850 ELSG Office Leads Way in Integrating Radar’s Missile Defense

The defense of the United States against potential missile threats is closer to fruition, thanks to the efforts of the 850^th Electronic Systems Group’s Upgraded Early Warning Radar Program Office, which is charged with incorporating missile defense into existing Air Force early warning radars.

“We will have a ballistic missile defense option that allows us to not only identify and track, but also intercept and destroy warheads in flight,” said Col. Michael Cox, UEWR program manager.

The office’s mission is to sustain the existing large-scale ballistic missile early warning radars for the Air Force while also developing the missile defense capabilities put into these radars for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). It manages the sustainment and development efforts for six ground-based radars. Four have been or are currently being upgraded—COBRA DANE at Eareckson Air Station, Shemya, AK; Beale AFB, CA; R.A.F. Fylingdales, UK; and Thule Air Base, Greenland.

The upgrade effort will eventually include radars located at Cape Cod, MA, and Clear, AK. Incorporating the Missile Defense mission into the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System and PAVE PAWS radars allows offensive responses to shoot down missiles.

This will act as the nation’s first ballistic missile defense by a ground-based sensor network and feed into the Ballistic Missile Defense System that MDA is also putting in place.

“This new capability allows the war fighter to do something against incoming ballistic missiles,” Colonel Cox said. Additionally, the upgrade brings with it capabilities that better equip the war fighter to take on threats. Improved tracking capabilities and a clearer picture will translate into a more thorough battlespace view.

“It gives the war fighter more flexibility, and a better view of what the real situational awareness of a threat is,” the colonel said.

The radars provide tracking data and estimate launch and impact points of the missile. That data is fed into the Integrated Tactical Warning and Attack Assessment system.

Analysis of this information allows for the mobilization of forces—moving equipment and airplanes and providing launched bomber fleets with responses. At the same time, data is passed on to MDA’s Ground-based Midcourse communication network.

This in turn provides information for the launching and guidance of interceptors against incoming missile threats. And though the entire BMDS is currently in development, Colonel Cox said what lies ahead is equally important.

For the system, the future means a continual capability evolution, bringing with it more defensive and offensive options against long-range threats. It also means improvements in radar accuracy and reporting times that will consequently feed into offensive capabilities already in place, he said.