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TRANSCRIPT
1
Should We Continue to Rely on the String of Pearls?
Mr. Ashton Burke
Test Resource Management Center
January 25, 2017
International Test and Evaluation Association
2
Presentation Objective
• Anti-Access / Area Denial (A2AD), Missile Defense, and
modernized Strategic Deterrent systems test requirements
exceed capabilities of existing ranges
• The need for growing numbers of fixed or mobile instrumentation
platforms strung along the test trajectory the “string of pearls”
drives complexity and cost of flight test
• UAV based assets may enable alternative data collection
concepts for extended range flight vehicles to reduce the cost of
testing
• The TRMC is assessing the potential for future cost savings with
UAV-based range concepts and technology
• These alternative architectures will continue to be evaluated as
requirements and solutions are matured
3
Extended Range WeaponsFlight Test Needs
• Extended range weapons testing, is distinguished by the necessity for distributed data acquisition over broad geographic areas– Test scenarios may require from a few hundred KM to an entire ocean basin to
execute
– Test scenarios cannot be conducted within the boundaries of a single range
– These scenarios require multi-range cooperation and innovative new T&E
techniques
• Need for system performance assessment, resolution of test anomalies, return to flight investigations, and root cause analyses require data acquisition by non-cooperative means as well as telemetry– Flight Safety (continuous)
– High data rate telemetry (continuous)
– Resolution-enhanced imaging radar
– Multi spectral imagery and radiometry
• Need for growing numbers of fixed or mobile instrumentation platforms strung along the test trajectory – the “string of pearls”
Is there another approach that will decrease complexity and expense while
ensuring safety of flight and acquisition of required data?
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String of Pearls 1958Snark and Navaho Missile Testing
Snark Cruise Missile
Speed: Mach 0.95
Cruise Altitude: 53 kft
Range: 5,000+ NM
Island or ship based instrumentation is required when beyond radio horizon of launch facility
Radio horizon is a
function of altitude of
both the observer and the
object observed and
drives allowable distance
between test support
positions (TSP) for
continuous coverage
Note: Circles are approximate
radio horizon limits scaled for
this scenario
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Where We Are TodayString of Pearls 2016
Anti-Access / Area Denial (A2AD), Missile Defense, and modernized Strategic
Deterrent systems are driving weapons to longer ranges, and higher speeds
exceeding existing instrumented and controlled test ranges
Mobile assets provide a mixture of telemetry, visible and IR optics, imaging radar, weather, and flight safety capabilities
Could high altitude UAV-based assets obviate the need for some of these pearls? If so, is it
more efficient than the approach shown above?
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Flight Test Corridors
• Existing U.S. overland ranges and air corridors as well as those
over the ocean will not be sufficient to evaluate the integrated
performance of long-range weapons and hypersonic capabilities
• New overland flight corridors will require safety and
environmental assessment to be viable
• FAA Oakland Center International Office controls the airspace
needed to execute long range flight testing over the Pacific
– Large area testing will extend outside of the US controlled airspace
– These regions are contested by private for profit companies contracted to foreign
governments
• In either case, a land impact site would be required large enough
to include the required overland flight path and realistic terrain
– Needs to include target structures as well as realistic interferences, facilitate debris
recovery, and address survivability test objectives.
