Strategy and Strategic Communications Specialist for the Project Manager, Night Vision/Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition
As a center of excellence for tactical sensors, the Project Manager, Night Vision/Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (PM NV/RSTA) is at the forefront of answering our warfighters’ calls for accurate and fully integrated information about impending threats. Comprising three product offices, Product Manager, Ground Sensors (PM GS), Product Manager, Integrated Tactical Systems (PM ITS), and PM Robotic and Unmanned Sensors (PM RUS), PM NV/RSTA provides the warfighter with state–of–the–art sensors and networks that gather, integrate and disseminate full–motion video, acoustic, seismic, LASER, RADAR, and target data, ultimately acting as the ever–present “Eyes of the Battlefield.” “In simple terms, what our systems do is much like what you see when watching a football game on television,” explained Colonel Edward Stawowczyk, PM, NV/RSTA. “During a football game, various camera views and angles are depicted to provide the viewer with comprehensive views of all of the action. At any given point, you feel like you know exactly what is going on in the game. It’s the same for NV/RSTA’s sensors. We provide the Soldier and combatant commander with a comprehensive view of the battle space — a comprehensive view of the action.” Some of NV/RSTA’s flagship systems include the Base Expeditionary Targeting and Surveillance System – Combined (BETSS–C), the Long Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System (LRAS3), the Common Sensor Payload (CSP), the Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS), and the Second and Third Generation Forward Looking Infrared (2GF and 3GF) engines.
Full–Spectrum Evolution
PM NV/RSTA’s sensor technologies are rooted in a rich history of night vision technologies spanning a period of more than 60 years. By the 1990s, advances in image intensification led to the very first Night Vision Goggles, with PM NV/RSTA providing the ability to “Own the Night” to the US Army with thousands of goggles, and weapon sights based on this technology. Advances in thermal technology followed closely using heat instead of light to allow Soldiers to see at night. By the close of the 20th century, thousands of Image Intensifier, Thermal, and Laser Systems had been fielded.
Today, with the advent of irregular warfare and urban warfare, the Army is shifting from a single–system to network approach to ISR. As part of this paradigm shift, NV/RSTA is leveraging its deep expertise in tactical sensors and networks to move toward a fully integrated approach to sensors that will ultimately provide tactical commanders with an integrated view of the battle space.
Field–Proven Systems Integration
Fielded since 2008, BETSS–C, a US CENTCOM top–five priority, leverages existing sensors and new technologies to deliver an integrated view of situational data, improving the accuracy and breadth of situational awareness in theatre and saving lives. As such, BETSS–C has been looked to as a proof of concept for the provision of integrated ISR data and was recognized as a DoD Top5 Program for Systems Engineering Excellence in 2009. Each of the systems that comprise BETSS–C — the Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment (RAID) Towers, Cerberus Towers (CERBERUS), the Force Protection Suite (FPS), and the Rapid Deployment Surveillance Security System (RDISS) — is critical from an operational standpoint. However, these systems are that much more powerful in terms of providing state–of–the–art ISR and FP capabilities because they are integrated and networked in an optimal and operationally relevant way. Soldiers have noted that enemy activity in the vicinity of a FOB or COP decreases by approximately 60% when BETSS–C systems are installed and employed properly. The Netted LRAS3 is another example of NV/RSTA’s pioneering work in networking sensor systems to provide integrated views of the battle space. The LRAS3 provides long–range target acquisition capabilities to armor and infantry scouts, enabling them to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance operations while remaining outside of threat acquisition and engagement ranges. By networking one LRAS3 with another, operators will be able to share information across each netted LRAS3, thereby achieving a more integrated view of the battle space.
Moving Forward
As a leader in tactical sensor technologies, NV/RSTA is paving the way for the future of tactical sensors. Some of its latest initiatives include provision of full motion video (FMV) capability in theatre and the exploration of its impact on the future of networks and bandwidth requirements. NV/RSTA is also pursuing the next generation of the forward–looking infrared technology (FLIR) with its Third Generation FLIR technology. The 3GF is an improvement over the capabilities of Second Generation FLIR and will include increased ID range performance in a lighter package, enabling improved dismountable capability. Finally, at recent Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) events, NV/RSTA has demonstrated its ability to network its sensors with non–NV/RSTA and coalition forces’ sensors, thereby furthering the evolution toward a fully integrated view of the battle space. “This kind of sharing of key ISR data is critical to our success in the fight,” said Stawowczyk. “Events like the NIE provide us with a pivotal opportunity to test and improve our systems so that we continue to deliver the very best capabilities to our Soldiers,” Stawowczyk concluded.