News From Washington
ESC, AFA to Sponsor Air Force C2 Summit
Some of the Air Force's top leaders will plot a road map for integrating the service's command and control enterprise at the Air Force Command and Control Summit co-sponsored by the Electronic Systems Center and the Paul Revere Chapter of the Air Force Association October 1 to 3 at the Sheraton Ferncroft in Danvers, MA. The event will feature presentations by a number of four-star generals, including: Gen. Ralph E. Eberhart, commander-in-chief of North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Space Command as well as commander of Air Force Space Command; Gen. Lester L. Lyles, commander of Air Force Materiel Command; and Gen. John Jumper, commander of Air Force Combat Command, who was recently nominated by President George W. Bush to succeed Gen. Michael Ryan as Air Force Chief of Staff.
The summit will address the most important technical and managerial challenges in creating a truly integrated C2 capability, according to Electronic Systems Center Commander Lt. Gen. Leslie F. Keene.
Panels of Government and industry leaders are currently working on a number of important topics related to the integration of command and control. These panels will propose time-phased road maps for funding, industry involvement, technology transitions, acquisition and business processes.
To find out more about the summit or to register on-line for the summit, go to www.paulrevereafa. horizons.com and click on the C2 Summit button. Hotel reservations can be made by calling the Sheraton reservation line at 1-800-325-3535 or the Ferncroft directly at 978-750-7951 and asking for the Air Force Association Group.
Lockheed Martin's PAC-3 Missile Achieves Major Flight Test Milestones
Lockheed Martin's Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile program has achieved major success at the White Sands Missile Range, NM, by meeting two key flight test milestones.
The first objective was to track and radar lock tactical ballistic missile (TBM) and aircraft targets in the presence of radar jamming. The success of the mission proved the PAC-3 Missile's ability to engage targets in an electronic countermeasure environment, a requirement for the PAC-3 Missile test program.
A second developmental test milestone was achieved when the PAC-3 Missile intercepted and destroyed an aircraft target, a remotely piloted F-4 with an on-board radar jamming device. With the intercept of the aircraft target, the PAC-3 Missile has now demonstrated its ability to defeat the entire spectrum of threats to the Patriot Air Defense System: tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft targets. Being able to defeat these three types of threat targets is another operational requirement of the PAC-3 Missile.
The mission at White Sands involved two PAC-3 Missiles and two targets. The first PAC-3 Missile successfully intercepted and totally destroyed the F-4 target aircraft. The second PAC-3 Missile radar-locked the Hera TBM, a target the PAC-3 Missile has intercepted and destroyed multiple times in past missions, but did not achieve intercept. Analyses are being conducted, so corrective action can be taken.
"This test was a success from our perspective," said James F. Berry, president of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. "This is an incredible machine that has now proven conclusively that it is fully capable to handle the entire threat to the Patriot Air Defense System, even in electronic countermeasure environment."
Operationally, the tactical doctrine for the PAC-3 Missile will be to fire two missiles at incoming TBM targets, as was the case on March 31, 2001. In that "tactical ripple mode" test, two PAC-3 Missiles were fired at the same Hera target, with the first missile intercepting the TBM and destroying it. The second missile then performed the planned tactical self-destruct maneuver.
PAC-3 is one of the world's most sophisticated technologies. The PAC-3 Missile boasts 11 successes out of 12 flights over the past three years, with eight intercepts in nine attempts, an overall 92 percent success for the flight test program.
US Army Dedicates First AN/GSC-52 Satellite Communications Terminal Site
The US Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) has accepted the first installation upgrade of a strategic satellite communications (SATCOM) terminal as part of a $100 M modernization program awarded to Harris Corp. in 1998. The acceptance of the SATCOM site was recognized in recent ceremonies attended by nearly 100 representatives of the US Army and Harris. Representatives gathered at the US Army Signal Center, Fort Gordon, GA, for a ribbon cutting ceremony marking the acceptance of the first AN/GSC-52 SATCOM terminal modernization site. The objective of the program is to upgrade and modernize all Department of Defense (DOD) strategic Defense Satellite Communication Systems sites, which provide long-haul satellite communications for strategic and tactical war fighting.
The Fort Gordon First Article Test (FAT) installation, which supports training of multi-service satellite operators and maintainers, is the first of 39 fixed and mobile AN/GSC-52 sites that will be modernized by the year 2006. Four other FAT site upgrades at Fort Belvoir, VA, Fort Meade, MD, Fort Monmouth, NJ, and Fort Bragg, NC, are scheduled for completion by October of this year. Each of the FAT sites represents a different terminal configuration. The modernization program also includes 36 Heavy and Medium Terminal sites.
Loral to Build Two New Satellites to Provide X-band Satellite Services to Governments
Loral Space and Communications announced that Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), the company's satellite manufacturing and technology unit, will build two new satellites to provide leased transponder and communications services to the Spanish Ministry of Defense and government users in the United States, Spain and other friendly nations.
Two companies have been formed to provide leased satellite services: HISDESAT, S.A., which includes various Spanish partner companies, notably HISPASAT, S.A., the existing Spanish commercial satellite communications company based in Madrid; and XTAR, a satellite communication services company in which Loral will hold a 50 percent interest as managing partner with the newly formed HISDESAT.
"Loral views X-band satellite communications services to governments as a new commercial application with substantial growth potential," said Bernard L. Schwartz, chairman and CEO of Loral. "XTAR plans to extend its services concept to meet a growing demand worldwide for a variety of satellite services."
For HISDESAT, SS/L will build SpainSat, which will primarily provide dedicated communications for the Spanish Ministry of Defense. SpainSat will carry nine specially configured X-band transponders and a Ka-band payload, and will operate from the 30° West longitude orbital position, providing coverage of Spain, Europe, Africa and the Americas.
SS/L will also build the XTAR-EUR satellite for XTAR, which will offer leased transponder services to government customers and provide back-up services to the Spanish Ministry of Defense. The XTAR-EUR will carry 12 wideband X-band transponders and be located in either an Atlantic or Indian Ocean region orbital slot to be determined by XTAR. The satellite, in conjunction with the SpainSat satellite, will extend the coverage area to include Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Loral Skynet will provide telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C) services for XTAR from its existing ground stations.
XTAR is scheduled to enter service in 2003 and SpainSat in 2004.