Distributed Common Ground/Surface Systems

Abstract

Air Force Distributed Common Ground System (AF DCGS) is the Combat Air Force (CAF) weapon system architecture for planning and direction, collection, processing and exploitation, analysis and production, and dissemination (PCPAD) of data from Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Since AF DCGS is also a major component of the DoD DCGS, the system is designed to complement and interoperate with the DoD, Army, Navy and Marine Corps DCGS. The AF DCGS mission is to provide Joint Task Force (JTF) Commanders, Air Component Commanders, Unified Commands, and other directed organizations with global, time-sensitive ISR PCPAD across the spectrum of military operations. AF DCGS is a multi-INT network linked weapon system (AN/GSQ-272) capable of exploiting intelligence data from manned platforms, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), non-traditional ISR platforms, national and commercial satellites, and other collection systems. AF DCGS is designed to support joint operational requirements by providing a common PCPAD means to provide time-sensitive intelligence to field commanders and in support of the Air Operations Center (AOC) mission requirements. Currently, the AF DCGS worldwide architecture is composed of two worldwide core sites, three regional core sites, two remote Air Force Forces (AF FOR) sites, four National Mission Partner (NMP) sites, three support sites, and multiple National Guard Bureau (NGB) sites. Currently, AF DCGS is supporting ongoing operations from forward deployed and in-garrison CONUS and OCONUS based locations. The system employs a concept of data distribution, information sharing and collaborative work centers. AF DCGS provides the national leadership and the warfighter with integrated and interoperable national and airborne reconnaissance by providing quality and fused Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT), and Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) tailored to the warfighter for all levels of conflict. AF DCGS is transforming by integrating the necessary technologies and tools to provide increased capabilities and meet emerging and urgent operational needs. These efforts will also integrate commercial-off-the-shelf and government-off-the-shelf 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, as well as enhance interoperability by migrating to an Open Architecture (OA) to improve data sharing ability per DoD direction. Program management consists of eight ACAT III efforts: GEOINT (GB 4.1), GEOINT Transformation, Systems Release (SR 3.0), SIGINT Transformation, Sensor Integration, Multi-INT, Network Infrastructure Transformation, and DCGS Reference Imagery Transition (DRT): 1. *GB 4.1: The GEOINT Baseline 4.1 (GB4.1) effort completes the Bulk Release process and provides a common baseline across the weapon system. It also integrates Airborne Cuing and Exploitation System, Hyper Spectral ACES-HY (MQ-1) and Global Hawk (GH) Block 40 capability into AF DCGS. 2. GEOINT Transformation: The GEOINT Transformation effort rapidly integrates new capabilities and migrates GEOINT-specific applications & capabilities into the open architecture framework. 3. *SR 3.0: The Systems Release (3.0) effort completes SIGINT Bulk Release process and provides a common baseline across the weapon system. Provides the ability to PCPAD the Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload (ASIP) family of systems and integrates the Common Intelligence Collections System (CICS) capability. 4. SIGINT Transformation: Rapidly integrate new capabilities, leverage mission partner methods and tools, exchange data, and migrate the SIGINT-specific applications/capabilities into the open architecture framework. 5. *Sensor Integration: The Sensor Integration effort rapidly integrates AF, Joint, & Coalition Sensor data into DCGS Enterprise to ingest data, perform sensor planning, and Command & Control. 6. Multi-INT: Provides and supports Open Architecture (OA)-based Enterprise Services, moves to commodity hardware, a virtual desktop environment, and facilitates enterprise-wide collaborative tools. 7. Network Infrastructure Transformation: The Infrastructure Transformation effort modernizes the AF DCGS infrastructure to improve data ingest, transfer, and storage capabilities while migrating the network toward a cloud architecture. 8.*DRT: The Air Force DCGS Reference Imagery Transition (DRT) effort provides data ingest, transfer, and storage capabilities for NGA reference imagery data. NOTES: *For FY19, this effort does not have any associated RDT&E funding. The Other Procurement Air Force (OPAF) funding is exhibited in the Procurement Documentation (WSC846080, DCGS-AF).

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2019
• Source ID: 0305208F_7_3600_PB_2019
• Change Summary Explanation: In FY 2017, $11.550M Request for Additional Appropriations was denied in the FY 2017 Appropriations Act. In FY 2019 Base, the AF transferred $2.403M from the Project SUTER effort in PE 0305221F, Network-Centric Collaborative Targeting to PE 0305208F. The AF also transferred $1.019M for the Automatic Target Recognition effort from PE 0305208F to PE 0305206F, Airborne Reconnaissance Systems. These transfers result in the $1.384M aggregate reported on the "Other Adjustment" line. In FY 2019 OCO, $3.5M add reflects the AF request for OCO funding for the Full Motion Video (FMV) Geo-Coordination (Geo-Coord) Accuracy effort. Due to a database error, the additional $26M in FY 2019 OCO for "MQ-9 Development and Fielding" (Project 675246) was erroneously placed in PE 0305208F but belongs in PE 0305829F,"Video Data Link". The error will be fixed during the next President's Budget cycle. This effort is a new start and will provide situational awareness (SA) to the operator on the ground using real time Full Motion Video (FMV) from secure line of sight links to airborne ISR and other platforms. The FY19 OCO is for further system development of the Mounted and Airborne Video Data Link (MAVDL). Focus areas will be Mobile Ad-Hoc Networking, updated cryptographic hardware, and improved waveforms for LPI/LPD (Low Probability of Intercept/Low Probability of Detection) operations.
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Autonomy
• C4I
• Counter WMD
• Materials and Manufacturing Processes
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Air Force
• Automated Target Recognition
• Command And Control
• Data Links
• Detectors
• Full Motion Video
• Geospatial Intelligence
• Intelligence Collection
• Measurement And Signature Intelligence
• Military Operations
• Procurement
• Signals Intelligence
• Surveillance
• Target Recognition
• Test And Evaluation
• Video Data Links

Readers

• Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Geospatial Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence Analytics

Technology Areas

• Space