RADAR DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

This system is a supporting program of the overall Air and Missile Defense (AMD) architecture and will provide for an incrementally fielded Integrated Air and Missile Defense Fire Control System/capability for the composite Army Air and Missile Defense Brigades. The Improved Sentinel system is used with the Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2) element and is a key component to the Integrated Air and Missile Defense architecture via the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) to provide critical air surveillance of the forward areas. Improved Sentinel (AN/MPQ-64A1) consists of a radar-based sensor with its prime mover/power, Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), and Forward Area Air Defense (FAAD) Command, Control and Intelligence (C2I) interfaces. The radar is deployed in both an air defense role and a force protection role for Counter-Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM) missions. The sensor is an advanced three-dimensional battlefield X-Band air defense phased-array radar with an instrumented range of 75 km. The Improved Sentinel is capable of operating day or night, in adverse weather conditions, in the battlefield environments of dust, smoke, aerosols and enemy countermeasures. It provides 360-degree azimuth coverage for acquisition tracking. The Improved Sentinel contributes to the digital battlefield by automatically detecting, classifying, identifying and reporting targets (cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, rotary wing and fixed wing aircraft). Improved Sentinel acquires targets sufficiently forward of the battle area to allow weapons reaction time and engagement at optimum ranges. The Improved Sentinel's integrated IFF reduces the potential for fratricide of US and Coalition aircraft. The Research and Development funding supports Sentinel modernization/upgrades, hardware/software issue resolution, resolution of obsolescence issues, engineering studies, and cost reduction initiatives. The funding for FY 2012 through FY 2018 development activities addresses the following Sentinel system capability gaps and obsolescence issues identified by the User: 1) Target Detection gap; 2) Target Tracking gap; 3) Net Readiness gap; 4) Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) gap; and 5) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Defense gap. Battle Space Improvement addresses the Target Detection gap that currently exists with the Sentinel system. This development effort modifies the radar signal processor algorithms to reduce system processing losses. The modified algorithms will increase target acquisition and tracking range capability by a minimum of 12 percent against the threat set within the instrumented range band. This effort also develops modifications to the radar hardware by adding a common signal processing card to the radar signal processor to provide a common hardware and software processing configuration across the Sentinel radar fleet. Stop, Stare and Track addresses the Target Tracking gap. This development effort provides direct Fire Control Radar (FCR) support in an integrated air and missile defense architecture. In addition this provides significantly improved Non-Cooperative Target Recognition (NCTR) timeline and performance against all targets. It also enables rapid classification of cued RAM, as well as very accurate Point of Origin (POO) and Point of Impact (POI), and enables a robust Kill Assessment capability of engaged targets. Cross Domain Solution (CDS) Network Interface addresses net readiness and system security concerns. This effort develops a CDS interface to isolate the Improved Sentinel from connected networks of lower classification levels. Electronic Counter Counter Measures (ECCM) addresses the ECM gap. This effort conducts additional testing to verify initial ECCM results and updates the database with more extensive ECCM signatures of evolving threats. Signal Data Processor (SDP)/North Finding Module (NFM) addresses the Target Detection, Target Tracking, and ECM capability gaps and funds the mitigation of the SDP and NFM obsolescence issues. SDP cards are estimated to go obsolete every four to six years. Small/Low/Slow (SLS) addresses the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Defense gap. This effort provides an order of magnitude capability improvement in Sentinel's ability to detect, track and classify new and emerging smaller and more capable UAS at extended ranges in tactically challenging natural and urban clutter environments while maintaining a low false broadcast track rate, and without the use of different specialized Modes that increase chances for operator misapplication (i.e. there will be only one Mode that does all targets).

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2014
• Source ID: 0604820A_5_2040_PB_2014
• Service Agency Name: Army

Entities

Organizations

• United States Army

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Autonomy
• C4I
• Sensors
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Air Defense
• Aircrafts
• Classification
• Command And Control
• Control Systems
• Cost Reductions
• Cross Domain
• Detection
• Forward Areas
• Radar Signals
• Target Detection
• Target Recognition
• Target Tracking
• Test And Evaluation
• Unmanned Aerial Systems
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Readers

• Naval Mine Countermeasure Systems Development.
• Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.
• Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

• Autonomy
• Autonomy - UAVs
• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Microelectronics
• Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems
• Space
• Space - Space Objects