Enhanced Tactical Radar Corelator (ETRAC) mission is to provide
Army corps commander with accurate, reliable and
timely imagery-based battlefield intelligence derived
from the all-weather, day and night real-time
high resolution, Advanced
Synthetic Aperture Radar System-2 (ASARS-2)
carried aboard the Air Force's U-2 aircraft. To accomplish its mission the ETRAC, from the Westinghouse Space Division, provides the
following:
The Tactical Radar Correlator (TRAC) system was previously developed by the Army Topographic Engineering Center [TEC] in support of the Army Space Program Office [ASPO]. The TRAC was successfully deployed in support of Operations Desert Shield/Storm as well as an operation in April 1993. TRAC remains a V Corps asset in Germany at present.
In addition to improved performance, increased mobility and improved transportability over the TRAC system, the ETRAC also will provide the user with the option of performing limited exploitation in the ETRAC in addition to or in lieu of sending imagery to an exploitation component (MIES). The ETRAC advanced development mobile synthetic aperture radar (SAR) processor receives direct down-linked radar phase history data, collected by the ASAR-2 SAR system on board the U2R aircraft. The ETRAC converts the radar phase history data into imagery, which is passed to either the IPDS or MIES for subsequent exploitation and dissemination of imagery products to consumers. The ETRAC has an organic exploitation capability for stand-alone operations. The ETRAC communications equipment includes the SUCCESS radio, TENCAP communications system processor, STU-III and digital subscriber voice terminal, providing a robust communications capability.
ETRAC products
include--
Future down link sources include Global Hawk, Dark Star, U-2 SYERS, U-2 AIP and F- 18 ATARS.
ETRAC #2 (302ND MI BN, V Corps) conducted a Deployment Exercise from 23 to 25 June 1998. The exercise covered system pack-up, a 26-mile road march, set-up at a temporary location, tear-down, and return to the deployed site on the Tesar, Hungary airfield. Upon returning to the site at on the 25th, ETRAC received a request from the Air Force to run a U-2 mission. In the short time available the crew successfully set up the system and received the mission. ETRAC #2 has been providing imagery support to Task Force Eagle for nearly two years from its current location. The unit plans to conduct semi-annual DEPLOY-EXs to maintain proficiency.
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The ETRAC support concept includes provisions for hardware maintenance, software maintenance, spares replenishment, configuration management, training, and manning. |
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Hardware maintenance follows a basic three-level concept with organizational, intermediate, and depot levels. Organization maintenance includes preventive, fault isolation, removal and replacement of LRU’s and repair verification. Military maintenance personnel do this. Military maintenance personnel also perform some intermediate level activities to include on-site repair of failed LRUs or removal of defective LRUs for shipment. Specific companies with direct government contracts perform depot-level maintenance. The ETRAC contractor operates and maintains an Operational Support Facility (OSF) to serve as a maintenance facility and a testbed for technology insertion efforts.
Software maintenance and support is the responsibility of the developing contractor to include software version updates and fixes for software anomalies. The OSF will recreate the problem in the laboratory, develop a fix, and if approved, send the updated software to the field. If on-site service representative cannot install the fix, OSF personnel will travel to the site to implement the change. No other software maintenance is performed on-site.
Spares are replenished through procurement coordinated by ASPO through the OSF. An initial set of spares for the ETRAC PME including OSF support was provided by ASPO. This level will be maintained through repair of defective components or through resupply of spares when required.
Training is initially performed by the prime contractor. It is focused on the areas of operations and maintenance in a field environment. Training manuals are provided to the users as a reference. Sustainment training is the unit’s responsibility however, additional assistance can be coordinated through ASPO.
Manning requirements are determined by TO&E and the Army will fill slots based upon current regulations and guidelines.
Configuration Management is a process of coordinating changes in hardware or software configuration.
The Executive Secretary (ES) of the CMWG is a person designated by ASPO to manage the day to day matters and concerns regarding Configuration Management of the IEW system. This person performs the following functions:The first steps in the process are to identify the need and define the issue. Mostly the users at the unit level identify the need by maintaining frequent contact with ASPO. The primary way to accomplish this is for the users to report deficiencies or new ideas to ASPO by filling out a Change Request/Discrepancy Report CR/DR form. The CR/DR Form is a single form that is easy to use and designed for use with an ACCESS database. The fields are compatible with CCB database and provide sufficient detail to support initial decisions. This form is submitted via e-mail and entered automatically into a database. The ES then defines the issue by reviewing the submitted forms, gathers any additional information and assigns a tracking number. The Program Manager reviews the form and provides an initial judgement:
This information is then sent via e-mail back to the submitter. If the CR/DR is forwarded to the IPT they have to make the following considerations;
Then develop a response. A Government team (ASPO migration board if follow-on is affected) then reviews this response. They perform the following functions:
Once the government completes this portion of the process it then goes into the contractors Configuration Management (CM) Process. This includes:
The contractor then implements the change, documents and archives the work as well as keeping ASPO informed on the progress. Once the contractor has completed the work, the Government team verifies it then the initial CR/DR is closed out with feedback provided to the initiator.
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The ETRAC remained deployed in the Bosnia AOR until 31 August 1998. The 27-month deployment was the first operational deployment of the system in support of real world operations. ETRAC conducted 171 missions producing over 6,000 imagery products to Task Force Eagle and the Theater. On four separate occasions the ETRAC assumed full sensor control and served as the only Theater imagery asset. These four missions served to strengthen the Joint ties between the US Air Force and the Army. The ETRAC redeployed via a single C-17 aircraft to Wiesbaden Army Airfield validating this Corps ETRAC's rapid deployability from the Central region if it should be needed again.
FEATURES:
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PHYSICAL PARAMETERS:
PERFORMANCE & CHARACTERISTICS:
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This system will migrate to the IESS standard by 1998, and subsequently converge to the ESS configuration by 2001. The Exploitation Support System (ESS) will be the community's common imagery exploitation support system. Both the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) Exploitation System (NES) and IESS will migrate to ESS by the end of FY01. Agency Program: The DoD is in the process of establishing a simplified baseline of the best, common information systems across the business functions of the Department. These migration systems represent a stage of process improvement designed at achieving a common set of automated processes and practices in DoD.
IESS 3.0 BETA VERSION was fielded in ETRAC during February 1998. CIP was integrated into ETRAC by 28 May 1998, without being flown (no testing). ETRAC will be de-fielded 1999-2005 and those components used for TES.
