Technology Initiatives in Support of Joint Warfighters-Seamless Integration From Space to Mud

Army, Dec 2004 by Schexnayder, Michael C

While it may be possible for soldiers to use cover and concealment to avoid direct enemy observation, SMDC is also working to ensure that other prying eyes do not observe U.S. military operations. In the Pacific Ocean, on the U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll, is SMDC's Ronald Reagan Test Site (RTS), a premiere asset in the Department of Defense major range and test facility base. RTS offers a one-of-a-kind strategic location, unique instrumentation and unsurpassed capability to support ballistic missile testing and space operations.

Twenty-four hours a day, the RTS monitors the sky, providing invaluable scientific and intelligence data to joint warfighters around the world. Serving as a part of the space surveillance network, the sensors on Kwajalein help intelligence experts determine where other nations' satellites can look and what they can see. Tracking space objects (which include satellites and debris) also supports space control. Space control operations provide freedom of action in space for friendly forces while, when directed, denying it to an adversary.

SMDC is also actively seeking and developing technologies to ensure that the United States has the availability of its space assets and protection from the enemy's use of space. In the words of the SMDC commanding general, Lt. Gen. Larry J. Dodgen, "As space capabilities become more prevalent, there will have to be a great understanding of just what is in space, what it does and whether that creates some vulnerability for some operations. I think we have to think through that and develop some technology that allows us to protect ourselves and protect our capabilities."

Current intelligence-gathering satellites provide vital information about areas that are inaccessible to other reconnaissance assets, but determining the location of the enemy, will soon become easier. The space-based radar (SBR) system may someday provide global coverage for ground moving target indicators and high-resolution all-weather imagery. Employing an interconnected constellation of satellites, SBR will allow a persistent view of the battlefield from space. SMDC is working with the Air Force to ensure that commanders in the field will have the ability to submit taskings for SBR support and receive timely responses. Space to mud is a concept that literally describes the new joint warfighter.

To take advantage of near space (the region between space and where aircraft normally flies), SMDC is managing the high-altitude airship (HAA) advanced concept and technology demonstration. Using lighter-than-air vehicles, the ACTD is demonstrating the capability of these airships to provide true persistent monitoring of the battlefield. Flying at altitudes in excess of 60,000 feet, the HAA will have a field of view that covers hundreds of square kilometers. Equipped with an array of sensors, the HAA will allow continuous observation of enemy activities and combine the high resolution and flexibility of unmanned aerial vehicles with the endurance and survivability of satellites. Enemy forces will no longer enjoy a window of opportunity to resupply or move unobserved.