COCOM Exercise
Abstract
Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) is a supporting program for Army and Joint Integrated Air and Missile Defense, providing elevated, persistent, over the horizon surveillance and fire control quality data on Army and Joint networks, enabling protection of the U.S. and coalition forces as well as critical geo political assets from Cruise Missiles, Aircraft, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, Tactical Ballistic Missiles, Large Caliber Rockets, and Surface Moving Targets. A JLENS Orbit consists of two systems: a fire control radar system and a wide-area surveillance radar system. Each radar system consists of a separate 74- meter tethered aerostat, mobile mooring station, radar and communications payload, processing station, and associated ground support equipment. The systems are designed to work together, but can operate independently. The JLENS Orbit is transportable by road, rail, sea and air. JLENS uses advanced sensor and networking technologies to provide persistent, 360-degree, wide-area surveillance and precision tracking of Land Attack Cruise Missiles and other types of Air Breathing Threats. This information is distributed via joint service networks and provides fire control quality data to Surface to Air missile systems, such as Army Patriot and Navy Aegis, increasing the weapons' capabilities by allowing systems to engage targets normally below, outside, or beyond surface based weapons' field of view. JLENS also provides fire control quality data to fighter aircraft, allowing the aircraft to engage hostile threats from extended ranges, and contributes to the development of a single integrated air picture. JLENS prepared for and participated in Operation Noble Eagle (ONE) with NORAD-USNORTHCOM National Capital Region (NCR) Integrated Air Defense System (IADS) Operational Exercise (OPEX) from FY14-FY16, as directed by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council Memorandum (JROCM) 021-13 signed by the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on 31 January 2013. JLENS participation in the OPEX was to allow for a combatant commander’s operational assessment of JLENS capabilities to "inform a future decision for enduring operational employment". Operational Control of JLENS for the OPEX was transferred to the NORAD/NORTHCOM Joint Air Defense Operations Center (JADOC) on 15 October 2015. Due to a tether break accident on 28 October 2015 and resulting loss of the Fire Control System aerostat and significant damage to the Radar and Mobile Mooring Station, the Commander NORAD/NORTHCOM suspended JLENS participation in the OPEX pending results of accident investigations and Failure Review Board recommendations. JLENS participation in the OPEX was terminated per an Under Secretary for Defense Policy decision memorandum dated 15 June 2016. In accordance with Army Acquisition Executive (AAE) direction, JLENS equipment supporting the OPEX was packed and stored at the APG sites effective 21 June 2016, pending higher headquarters decision on the future of the JLENS program.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2018
- Source ID
- EP8_0202429A_7_2040_PB_2018
Related Documents
- Root: Aerostat Joint Project - COCOM Exercise
- Child Accomplishment: JLENS Exercise