Tactical Electronic Reconnaissance Processing And Evaluation System
AUTHOR Major J. A. Kilbourn
CSC 1988
SUBJECT AREA C4
TACTICAL ELECTRONIC RECONNAISSANCE PROCESSING AND
EVALUATION SYSTEM
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Marine tactical commander's primary source of
electronic order of battle information and only active
duty source of airborne electronic countermeasures is
the EA-6B Prowler. To be a completely effective weapon
platform the Prowler is supported by the AN/TSQ-90
Tactical Electronic Reconnaissance Processing and
Evaluation System (TERPES). TERPES is an intelligence
processing system which has undergone a series of
planned product improvements since its entrance into
service with the Marines in 1967.
A key piece in the intelligence processing and
disseminating cycle, TERPES receives information from
various sources in real-time or near-real-time and has
the capability to re-transmit data to users in the
Marine Air Combat Element or to higher level
intelligence processors. In addition to Electronic
Intelligence (ELINT) information, TERPES can provide
flight planning data for all fixed-wing, tactical
aircraft in the Marine inventory. This data includes
known threat positions with corresponding engagement
ranges adjusted for surrounding terrain and ingress
altitude of the strike aircraft.
Designed primarily for use with the EA-6B,
improvements in the capabilities of TERPES allow
support for all Marine aviation and ground commanders.
This reflects a growing understanding of the importance
of proper utilization of the electro-magnetic spectrum.
Using this single intelligence source, no Marine
commander need be at a loss for accurate, timely
electronic intelligence. With this intelligence he can
readily handle the toughest situations and emerge
victorious time after time.
TACTICAL ELECTRONIC RECONNAISSANCE PROCESSING AND EVALUATION
SYSTEM
OUTLINE
Thesis Statement. Evolutionary improvements to USMC Tactical Electronic
Reconnaissance Processing and Evaluation System (TERPES) insure the MAGTF
commander will continue to have the right intelligence to fight and win tomorrow's
battle today.
I. TSQ-90 (TERPES) HISTORY
A. TSQ-90 supports the EA-6A in Viet Nam
B. TERPES Phase I
C. TERPES Phase II
II. TERPES INTEGRATION INT0 THE INTELLIGENCE NETWORK
A. The Joint Intelligence Center
B. MAGIS described
C. Outside sources available to TERPES
D. TERPES intelligence products
III. TERPES INTEGRATION WITH USMC FIGHTER AND ATTACK SQUADRONS
A. Tactical EA-6B Mission Planning System (TEAMS)
B. Tactical Area Mission Planning System (TAMPS)
IV. TERPES INTEGRATION WITH THE WING COMMAND AND CONTROL SYSTEM
A. Signals Intelligence/Electronic Warfare Center (S/EWCC)
B. Link with Tactical Air Command Center/Tactical Air Direction Center
V. TERPES PHASE III
A. Description of EA-6B (ADVCAP) and Weapons System Capabilities
B. Increase real-time intelligence products to users.
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
I. INTELLIGENCE REQUIREMENT FOR THE ACE 8
II. AN AIR DEFENSE EXAMPLE 9
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. TERPES MONITORING REAL-TIME ADVCAP MISSION 13
TACTICAL ELECTRONIC RECONNAISSANCE PROCESSING AND EVALUATION
SYSTEM
Today's battlefields extend from up close and in person
to over the horizon. Weapons ranges and targeting accuracy
have improved significantly, especially since the
introduction of surface-to-air missiles during the Viet Nam
conflict. The successful commander not only looks at, but
understands, his enemy in depth. Regardless of what uniform
he wears, today's commander manages his forces and is
managed electronically. Electronic management tools can be
very useful, however, if mismanaged they can become a weak
link in a force's armor. Military leaders in both the United
States and the USSR fully appreciate the need to control the
electromagnetic spectrum and deny its use to opposing
forces. In the Soviet Union this electronic battle is
called REC (Radio Electronic Combat) in the United States
its name is EW (Electronic Warfare). Regardless of what it
is called (I will use the terms to differentiate between
actions of friendly forces (EW) and Opfor (REC)) control of
the electronic battlefield requires domination in three
sub-categories; ESM (Electronic Surveillence Measures) the
gathering of electronic intelligence, ECM (Electronic
Countermeasures) the denial of use of the electro-magnetic
spectrum to your opponent, and ECCM (Electronic
Counter-countermeasures) your actions to maintain the use of
the electro-magnetic spectrum.
