PD SAI
Sensors • Aerial Intelligence
Mission:
Develop, acquire, field, and supply life cycle support to tactically relevant Aerial Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (AISR) sensors that maintain battlespace awareness and superiority.
Vision:
Deliver the Army’s premier AISR sensors enabling timely dissemination of intelligence products to meet current and future warfighter needs. Engage necessary stakeholders and mission partners across the Army Intelligence Community to enable critical reach Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination (PED) operations.
End State: Products support the warfighter with actionable intelligence in the right place, right time, and at the best value for our nation.
Description:
The Project Director Sensors Aerial Intelligence (SAI), headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) with elements located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia is chartered to develop, acquire, field and supply life cycle support to modernized, integrated, tactically relevant aerial Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensor payloads while leveraging National capabilities, as well as provide for the processing, exploitation and dissemination (PED) of Intelligence products to support the warfighter with actionable intelligence in the right place, right time, and at the best value for our Nation.
Product Managers
Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (MARSS)
Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS)
MISSION
The Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System (EMARSS) is the Army’s next-generation C-12 based, direct support, manned airborne intelligence collection, processing, and targeting support system. It provides a persistent capability to detect, locate, classify/identify, and track surface targets with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy.
DESCRIPTION
EMARSS provides rapid cross-cueing of multiple on-board sensors to enable timely target confirmation and positive identification of mobile, fleeting targets in direct support of Brigade Combat Team (BCT) operations as well as general support to higher echelon and coalition forces across the full range of military operations. The EMARSS Program’s flexibility, endurance, sensor capability, communications architecture, and Processing, Exploitation and Dissemination (PED) provides critical, near real-time support to multiple COCOMS.
EMARSS aircraft will be assigned to the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command’s (INSCOM) Aerial Exploitation Battalions (AEB) providing Aerial Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance support to combatant commanders. The Army Acquisition Objective for EMARSSS is 36 systems, with an Army Procurement Objective of 24, to include the following variants: eight EMARSS-G (Geo-INT); four EMARSS-V (Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar, VaDER); eight EMARSS-M (Multi-INT); and four EMARSS-S (SIGINT).
SYSTEM INTERDEPENDENCIES
EMARSS intercepts, identifies, locates and reports threat special communications signals emitters. The system provides real-time downlink sensor-to-shooter connectivity to the Warfighter via a common data link (CDL) & tactical comms links. Beyond-line-of-sight, net-centric, off-board analysis and reporting reduces deployed footprint and sustainment.
PROGRAM STATUS
- 2QFY18-3QFY18: Government-Owned Government-Operated Deployment of four Systems
PROJECTED ACTIVITIES
- 1QFY19: EMARSS-V New Equipment Training (NET)
Guardrail Common Sensor System (GRCS)
MISSION
The Guardrail Common Sensor (GRCS) is a RC-12X fixed-wing aircraft, which hosts Communications Intelligence (COMINT) and Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) sensors. It provides a persistent capability to detect, locate and classify/identify critical targets with a relevant degree of timeliness and accuracy.
DESCRIPTION
Originally a Cold War system built for Indications and Warnings against adversaries in both European and Pacific Theaters of Operation, GRCS provides near peer capability and A2AD standoff. The Guardrail RC-12X significantly improves the system’s Tactical Irregular Warfare Capability, by collecting low-, mid-, and high-band radio signals; identifying, classifying; determining source location; & providing near-real-time reporting, ensuring information dominance to commanders.
GRCS is assigned to two U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command’s Aerial Exploitation Battalions, providing Aerial Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (AISR) support to combatant commanders. In accordance with the Army’s AISR 2020 strategy, the Army’s Acquisition Objective/Army’s Procurement Objective (AAO/APO) is 19 RC-12X; seven fielded to 3rd MI BN; seven fielded to the 204th MI BN, and five pilot trainers to support Force Generation. The five trainers are not equipped with Primary Mission Equipment (PME).
