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?

4

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

5

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?

6

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

7

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

8

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

9

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

10

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

11

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

13

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

14

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