Within the United States Marine Corps, EW is
apportioned to the MAGTF (Marine Air Ground Task Force)
commander in two elements each capable of performing each of
the three aforementioned tasks within EW. The Ground Combat
Element (GCE) commander has access to detachments of the
Radio Battalion and the Air Combat Element (ACE) has his
detachments from Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare
Squadron-2 (VMAQ-2). In the past MAGTF commanders had
difficulty correlating the data coming from these units and
others within the intelligence network, they needed a better
way to quickly get processed intelligence, and therefore the
MAGIS (Marine Air Ground Intelligence System) was organized
with the TERPES (Tactical Electronic Reconnaissance
Processing and Evaluation System) as a key segment.1
It is beyond the scope of this paper to fully discuss
the MAGIS system, but I will show the importance of the
integration of TERPES into the network. Until the
introduction of TERPES into Southeast Asia in 1967, Marine
ground and air commanders and planners had to rely on
electronic intelligence (ELINT) data that came very slowly
through US Air Force and US Navy channels. This
intelligence was often so sanitized or so old, that it was
of little value for day-to-day usage. The Marines
introduced the EA-6A to provide the MAF commander and his
staff with current ELINT data (ESM), as well as to provide
tactical jamming support (ECM) for airstrikes against
targets defended by radar guided surface-to-air threats.
Marine Electronic Warfare Officers (EWO's) recorded
parametric data of hostile radars on analog magnetic tapes
and on knee-board cards and were thus able to provide timely
updates to the Radar Order of Battle (ROB). These updates
made subsequent strikes against targets safer for the
aircrews because they were able to avoid known threat areas.
The tapes were processed in the TSQ-90 vans and manually
checked against the flight logs of the aircrew. This was a
tedious task, but it was the best tactical ELINT game in
town for many years.
During the 1975-1978 period, TERPES received a product
immprovement that allowed it to support and use ESM and ECM
data recorded from the EA-6B ICAP (Improved Capability). In
1979, a thorough review of TERPES, MAGIS, and other Marine
Corps combat systems was conducted. This review identified
operational requirements for future EW systems that would be
compatable with the EA-6B/TERPES team. A two-phased product
improvement plan was determined to be the most economically
feasible way to satisfy the required operational
capabilities.2 Phase One concentrated on improving the
reliability and maintainability of the existing TERPES
configurations through replacement of peripheral devices
with military standard equipment and refurbishment of the
present 16-year old computer.3 It also insured that the
TSQ-90/TERPES could continue to use data from both the EA-6A
and the EA-6B ICAP 1 aircraft. Phase Two of the upgrade
replaces the existing computer and its serial processing
executive software with one Navy standard AN/UYK-43 computer
and software. Phase Two also provides for future growth
from the EA-6B ICAP II to the EA-6B ADVCAP (Advanced
Capability) which will be introduced to the Marine Corps
during the early 1990's.4
Phase Two of the TERPES product improvement and
corresponding increased capabilities of the EA-6B,
significantly improve the MAGTF commander's ability to
obtain timely ELINT data. TERPES now is fully integrated
with the Intelligence Analysis Center (IAC) of MAGIS, the
Tactical Air Operations Center (TAOC), All Source Imagery
Processor (ASIP) and Tactical Receive Equipment (TRE).5
Though still physically located with VMAQ-2 at home in
Cherry Point, NC or while deployed outside Conus in support
of Unit Deployment or LF6F (Landing Force 6th Fleet)
commitments, data can be transmitted to the IAC via various
means including secure teletype or standard naval message.
ELINT data is available, on request to other ACE units to
assist them in specific mission planning as well as
contingency planning.
To insure that all data is current, TERPES has several
sources from which to update its data base. Primarily,
TERPES uses the Naval Intelligence Processing System (NIPS)
Phase III Electronic Order of Battle and Naval Intelligence
Support Center (NISC) Radar Characteristics List (RCL),6 but
also takes input from data collected by the EA-6B and other
ELINT platforms to maintain a current picture of the
Tactical Area Of Interest (TAOI). At the present time, high
priority ELINT information can be processed and transmitted
to MAGTF, or national authorities, within 30 minutes after
an EA-6B has landed. Other functions of the TERPES system
take a back seat until the "flash" reports are finished.