SYSTEM INTERDEPENDENCIES
Guardrail RC-12X provides near-real-time info to tactical commanders in the Joint Task Force Area supporting a full spectrum of operations. Guardrail RC-12X provides Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) and a modern Communications Intelligence (COMINT) payload on 14 aircraft with spares. GRCS provides capability against modern targets through High Band Communications Intelligence (COMINT) and APG subsystems. Ground processing is through Distributed Common Ground System-Army (DCGS-A).
PROGRAM STATUS
- 2QFY18: RELROK Modifications Completed in Support of ONS
PROJECTED ACTIVITIES
- 4QFY19: Delivery of Light Saber Modification
- 4QFY20: Delivery of ELINT Modification
Aerial Reconnaissance Low (ARL)
Airborne Reconnaissance Low-Enhanced (ARL-E)
MISSION
Airborne Reconnaissance Low-Enhanced (ARL-E) is a worldwide self-deployable Aerial-Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (A-ISR) system designed for timely, accurate, assured support to tactical forces over the full spectrum of operations.
DESCRIPTION
ARL is an Airborne Multi-Sensor ISR Asset Serving Critical Mission Needs in AFRICOM, PACOM, and SOUTHCOM. It provides direct support to tactical forces with broad-area surveillance and/or focused stare on target areas of interest. This system is a De Havilland DHC-8 aircraft replacing the DHC-7 IAW with Aerial ISR (AISR) 2020 Strategy. ARL-E will enhance the ARL-M sensor capability sets through the procurement of new and refurbished sensors to meet the ARL-E Capabilities Production Document (CPD) requirements. ARL-E will be assigned to the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command’s Aerial ISR Brigade providing AISR support to Combatant Commanders. For the overall system, the Army Acquisition Objective and the Army Procurement Objective is nine. The Mission Equipment Package (MEP) objective is eight.
SYSTEM INTERDEPENDENCIES
It provides a persistent capability to include: Broad-Area Surveillance and/or Focused Stare on Target Areas of Interest (Point or Objective Targets), Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR)/Full-Motion Video (FMV), Multi-Mode Radar, Robust Communication Intelligence (COMINT), on-Board Collection, Analysis, Sensor Cross Cue and dissemination through Distributed Common Ground System-Army (DCGS-A) Enabled workstations.
PROGRAM STATUS
- 1QFY17-1QFY19: Integration & Test of ARL-E #1 & #2
- 1QFY17- 2QFY19: Integration & Test of ARL-E #3
- 1QFY17 – 1QFY20: Integration & Test of ARL-E #4
PROJECTED ACTIVITIES
- 2QFY19: Delivery of ARL-E #1 & #2
- 3QFY19: ARL-E Limited User Test (LUT) Event
Sensors-Unmanned & Rotary Wing (SURW)
Small Tactical Radar Lightweight (STARLite)
MISSION
The Small Tactical Radar – Lightweight (STARLite) is a Synthetic Aperture Radar/Ground Moving Target Indicator, Dismount Moving Target Indicator (SAR/GMTI/DMTI) system, which is a lightweight, high performance, all-weather, multi-functional radar sensor.
DESCRIPTION
STARLite is utilized on the Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and Persistent Surveillance Systems-Tethered (PSS-T) Large. STARLite detects and tracks moving vehicles/dismounts supporting BCTs, and provides continuous SAR/GMTI/DMTI feeds in all weather conditions.
STARLite is mapped to Big 6 #2 Next Gen Combat Vehicles (Mobility and protection of Brigade Combat Teams) and #6 Soldier Lethality through Traffic Pattern Analysis (TPA), high resolution spot and strip imagery and wide area surveillance providing military intelligence products to enhance the lethality and ensure the protection of Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs).
SYSTEM INTERDEPENDENCIES
- STARLite and the Common Sensor Payload (CSP) cross-cue on the MQ-1C UAS Gray Eagle. STARLite provides High-Resolution Spot Mode Imagery and High-Resolution Strip Mode Imagery up to 20km.
PROGRAM STATUS
- 2QFY18-4QFY18: STARLite Transition to Sustainment
PROJECTED ACTIVITIES
- 3QFY18: MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range Follow-On Operational Test & Evaluation
