Ballistic Missile Defense Sensors

Abstract

The Missile Defense System network of layered sensors provides essential situational awareness and fire control data for the command and control of Missile Defense System weapon systems, such as Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD), Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD), and Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD). The suite of remote ground-based sensors provides early warning, midcourse, and terminal missile defense threat data. This data enables layered detection and tracking of missile targets, providing fire-control quality position, velocity, and discrimination data through GMD Fire Control, or Command and Control, Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC). Overlapping coverage of geographically diverse sensors provides improved threat track data, reduces the impact of the loss of any one sensor, and reduces the potential impact of countermeasures. The extended coverage and accuracy provided by a network of layered sensors increases the defensive footprint and reduces the number of target engagements required, thereby conserving interceptor inventory and maintaining a high probability of successful engagement. Networked forward-based sensors enable C2BMC to pair the best sensor coverage with the best available weapon system to provide the most effective defense against missile threats. This Program Element (PE) includes Missile Defense System threat discrimination improvements, which will enhance Missile Defense System effectiveness against the evolving adversary threat. The result will be a Missile Defense System architecture more capable of discriminating and destroying reentry vehicles with a higher degree of confidence, improving Warfighter shot doctrine, and more efficiently using interceptor inventory. Missile Defense System threat discrimination improvements are funded from the Enabling (0603890C), Midcourse (0603882C), BMD Sensors (0603884C), C2BMC (0603896C), and Aegis BMD (0603892C) PEs. The Missile Defense System Sensors Program contributes to regional and homeland missile defense through the development, delivery, and deployment/redeployment of Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance and Control-2 (AN/TPY-2) radars for operations or tests. AN/TPY-2 radars can be configured to operate as either a THAAD Fire Unit Radar (terminal mode) or Forward-Based Radar. These radars are transportable and add flexibility to respond to geographical changes in threats. Radars provide early warning tracking and discrimination data through all phases of missile flight. Through the Missile Defense System C2BMC and coalition data links, the AN/TPY-2 provides fire control data to enable remote Standard Missile-3 engagements by Aegis BMD, and to cue deployed THAAD and U.S. and partner PATRIOT (Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target) batteries. The Missile Defense System sensor network includes: the U.S. Space Force (USSF) COBRA DANE (CD) Radar at Eareckson Air Station, AK, and the USSF Upgraded Early Warning Radars (UEWRs) at Beale Air Force Base, CA; Cape Cod Space Force Station (SFS), MA; Clear SFS, AK; Royal Air Force Fylingdales, United Kingdom; and Thule Air Base, Greenland, for defense of the homeland. This program element supports sensors Modeling and Simulation development of Digital and Hardware-in-the-loop models to support Integrated Master Test Plan events and system-level digital testing for Missile Defense System assessments of the Long Range Discrimination Radar, AN/TPY-2, Sea-Based X-Band, Upgraded Early Warning Radar, and CD radar. This program element also supports the planning and deployment of persistent radars. Cyber Operations sustain the Risk Management Framework (RMF) and Controls Validation Testing activities, analysis of validation results, risk assessments, reviews of Plans of Action and Milestones, and alignment and integration to the Tier 2 Cybersecurity Service Provider for the Ground Sensors mission systems. Cyber Operations supports the execution of lab-based developmental cyber testing (Baseline Assessment Technical Testing, Cooperative Vulnerability Identification and Adversarial Cybersecurity Developmental Test and Evaluation) for all major mission system software version releases. These efforts position Ground Sensor assets to complete transition to National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-53 revision 5 requirements (i.e., RMF 2.0) and enhances software supply chain security by developing and maintaining the software bill of materials for all developed and delivered Ground Sensors mission and mission support software as directed in the President's Executive Order on Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity dated May 12, 2021.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2024
• Source ID: 0603884C_4_0400_PB_2024
• Change Summary Explanation: The decrease in FY 2024 reflects realignment to higher Department priorities.
• Service Agency Name: Missile Defense Agency

Entities

Organizations

• Missile Defense Agency

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Cyber
• Kinetic Weapons
• Sensors
• Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Computer Security Techniques
• Defense Systems
• Early Warning Systems
• Information Security
• Information Systems
• Logistics
• Manufacturing
• Processing Equipment
• Reliability
• Space Force
• Supply Chain
• Supply Chain Integrity
• System Software
• Systems Engineering
• Test And Evaluation
• United States Strategic Command
• Warfare

Readers

• Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

• Cyber
• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Space
• Space - Space Objects