This means that subsequent EA-6B mission planning routines,
and those for other ACE units who may desire to utilize
TERPES products, will be delayed some what. TERPES Phase II
is good, but it needs to get better in order to provide the
commander with the best, most timely intelligence available.
A task, among the several assigned to TERPES, of
providing mission planning services is of primary interest
to aircrews of VMAQ-2. This service is available to aircrew
of all Marine Corps fixed wing squadrons and includes chart
preparation, and fuel planning considerations as well as
threat awareness though few aircrew outside VMAQ-2 are aware
that they can use TERPES too. The EA-6B ICAP II currently
requires mission data to be entered to the Central Mission
Computer (CMC) on a Raymond Recorder Reproducer Set (RRS)
cassette.7 The RRS can only be uploaded from a US Navy
developed system designated TEAMS (Tactical EA-6B Mission
Planning System). TERPES is being retrofitted to accomodate
differences in software to allow data transfer from the
TERPES data base to the TEAMS data base. This will allow
the VMAQ-2 aircrew to constantly have current data in their
onboard system. It follows, then, that subsequent ESM and
ECM missions will make penetration of threat zones more
survivable to friendly aircrew involved.
Like TEAMS is used to input data into the EA-6B CMC,
future Marine Corps jets will use a system called TAMPS
(Tactical Area Mission Planning System) to load their
onboard computers with navigation, communication and
weaponeering data. TERPES will be able to interface
directly with the TAMPS data bases at the squadron ready
room, eliminating the need for aircrews to be briefed at the
TERPES van complex. TERPES will be able to provide data
relative to current threat locations, by placing known
threats on a three dimensional digital map. This allows
aircrew to see exactly how terrain and ingress altitudes may
affect the engagement ranges of surface-to-air missiles and
radar controlled anti-aircraft artillery.8 This aspect of
TERPES will also pay huge dividends to the MAGTF commander
by reducing the casualty and aircraft loss rates of his air
combat element.
VMAQ-2 is currently testing a UHF (Ultra-High
Frequency) data link between and airborne EA-6B and the
TERPES van complex.9 This down-link provides the TERPES
analysts with real-time information that they can evaluate
and pass along to other users as processed intelligence.
Utilizing existing communications networks, a commander and
even certain air controllers can have access to real-time
intelligence that locates hostile surface-to-air threats and
can also assist in locating hostile air-to-air threats.10
By utilizing Tactical Digital Information Links A, B and C
(TADIL A, TADIL B and TADIL C) nets in the EA-6B /
TERPES-Command & Control network, interoperability with the
Navy, the Air Force and the Army is enhanced during joint
operations.11
Accepting that this capability is technologically
available and is needed by MAGTF commanders to successfully
prosecute their overall battle plan more efficiently, what
intelligence can they expect and how will they use it? In
their report to The Industrial College of the Armed Forces,
National Defense University, French, Hansen and Yahner noted
that Essential Elements of Information (EEI's) will be
developed to answer specific questions during three
different phases of a campaign. The EEI's will be
identified in terms of their usefulness in terms of
timeliness; timeliness is dependent upon the degree of
lethality of the threat, the potential or actual rate of
change in the location of the threat (relative to friendly
units), and the time required to counter the threat by
destruction, neutralization or avoidance.12 The authors
list the three phases as planning, execution and assessment.
Table I. illustrates who needs information provided by the
EA-6B/TERPES team during each of these phases.
Click here to view image
Using the Air Defense task of Marine Aviation, TABLE II
illustrates the specific EEI as related to both time and the
required user. The following codes are used:
N - Real time/as fast as possible
5 - Within 5 minutes of collection
H - Within 1 hour of collection
D - Within 24 hours of collection
Click here to view images
* TACC - TACTICAL AIR CONTROL CENTER
TAOC - TACTICAL AIR OPERATIONS CENTER
LAAM BN - LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILE BATTALION
LAAD TEAMS - LOW ALTITUDE AIR DEFENSE TEAMS
DASC - DIRECT AIR SUPPORT CENTER
TACP - TACTICAL AIR CONTROL PARTY
TAC (A) - TACTICAL AIR CONTROLLER (AIRBORNE)
FAC (A) - FORWARD AIR CONTROLLER (AIRBORNE)
The prededing figures illustrate the need for near
real-time and real-time information for one segment of the
MAGTF. The EA-6B / TERPES collection team has the
information but unless the data is requested there are no
present means to share it with potential users below the
Marine aircraft wing level. Using present systems ELINT
reports are transmitted (most frequently) via classified
message to national level intelligence agencies. This
generally does not allow a free sharing of information with
adjacent squadrons within the wing who, as we have
previously seen, have a need for this intelligence.