• Greater reliance on international test facilities may be required for
these tests
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Where We Are Going
• Develop strategy to define optimum solution for long range weapon Open Air Range (OAR) flight test capabilities
– Leverage existing studies, including the Air Force Long Range Stand Off Weapons Testing study recently completed for 96th Air Armament Center at Eglin AFB
– Need to conduct parallel study to support likely Army and navy long range trajectories over the Broad Ocean Area (BOA)
• Identify flight test requirements for long range weapon acquisition programs including hypersonics
– Identify use cases, test routes and trajectories
– Identify potential Long Range Flight Test Corridors (LRFTC)
– Develop collection of risk analyses for operating in potential LRFTCs
– Identify current T&E infrastructure inventory available to support OAR testing
– Define ability of existing infrastructure to replicate and measure a broad set of conditions
• Identify cost effective infrastructure investments needed to meet testing requirements
– Identify potential gaps in test capability
– Conduct Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) to identify cost effective infrastructure needed to meet test requirements
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Flight Data Acquisition NeedsMore Than Just Telemetry and FTS
Telemetry & GPS/IMU Tracking
Flight Functions & Trajectory
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450-200
-100
0
100
200
time (sec)
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450-100
-50
0
50
100
time (sec)
bo
dy v
fpa (
deg
)
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 4500
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 4500
0.05
0.1
0.15
0.2
2)
On Board Cooperative Means
Systems characterization and performance
measurement, and anomaly/incident investigations
Vehicle Performance
Stage/Store Separation
Thermal Protection System
Terminal Guidance
Warhead Lethality
Forensic Data
Off Board Non-Cooperative Means
Flight Functions & Non-Instrumented object CharacterizationMulti -Track Radar Imaging Radar Multi-Spectral Optics
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Sensor & Vehicle Altitudes Determine Radio HorizonDrives the Number of Pearls on the String
After boost, RF horizon
remains constant
for most of flight
Hypersonic
Ballistic Missile
Defense
RF horizon
increases due
to altitude as Target
flight range increases
Kinetic Warhead
RF horizon and flight
range drive numbers
data collection assets
RF horizon
increases due
to altitude as ICBM
flight range increases
Strategic Deterrent
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What Are Possible Alternativesto the “String of Pearls”?
RTS
KMRSS
Telemetry
FTS
MATSS
Imaging Radar
Vis & IR Optics
Telemetry
FTS
RASA
Telemetry
FTS
PMRF
RTS
The primary instrumentation drivers of
the large number of required fixed and
mobile instrumentation sites (“pearls”)
are Flight Termination Systems (FTS)
and Telemetry
Pacific
Collector
Telemetry
FTS
RASA
Telemetry
FTS
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Autonomous Flight Safety Systems (AFSS)
• Automated Flight Safety System (AFSS)
– Enabler of possible UAV Based support of flight
test
− The key to elimination of the need for mobile
range safety systems in long range flight test
applications
− Could achieve improved test/operational flexibility
and reduced mission complexity
• Long range flight test arguments for AFSS– Reduced numbers of “pearls” (mobile instrumentation) for T&E
– Instrumentation budget could be optimized for acquisition of engineering data
– FAA need for notification if a destruct action is executed – even over BOA
– Continuous telemetry needed from vehicle for test even if FTS is autonomous
• Manual override for operations near populated areas – Implied need for crypto secure communication with vehicle such as that provided by EFTS
– EFTS provides for non-termination associated data blocks for instructions to vehicle that
may fill this requirement (may allow possible switching between FTS modes or redirect of
trajectory for safety if needed)
12
UAV Concept
• A future high altitude UAV capability could provide:
– Detailed quantitative thermal imaging possible during key portions of flight
– High accuracy atmospheric measurements possible at key points simultaneous with
vehicle passing
– UAV range/endurance sufficient to provide atmospheric measurements along entire
trajectory
– Telemetry collection/relay can be provided over large areas with fewer assets
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RTS
KMRSS
Telemetry
FTS
MATSS
Imaging Radar
Vis & IR Optics
Telemetry
FTS
PMRF
RTS
RF Horizon Improvement When UAV Substituted for PIRATES Ship Telemetry
UAV Substituted at Pacific Collector Test Support Position
Telemetry
RASA
Telemetry
FTS
Potential for reduction of the number of ship based
telemetry systems needed to cover trajectory
This effect increases as trajectory length increases
Pacific
Collector
Telemetry
FTS
RASA
Telemetry
FTS
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The Next Step:A Definitive Business Case Analysis
Requirements:
• Further work is required to develop operating concepts, and to
assess requirements and demand signals
• Anti-Access / Area Denial (A2AD), Hypersonics, Strategic
Deterrent, Missile Defense, Tactical and Long-Range Missiles
Potential Solutions:
• UAV-Based:
• TRMC technology investments in Telemetry, Flight Safety,
Atmospheric Sensing, and IR Optical Imaging
• Potential for future cost savings
• Will be re-evaluated as Requirements and Solutions are
matured