The Sensors, Electronics, and Battlespace Environment (SE&BE) program area addresses technology for the sensors, electronics, and battlespace environment in 14 subareas (Figure VII-1). The sensor technology developed here has broad application to warfighting needs including strategic and tactical surveillance as well as identification and targeting of land, sea, air, and space threats under all conditions. In addition, SE&BE encompasses the research and development, design, fabrication, and testing of electronic materials; digital, analog, microwave, optoelectronic, and vacuum devices and circuits; and electronic modules, assemblies, and subsystems. Finally, SE&BE provides for the study, characterization, prediction, modeling, and simulation of the terrestrial, ocean, lower atmosphere, and space/upper atmosphere environments to understand their impact on personnel, platforms, sensors, and system; enable the development of tactics and doctrine to exploit that understanding; and optimize the design of new systems.
In the material that follows only some of the key objectives of the science and technology (S&T) programs in SE&BE are explicitly described. Funds not reflected in DTOs also addresses many other objectives just as important to DoD in the areas of SE&BE. In addition, most of the demonstrations described in this chapter were enabled by earlier science and technology efforts. For example, compact high-power RF transmitters were enabled by the development of the microwave power module (MPM), which is two and one-half times more powerful, ten times smaller, and one-third as costly as current technology. In turn, the MPM was possible only because of the DoD-supported efforts in gallium arsenide (GaAs) materials development and monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC) technology. Similarly, the science and technology foundations for future technology demonstrations are being laid by the current S&T programs.
A glossary of abbreviations and acronyms used in this chapter begins on page VII-61.
The vision for this area is to provide the military with perfect situation awareness of the expanded battlefield in all environments. This will enable the warfighters to assess the scope and intent of the enemy and develop superior tactics for achieving whatever political/military goal is selected. Investment in this area ensures that the U.S. will continue to maintain the warfighting edge through all-weather, day/night surveillance, precision targeting, and damage assessment; detection and tracking of difficult targets such as cruise missiles, antiship missiles, ballistic missiles, mines, and submarines; and positive target identification. In addition, this must be accomplished at an affordable cost in a diminished production base.
Examples of specific goals include 90% probability of detection of time-critical targets that are camouflaged or concealed by foliage; a threefold increase in infrared (IR) detector focal plane array sensitivity at 50% weight and cost reduction; 50% resolution improvement for thermal imaging systems; improved night/adverse-weather pilotage; orders of magnitude increased bandwidth for control and processing RF communications and surveillance providing seamless sensor-to-shooter capability; high-power switches operating at greater than 100 volts and at current densities exceeding 1,000 amps/cm3; 16 times improvement in over-the-horizon detection of sea-skimming cruise missiles; 100% improvement in submarine periscope detection through the application of advanced analog-to-digital converter technology; 75% reduction in design time/cost for system integration using "virtual" prototyping; improved forecast capability for small-scale currents and waves in the littoral coastal area; and 95% improvement in global C3I specification by fusing ground and space data. These developments provide technologies crucial to meeting the Joint Warfighting Capability Objectives (JWCOs).
1.3 Acquisition Warfighting Needs
SE&BE technologies provide the foundation for the critical "eyes, ears, and brains" of nearly all decision-making systems, tactical and strategic weapons systems, and intelligence collection and processing. They are the key to force multiplication (the ability of a minimal number of U.S. personnel and platforms to defeat a much larger enemy force), and their continued advancement is critical to the avoidance of technological surprise on the battlefield by enabling comprehensive intelligence gathering and achieving total situational awareness over the extended battlespace. Essential for the development and operation of DoD's information-gathering capabilities is the complete understanding of the environment in which these sensors operate and the impact of that environment on the operation of the sensors. With this knowledge, U.S. forces will be able to optimize their sensors and tactics to use the entire battlespace and its environment.
Consequently, the SE&BE subareas address key requirements identified in the Joint Warfighting Science and Technology Plan. As Table VII-1 shows, these technologies are particularly critical to the needs and capabilities associated with Information Superiority, Precision Force, Combat Identification, and Joint Theater Missile Defense.
