Distributed Common Ground/Surface Systems

Abstract

AF Distributed Common Ground Systems (DCGS) is a network-centric weapon system capable of tasking Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensors and receiving, and providing the Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (PED) capability for data, information and intelligence from airborne, national, and commercial platforms and sensors. The weapon system consists of numerous active duty, Air National Guard, and mission partner sites interconnected by a robust communications infrastructure that allows collaborative reach-back operations. Operators correlate collected Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT), Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), and Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT) data to provide decision-quality information to the Joint Task Force (JTF) and below, including significant support to time-critical targeting. AF DCGS is the primary PED capability for the U-2, Global Hawk, Predator, Reaper and Project Liberty (through 2015). AF DCGS is modernizing through sustainment by integrating the necessary technologies and tools to provide increased capabilities and meet emerging and urgent operational needs. These efforts will also integrate commercial and government furnished equipment upgrades to provide current technologies and achieve necessary application services. The next series of upgrades will meet the operational need to integrate new and/or improved sensor capabilities. They will also enhance interoperability by migrating to a Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)and improving data sharing ability per DoD direction. The DCGS Data Compression effort provides the warfighter a capability to efficiently compress and decompress airborne ISR sensor data and transmit near real-time to tactical users through current and future bandwidth limited commercial satellite communications (SATCOM) or military SATCOM. The effort will develop, test and implement new sensor data compression and decompression algorithms for current and emerging airborne ISR sensors. Additionally, the program develops compression and decompression capabilities for manned and unmanned airborne platforms, associated ground stations, and DCGS. Outputs will meet standard certification for use within the DoD GEOINT and MASINT architectures. Activities include studies and analysis to support both current program planning and execution and future program planning. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

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Document Details

Document Type
R2 Budgetary Justification
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2016
Source ID
0305208F_7_3600_PB_2016
Change Summary Explanation
The FY2016 funding request was reduced by $1.918 million to account for the availability of prior execution balances.
Service Agency Name
Air Force

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • C4I
  • Sensors
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Active Duty
  • Air Force
  • Air National Guard
  • Airborne
  • Availability
  • Compression
  • Computing System Architectures
  • Data Compression
  • Geospatial Intelligence
  • Government Furnished Equipment
  • Ground Control Stations
  • Measurement And Signature Intelligence
  • National Guard
  • Service Oriented Architecture
  • Signals Intelligence
  • Surveillance
  • Weapon Systems

Readers

  • Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
  • Geospatial Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence Analytics
  • Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - UAVs
  • Space

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