| | Advanced Tactical Air Reconnaissance System (ATARS) |
| | Primary Purpose | Provides an organic aerial reconnaissance |
| | platform to Marine Expeditionary Force and |
| | subordinate commanders. |
| | Sub-Functions | Collect and record data-link digital |
| | Electro-optical (EO), Infrared (IR) and Synthetic |
| | Aperture Radar (HSAR) imagery in a near |
| | real-time basis. Provides day, night and all |
| | weather capabilities. |
| | Equipment Requirements | Used in Lot XIV and up of the F/A-18D. Majority |
| | of equipment housed within 20mm gun space. |
| | Requires RUG II (radar upgrade) modifications to |
| | the APG-73 radar for SAR capability. Data link |
| | pod is required on station 5. |
| | Connectivity Requirements | To use the ATARS data-link, the ground based |
| | Navy-Joint Service Image Process System |
| | (N-JSIPS), JSIPS, or Tactical Exploitation Group |
| | (TEG) will be required. The wiring for the |
| | data-link pod will reside solely on station 5 of |
| | the aircraft. |
| | Challenges still exist in transferring large |
| | image files (up to 1 gigabyte) from squadron |
| | locations to the rest of the MAGTF. |
| | Crypto Requirements | To be determined. |
| | Normal Locations | Fixed-Wing Marine Aircraft Groups (MAG) within |
| | the Marine Aircraft Wings (MAW). |
| | Information Managed | ATARS captures and disseminates (via data link or |
| | tape) EO, IR, and SAR imagery to TEG for |
| | exploitation. |
| | Products Created | ATARS, working in conjunction with ground- based |
| | systems, creates digitally exploitable imagery. |
| | The Squadron Ground Station (SGS) or Tactical |
| | Exploitation Group (TEG) can produce digital |
| | imagery in a variety of formats (NITF, TIFF, |
| | JPEG, etc.) on either 8mm tape, CD-R, or 19mm |
| | tapes. |
| | Lead Service/Contractor | United States Navy/Lockheed. |
| | Current Fielding Status | Basic ATARS and SGS is IOC. FOC will not be |
| | accomplished for two years. Data link and TEG |
| | follow-on test and evaluation (FOT&E) scheduled |
| | for Spring 2001. |
| | Known Problems | Tape recorders and tapes used in the F/A-18 have |
| | a high failure rate. |
| | DIICOE Compliance Rating | Not rated. |
| | Point of Contact | Captains Burton and Kelly (VX-9) |
| | BurtonA@vx9.chinalake.navy.mil |
| | KellyBP@navair.navy.mil |
| | Program Office: Mr Brian Scalpino |
| | ScolpinoBJ@navair.navy.mil |
| | Updated by | Capt V. J. Bunch Sr, USMC, CCSC-01. |
|
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