Army Kwajalein Atoll

Abstract

The U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll/Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (USAKA/RTS), located in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, is a remote, secure activity of the Major Range and Test Facility Base (MRTFB). Its function is to support test and evaluation of major Army and DoD acquisition programs and to provide space operations (surveillance and object identification) in support of U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scientific and space programs. Programs supported include Army missile defense, Air Force and Navy Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) developmental and operational tests; Army, Air Force, Navy and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) hypersonic developmental tests; Missile Defense Agency (MDA) operational/demonstration/validation tests; , USSTRATCOM space situational awareness requirements (inc contributions to the U.S. Space Surveillance Network); and space experiments. USAKA/RTS is a government-managed/contractor-operated (GMCO) site and is dependent upon its associated support contractors for operations and maintenance (O&M). Program funds contractors to accomplish O&M for both the RTS instrumentation suite and installation/base operations and provides mission essential bandwidth via a fiber optics cable system. Funding is required to maintain O&M support, while accepting moderate risk of continued degradation of USAKA/RTS infrastructure (housing, offices, and facilities), higher future repair costs, and reduced logistical support capability. The instrumentation suite consists of a number of sophisticated, one-of-a-kind, radar, optical, telemetry, command/control/communications, safety, and data reduction systems. These systems include the four unique radars of the Kiernan Reentry Measurement Site (KREMS); Super Recording Automatic Digital Optical Tracker (SRADOT) long range video-metric tracking systems; high density data recorders for high data-rate telemetry collected by ten antennas; an underwater acoustic impact location system; and data analysis/reduction hardware/software and CONUS based mission control center. The Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) Long-Range Tracking and Instrumentation Radar (ALTAIR), and the Target Resolution Discrimination Experiment (TRADEX) radars located at RTS, are the only radars in this area of operation that have deep-space tracking capability. The Millimeter Wave Radar (MMW) is one of the highest resolution imaging radars in the world providing critical intelligence data. Funding enables weapon system assessment of operational effectiveness and suitability for the Army, Air Force, Navy and MDA, which all have programs planned that have significant test and data gathering requirements at RTS. This test data cannot be obtained except through the use of technical facilities available on and in the vicinity of RTS. Program supports Army's PATRIOT air defense system; Air Force's Minuteman III ICBM and the Space and Missile Center's associated programs; MDA's Ballistic Missile Defense System, ICBM Targets, and Layered Ballistic Missile Defense operational tests (including: PATRIOT, Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD), and AEGIS weapon systems), and NASA's space experiments.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2017
• Source ID: 0605301A_6_2040_PB_2017
• Change Summary Explanation: FY2017 increase is to fund Base Operations/Infrastructure requirements in support of the Kwajalein Atoll mission. Increased funding supports transportation/installation operations, equipment maintenance and sustainment activities. Increased funds also provides the required fuel to support transportation and electrical generators. Approximately 90% of fuel consumed on the Atoll is used to provide power generation supporting electrical services, heating/cooling services, water services and waste water services. Due to the remote location of the Atoll, cost of delivering Base and Logistical support services require $3 spent to receive $1 worth of material or service.
• Service Agency Name: Army

Entities

Organizations

• United States Army

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Biomedical
• Human Systems
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Ballistic Missiles
• Civilian Personnel
• Control Systems
• Defense Systems
• Emergency Response
• Employment
• Families (Human)
• Health Services
• Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
• Land Transportation
• Military Personnel
• Situational Awareness
• Space Situational Awareness
• Systems Engineering
• Test And Evaluation
• Test Facilities
• United States Strategic Command

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering.
• Missile Defense Systems.

Technology Areas

• 5G
• 5G - DoD 5G Program
• Fully Networked C3
• Hypersonics
• Hypersonics - Hypersonic Flow
• Space
• Space - Space Objects