Although the Marine Corps is developing the UHF data link
capable of providing the TERPES unit with real-time
information, there is still the need to distribute the
intelligence gathered to the users in near real-time.
TERPES needs to have a communications connection into
several systems simultaneously. The first link should go
into the Intelligence Analysis Center (IAC) or the Signals
Intelligence Electronic Warfare Center (S/EWC) located at
the MAGTF command post. Of equal importance, on a different
command level, are the TACC / TAOC of the Marine aircraft
wing. With this simple arrangement both ground and air
combat element commanders and the air defense elements will
receive a clear picture of the battle field as it really is,
rather than as it was. (This information will also be made
available to US Navy and US Air Force theater assets to
insure interoperability when developing the air defense
picture.) This communications gap is expected to be filled
in future versions of the EA-6B and TERPES weapon system.
The developers of the EA-6B / TERPES system have
continued to plan for expansion. The EA-6B ADVCAP (Advanced
Capability) aircraft is expected to arrive in the USMC
inventory in the early 1990's. TERPES Phase III will enter
the inventory at the same time to support ADVCAP real-time
missions.13 During real-time mission support, the TERPES
operator can monitor the progress of the airborne Prowler
and re-transmit the processed intelligence to user agencies
within 15 minutes. Figure 1. illustrates this capability as
it relates to the MAGTF.
Click here to view image
The TERPES / Prowler ELINT collection systems of today
and of the near future provide some very sophisticated and
necessary intelligence capabilities to assist commanders in
winning the battle. This combined system provides the
commander with a single source of ELINT data in a
straight-forward, real-time manner. The system incorporates
sufficient evolutionary growth potential to handle any
threat today or in the future. It is capable of working
effectively with our sister services, as well as other
Marine units, in any theater where we may be asked to fight.
The bottom line is that no Marine commander need be at a
loss for accurate, timely electronic intelligence on the
battlefield. With this intelligence he can readily handle
the toughest situations and emerge victorious time after
time.
FOOTNOTES
1 Proposed Required Operational Capability for
Pre-Planned Product Improvement (P3I) of the
AN/TSQ-90 Tactical Electronic Reconnaissance
Processing and Evaluation System.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6 Ibid.
7 VEDA REPORT #53030-87U/P4429 TERPES PHASE III
FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS SPECIFICATION of 1 July
1987,
8 Terry W. Carter, CWO-3, USMC, TERPES Development
Project Officer, personnal interview about TERPES
programs, Quantico, VA, 21 Dec 1987.
9 bid.
10 Near Real Time Intelligence Support for The
Tactical Aviation Combat Element Commander by
James E. French, Robert P. Hansen and Frank A.
Yahner, 1986-1987, The Industrial College of the
Armed Forces, National Defense University.
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid.
13 VEDA Report Number 53030-87U/P 4429, TERPES PHASE
III FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS dtd 1 July 1987.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Carter, Terry W., CWO-3, USMC. Personal Interview
(21 December 1987)
French, James E., Hansen, Robert P., Yahner, Frank
A., "Near Real Time Inteligence Support for The
Tactical Aviation Combat Element Commander."
The Industrial College of the Armed Forces
National Defense University, Fort McNair, D.C.
(1986-1987)
Proposed Required Operational Capability for Pre-
Planned Product Improvement (P3I) of the AN/TSQ-90
Tactical Electronic Reconnaissance Processing And
Evaluation System
Sonnenberg, Steven B., Maj, USMC, "The New Look
Prowler," CSC Research Paper (3 April 1986).
U. S. Marine Corps. Electronic Warfare Command
And Control For The Aviation Combat Elements
(August 1985)
VEDA INCORPORATED. VEDA Report Number 53030-87U/
P4429 TERPES Phase III Functional Requirements
Specification. VEDA INCORPORATED, San Diego, CA,
(July 1987)
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