Submunitions
Abstract
Project Chicken Little continues to provide vital research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) support to developmental smart munitions, seekers/sensors and their platforms, networked weapons, advanced weapon concepts, and innovative targeting technologies employed against a wide variety of vehicle targets, theater air defense units, and an extensive array of foreign threat systems and associated equipment. Hostile combat systems and related equipment exhibit physical characteristics (i.e. signatures), as well as certain vulnerabilities, which can be exploited by various targeting technologies leading to the elimination or incapacitation of the threat through the application of force (e.g. smart munitions or directed energy) or application of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) methods. Chicken Little collects physical, functional, and signature attributes of actual foreign threat systems and related equipment to construct high-fidelity models for use in scientific analysis (e.g. vulnerability and effectiveness assessments) and weapon/targeting system design. Chicken Little collects high resolution signature data using a variety of ground, air, and space-based sensors against both new and existing (obtained, sustained, and maintained to be signature representative) foreign targets; with and without the presence of camouflage, concealment, and deception materials; and operated using enemy tactics/CONOPS. The resulting highly reliable, realistic data directly supports munitions/targeting development programs and helps mitigate overall acquisition risk. The project serves as a major focal point for joint signature exploitation, collection, and dissemination amongst the DoD and intelligence community (IC). Chicken Little is a prime contributor in the time critical process to rapidly exploit, assess, and determine US and allied weapon/targeting performance against high value targets. Customers include: the major Defense and Service Intelligence Centers, all Services, the Joint Technical Coordinating Group (JTCG) who develop the Joint Munitions Effectiveness Manuals (JMEMs), Combatant Commands, AF Major Commands, US Air Force Weapons School curriculum support, and others. Current projects include, but are not limited to: target signature exploitation, target geometric modeling (for identifying vulnerabilities), improving air capabilities against protected structures (specifically hard and deeply buried targets), and the testing of multiple seekers, sensors, and targeting technologies in representative environments against COCOM/MAJCOM/IC high value targets. This program is in Budget Activity 5, System Development and Demonstration (SDD) because it has passed Milestone B approval and is conducting engineering and manufacturing development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirements prior to full-rate production.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2013
- Source ID
- 0604604F_5_3600_PB_2013
- Change Summary Explanation
- FY11 adjustment Congressional General Reductions -$0.008
- Service Agency Name
- Air Force
Entities
Organizations
- United States Air Force
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