air Programs
Rear Adm. David Lewis, PEO Ships
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Special Section:
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Ship Self-Defense Riverine Patrol Craft Precision Guided Munitions Program Spotlight: Presidential Helicopter
Features: Vibration Control Ship Life Cycle Management Program Spotlight: LCS
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August 13-15, 2013 AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems N. America Washington, D.C. http://symposium.auvsi.org/
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INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
Tactical ISR Technology
Ellen Lord President and CEO Textron Systems Ellen Lord is a member of the Textron executive leadership team. Q: How would you describe your company’s positioning within the U.S. Department of Defense intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance enterprise? A: Textron Systems works with customers to tailor cross-domain solutions that deliver the right features and support at the right price. Our mix of air, sea and land platforms is backed by logistics and operational services to optimize mission readiness and value. Q: What are some highlights of Textron Systems’ DoD ISR work? A: AAI Unmanned Aircraft Systems’ Shadow tactical unmanned aircraft system has delivered nearly 850,000 flight hours for customers including the U.S. Army and Marine Corps. Today, we’re upgrading DoD systems to the all-digital RQ-7B V2 configuration, with tactical common data link [TCDL] capability for greater mission flexibility and performance. Our seminal One System command-andcontrol architecture is the foundation for the Army program-of-record One System Remote Video Terminal and Universal Ground Control Station, which also has demonstrated interoperability with Hunter and Gray Eagle systems. We’re now leveraging that architecture for manned/unmanned teaming and bi-directional control. Our Overwatch businesses also deliver proven ISR solutions. Products such as RemoteView software provide critical exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information. Overwatch has delivered singleand multi-source intelligence analysis to DoD customers for decades, including the MultiFunctional Work Station software for the Distributed Common Ground System-Army [DCGS-A] system. Q: How can you partner with DoD customers to meet their ISR goals? A: Customers rely on our unmanned systems, command-and-control architectures, 28 | TISR 3.2
multi-source intelligence software and geospatial intelligence technologies for ISR superiority. We combine these with operations and sustainment support for comprehensive, valuedriven solutions. For example, we have supported our Shadow system in the field for years. Closeness to the customer is a hallmark of our ethos. I traveled to Afghanistan in May to visit end users and employees, and my team shares this commitment to understanding the customer’s mission. Q: What are your DoD customers’ primary ISR challenges? A: Information needs to be accurate, immediate, secure and streamlined. For example, our Integrated Command, or iCommand, suite combines distributed data services, mobile applications and multi-touch table capability to create an immediately actionable, collaborative operational picture. Overwatch’s new Tactical Communications Workforce DCGS-A system provides timely, accurate determination of enemy force threat compositions. Additionally, as the military moves to embrace new technologies such as cloud architectures, our Overwatch businesses are developing web services, thin client applications and virtualized solutions. Q: How are you partnering with the military to help introduce cost savings? A: Despite budget constraints, customer ISR needs are more numerous and critical than ever. We offer a range of products, business models and sustainment strategies for affordable mission success. Our RQ-7B V2 upgrade program allows us to deliver leap-ahead technology enhancements, including TCDL, the universal ground
control station for increased data bandwidth and security, and features to support new mission sets such as manned/unmanned teaming. Smart logistics strategies manage cost over time. Our award-winning Shadow performance based logistics program has placed field service specialists alongside our customers in the field for years, managing system availability and a complex supply chain. We have achieved reductions in cost per flight hour, cost of readiness, and millions in hard program savings just in the past few years. Because fiscal responsibility begins at home, we have embraced efficiency and savings goals as our customers have through initiatives such as Better Buying Power 2.0. We’ve streamlined operations for agile and affordable solutions that maximize customer savings. Q: What international ISR requirements do you see emerging? A: We are engaged with potential customers worldwide with increasing interest in our families of systems for border control, national security, law enforcement and infrastructure protection applications. Keeping productivity and innovation high through international engagement not only supports U.S. interests abroad, but also keeps the domestic industrial base strong. Q: Do you believe ISR technology investments will be of continued importance, even as budgets and force levels contract in some areas of the world? A: ISR will continue to be a priority, as customers have seen its value as a force multiplier. Equally important will be rapid development and fielding to affordably stay ahead of evolving threats and new priorities like the Asia-Pacific pivot. Our next-generation technologies will address emerging requirements with even more seamless interoperability, even more effective integration of data into analysis and reasoning processes, even closer alignment between manned and unmanned systems, and even more immediate situational awareness. O
elord@systems.textron.com www.TISR-kmi.com
NEXTIssue
September 2013 Volume 3, Issue 3
Cover and In-Depth Interview with:
Brig. Gen. (Sel.) Michael Groen Director of Intelligence Marine Corps
FEATURES Synchronizing ISR Operations How NATO orchestrates a range of ISR platforms in an ever-changing battlespace.
Confronting FMV Bandwidth Issues Numerous methods of assuaging the limits of bandwidth exist when dealing with full motion video ISR collection.
ISR in Denied Areas It takes a special kind of UAS to operate in regions with sophisticated militaries.
UAS Training Training pilots for UASs requires considerable simulator experience.
SPECIAL SECTION Force Protection ISR Protecting our troops in remote bases requires a special breed of ISR platforms.
Insertion Order Deadline: August 30, 2013 • Ad Materials Deadline: September 6, 2013
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.
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. © 2013 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