Cooperative Engagement

Abstract

Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) significantly improves Battle Force Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) capability by coordinating all Battle Force AAW sensors into a single, real-time, composite track picture capable of fire control quality. CEC distributes sensor data from each ship and aircraft, or cooperating unit (CU), to all other CUs in the battle force through a real-time, line of sight, high data rate sensor and engagement data distribution network. CEC is highly resistant to jamming and provides accurate gridlocking between CUs. Each CU independently employs high capacity, parallel processing and advanced algorithms to combine all distributed sensor data into a fire control quality track picture which is the same for all CUs. CEC data is presented as a superset of the best AAW sensor capabilities from each CU, all of which are integrated into a single input to each CU's combat weapons system. CEC significantly improves our Battle Force defense in depth, including both local area and ship defense capabilities against current and future AAW threats. Moreover, CEC provides critical connectivity and integration of over-land air defense systems capable of countering emerging air threats, including land attack cruise missiles, in a complex littoral environment. CEC consists of the Data Distribution System (DDS), the Cooperative Engagement Processor (CEP), and interface with Combat Systems and sensors. The DDS encodes and distributes own-ship sensor and engagement data and is a high capacity, jam resistant, directive system providing a precision gridlocking and high throughput of data. The CEP is a high capacity distributed processor that processes force levels of data in near real-time. The data is passed to the ship's combat system as high quality data for which the ship can cue its onboard sensors or use the data to engage targets without actually tracking them. CEC incorporates Advanced Capability Build-12 (ACB-12) into the CEC baseline for FY09 - FY13. The Navy implemented a Signal Data Processor (SDP) approach to modify the current equipment to meet reduced size, weight, cost, power and cooling objectives. This SDP approach also supports continuity for interoperability improvements and program protection, as well as supporting open architecture initiatives, and comms independence. The SDP will provide hardware which complies with Category 3 Open Architecture Computing Environment (OACE) standards with rehosted existing software, which will be fielded fleet-wide to allow affordable replacement of obsolete computing system components and eliminate dependencies on "closed" equipment, operating systems, and middleware. Additionally, CEC is working with the Army to engineer a Joint Track Management (JTM) and sensor measurement fusion capability, which will be implemented in their respective programs to achieve interoperability across the battle space. COMOPTEVFOR found the AN/USG-3 (E-2C Airborne CEC) Operationally Effective, but not Operationally Suitable. Reliability and availability issues are addressed by the replacement of four Weapons replaceable Assemblies (WRAs) with the new SDP. Backfit of the SDP in the E-2C will resolve suitability issues and satisfy National Security Agency (NSA) directed Crypto Modernization requirements with funding provided in FY10 and FY11. The SDP will also be used in E-2D. A family of antennas approach will be used to satisfy CEC requirements with lower life cycle costs (procurement, installation, and maintenance) and reduced weight (on mast and below deck). These antennas enable future capability as well as providing a solution extensible to additional platforms. This effort for Common Array Block (CAB) antennas will be competed and awarded to a single Design Agent in FY12 and a competitive award for production is planned for FY14. Large Nets respond to emergent needs of operational forces and missions, provides an extensible foundation for capability growth, provides interoperability with legacy units in Global Mode. This will provide an increase in DDS network size. This is needed to improve multiple battle group operations. Applicable ships and systems include all CEC deployed units and future fielding to include CG/DDG Modernization, and its Pathfinder Programs. Data Distribution System (DDS) must increase nodes to support the increasing number of fielded CEC assets. In support of Interoperability, CEC will continue to work collaboratively with other Combat Systems programs (AWS, E-2C, E-2D, SSDS, CDLMS, C2P, and SGS/AC) to develop the software and implement design corrections and system changes. CEC will analyze the interactions of interoperability issues and impacts and provide collaboration for development of CEC and other system changes. Develop the long term solutions, including the engineering process to validate small parts of developmental software ideas, and utilize M&S to validate design approaches in the systems engineering realm.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2013
• Source ID: 0603658N_4_1319_PB_2013
• Change Summary Explanation: Technical: Not Applicable. Schedule: Not Applicable.
• Service Agency Name: Navy

Entities

Organizations

• United States Navy

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Ground and Sea Platforms
• Materials and Manufacturing Processes
• Sensors
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Aircrafts
• Computer Programs
• Contracts
• Cooperative Engagement Capability
• Cost Analysis
• Costs
• Defense Systems
• Engineering
• Logistics Support
• Navy
• Operating Systems
• Parallel Computing
• Parallel Processing
• Production
• Program Management
• Systems Engineering
• Test And Evaluation

Fields of Study

• Engineering

Readers

• Naval Mine Countermeasure Systems Development.

Technology Areas

• Space