In addition, SE&BE technology accomplishments contribute to developments in other defense technology areas. For example, the results of a number of these activities enhance the operability of the CB Defense and Nuclear area's Joint Warning and Reporting Network (JWARN) (CB.02.10), Laser Standoff Chemical Detection Technology (CB.07.10), and Hard Target Defeat (CB.13.07) efforts. SE&BE results also find application in the Consistent Battlespace Understanding (IS.01.01) work performed within the Information Systems Technology area. The Ground and Sea Vehicle area's Future Scout and Cavalry System (GV.01.06) and Mission Reconfigurable UUV (GV.12.01) utilize sensor suites that could be enhanced, directly or indirectly, by the results of SE&BE development efforts. The Protection Technologies (SP.15.06) effort in the Space Platforms area benefits from research being done in SE&BE's space/upper atmosphere subarea. Similarly, efforts in that subarea and in the lower atmosphere subarea contribute to the success of the Weapon's technology area's development activities with regard to the Ground-Based Laser ASAT System (WE.10.08.F) and Airborne Lasers for TMD (WE.04.04).
1.4 Support for Combating Terrorism
The technologies developed by the SE&BE panel make a significant contribution to the physical security component for combating terrorism; however, information, information systems, and communication security also benefit from the work in this technology area. The key to providing physical security is detecting, locating, and neutralizing terrorists employing chemicals (explosives and toxins) or biological agents through the use of advanced sensors, information processing and fusion, lightweight microelectronics, and knowledge of the threat environment.
Radar, EO, and acoustic sensor technologies are the rudimentary elements in the ability to detect and locate the tools employed by terrorists. Radar sensor technologies are developing the ability to detect and locate terrorists in hiding or under tree canopies using low-frequency synthetic aperture radar employing knowledge-based signal processors and signal detection and discrimination algorithms. In addition, low-cost electronically scanned antennas are being developed to provide high-resolution airborne surveillance for U.S. border protection. EO sensors provide the advantage of passive surveillance using the airborne or ground-based Advanced Infrared Search and Track System to see at night and in adverse weather. Also, IR focal plane arrays (FPAs) employing multifunction sensor signal processing have the ability to locate and pinpoint snipers in all terrains. The detection of chemical and biological agents utilizing the appropriate wavelength operating modes of multifunction lasers at extended ranges has significantly increased the perimeter of defense. Acoustic sensor technology contributes to the protection from seaborne and subsurface terrorism by developing towed sonar systems that reliably detect and classify small, very quiet submarines in shallow water.
Electronics and electronic components including electronic materials are strong contributors to combating terrorism. Low-power RF devices are being developed that provide improved sensitivity at reduced noise while minimizing power consumption yielding lightweight man-portable surveillance and detection systems. In addition, the millimeter-wave power modules used by detection and location systems are being improved to provide compact, lightweight transmit/receive modules. Night vision devices employing advanced FPAs play a role in anti-terrorist activities by providing passive surveillance in night and adverse weather. Semiconductor laser diodes and diode arrays being developed for application in photonics are also useful as nighttime IR illuminators and target designators. Large-capacity, fast-access optical memories and advanced displays being developed can provide large online databases for fast screening and visualization of terrorist activity. Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology allows devices to be constructed that detect very specific chemicals in trace amounts. Using membranes that are constructed to selectively identify specific chemical compounds, a miniature sensor can be developed to detect the chemicals used in bomb construction or taggants used to identify explosive materials. Since the sensors are miniaturized, a number of separate sensors, each sensitive to different materials, can be integrated with the electronic processor for classification onto a single unit allowing a portable sensor employing inexpensive and selective sensors to detect a range of explosive materials.
Timely knowledge of the threat environment is critical to combating terrorism. As a spinoff of a program to develop miniaturized spacecraft instrumentation, a small credit-card-size sensor was developed to detect very small quantities of hydrazine, a chemical of concern to rocket motor engineers. The sensor, when modified, can also be used to detect certain other specific chemical agents. The sensor uses a conductive polymer whose resistivity changes if it reacts with small quantities of a certain specific chemical. The sensor can be worn by personnel and would sound an alarm if the specific chemical is detected. The sensor could be configured to be sensitive to one or more chemicals that are indicative of specific type of terrorist activity, such as the installation of a bomb. In another effort, an extremely sensitive mass spectrometer that can be flown on an aircraft to detect trace quantities of various chemicals is being developed. This instrument is now being flown through missile plumes to look for the presence of ozone-destroying chemicals. However, the same instrument could also be used to fly through regions where terrorists are suspected of building bombs or other devices that might give off small quantities of certain chemicals.
