Ballistic Missile Defense Radars

Mission — Sensor Development source

COBRA DANE (CD) radar is located 200 miles from Russia, at Eareckson AS, AK (Shemya Island, AK). CD is the most powerful, sensitive, and accurate Ground-based Mid-course Defense (GMD) radar and the premier Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) radar. At the same time, it is the most accurate and capable phased array available to the Space Surveillance Network (SSN) for cataloging hazardous and difficult-to-track satellites and space debris objects that clutter the near-earth orbital regime that cannot be detected by most other SSN tracking assets. CD detects Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and Sea-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), classifies reentry vehicles (RVs) and other missile objects, provides real-time information to the GMD Fire Control (GFC), and provides tracking of threat ballistic missiles with sufficient accuracy to commit the launch of interceptors and to update the target tracks to the interceptor while the interceptor is in flight. CD's other primary mission is to support US Space Command's (USSPACECOM) Space Domain Awareness (SDA) mission by detecting, tracking, correlating, and characterizing man-made resident space objects, primarily in the Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) regime, including space debris and early observation of New Foreign Launches (NFLs). It operates as part of the larger SSN and provides metric observation data to its command and control nodes: the Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC) and the Distributed Space Command and Control - Dahlgren (DSC2-D). CD also supports USSPACECOM's Space Object Identification (SOI) mission by providing narrow-band radar data of man-made resident space objects in the LEO regime. SOI information is used to ascertain the mission and operational status of various payloads and aids in forecasting maneuvers or deorbits. CD will acquire a modern architecture through design, development, integration, and test. This architecture enhances mission capability, providing warfighter and stakeholder customers direct operational benefit. CD utilizes Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I), University Affiliated Research Center (UARC), and Assistance and Advisory Services (A&AS) contractors to support programmatic and technical activities. Activities include studies and analysis to support both current program planning and execution and future program planning. Specifically, the Automated Data Processing Equipment (ADPE) Rehost program upgrades the CD system's radar back-end mission data processing, radar management and control, and signal processing capabilities to a modern architecture that facilitates long-term mission resiliency, cyber security, system viability, high operational availability, and rapid hardware and software development and deployment capability. RDT&E funds were provided to the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to accelerate the joint Department of the Air Force and MDA modernization program of the CD radar. In addition to funds being used to modernize this back end of the radar, these funds will also be used for out-year planning of front-end component modernization including enhancement of communication elements. The PARCS Radar Digitization Upgrade Study will determine the requirement to modernize the radar through a systematic re-architecture from an analog infrastructure to a digital phased array radar to keep up with modern threats. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver Ballistic Missile Defense Radars weapon system capability. The use of such program funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program elements 1206392SF and 1206398SF. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (1)