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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
FY97 Annual Report

JOINT SURVEILLANCE TARGET ATTACK RADAR SYSTEM
(JSTARS)

	Air Force E8C Program (ACAT ID) 20 Systems Total Program Cost- $9,515.0M Average Unit Cost- $476M Full Rate Production 1QFY97 Prime Contractor Northrup-Grumman

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) supports dominant maneuver of joint forces through its contribution of a synoptic battlefield view to operational maneuver commanders. The system's required ability to perform battlefield surveillance, battle management for both air and land component forces, and indications and warning functions give a capability to contribute to information superiority of US and combined forces. The JSTARS system is intended to meet the operational need for locating, classifying, and supporting precision engagement of time-sensitive moving and stationary targets.

The JSTARS system consists of the Air Force E-8C aircraft, an Army ground station, and the data link that connects the two elements. The E-8C is a re-manufactured version of Boeing 707. The basic airframe of the 25 to 30 year old aircraft has been extensively re-furbished and updated with the JSTARS radar system, communications gear, data link capability, 18 primary mission workstations, and air refueling capability. The Air Force has chosen to retain the existing basic aircraft engines, flight control, fuel, and hydraulic systems. The JSTARS system brings to the battlefield the technical capability to perform surveillance through interleaved high resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR), moving target indicator (MTI), and the computer capability to integrate battlefield and geographic information into a near real-time picture of the ground battle.

The ground station receives, processes, and displays JSTARS radar imagery from the E-8C. The evolution of the Army ground station has progressed from two versions (light and heavy) of the earlier Ground Station Module (GSM) to the currently funded Common Ground Station (CGS). The CGS is a High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) mounted system. The system is required to demonstrate the necessary computer workstations, communications equipment, and data link capability to integrate with the JSTASRS, intelligence networks, and national level information sources to provide the Army ground elements the capability to prosecute both air and land engagement of time sensitive targets, as well as support the intelligence preparation for the dynamic battle.

Multi-Service Operational Test and Evaluation (MOT&E) was scheduled to start in November 1995 and proceed through mid-1996. However, due to operational tasking in support of OPERATION JOINT ENDEAVOR, the system was evaluated during the operational deployment supporting the forces in Bosnia. While the opportunity to assess the system in an operational context was valuable, it presented critical limitations to the scope of the evaluation. The system was only able to demonstrate limited capability to support joint forces target attack and battle management due to the nature of the air tasking. The E-8C did not meet its overall suitability requirements during the deployment. Without significant corrective action the system is unsuitable to support a high operational tempo conflict. Because of these shortfalls, follow-on operational test and evaluation for the E-8C is required. This follow-on operational test and evaluation will be under the oversight of DOT&E.

The GSM program was granted approval for LRIP of 12 medium units to be mounted on standard five ton trucks. Prior to the decision, a Limited User Test of the Medium GSM (MGSM) was conducted. The MGSMs were subsequently fielded with contingency forces and used as training equipment. The Army also approved the LRIP of ten light GSMs (HMMWV mounted) following completion of a Force Development Test and Evaluation in September 1994. The initial operational test and evaluation of the Common Ground Station is scheduled to begin in November 1997.

The Services and DOT&E have developed a Test and Evaluation Master Plan and individual test plans to evaluate the unresolved issues from previous evaluations. The unresolved issues for the E-8C will be evaluated during the E-8C regression testing, joint tests, field exercises, and training and contingency operations. The evaluation strategy takes advantage of participation in the All-Service Combat Identification Evaluation Team , deployment to Pacific exercise FOAL EAGLE in 1QFY98, and the initial operational test and evaluation support for the Army CGS.

The limited ground situation evaluated in OPERATION JOINT ENDEAVOR did not enable DOT&E resolve the critical operational issues relating to the effectiveness on the JSTARS during high operational tempo joint-battle scenarios. While the Air Force evaluation maintained that the system was operationally effective and suitable, DOT&E's independent assessment concluded that the limited and largely static ground situation in Bosnia during the deployment precluded conclusive resolution of the critical operational issues. Lack of large scale ground maneuver, the absence of integrated Air Forces and Army target attack scenarios, and limited use of the intelligence products by lower echelon maneuver units all mitigated against full demonstration of the system capability to perform critical battle management and target attack support functions. These limitations to the scope of the evaluation resulted in a DOT&E assessment that the system, as tested, had only demonstrated effectiveness in operations other than war. Additionally the DOT&E independent assessment concluded that the system, as tested, was not suitable. The major suitability issues were software immaturity and high levels of contractor intervention required during the evaluation.

The evaluation during OPERATION JOINT ENDEAVOR identified modifications, fixes, and future testing requirements. Additionally, the deployment revealed several training and operational concept voids that the services have actively worked to resolve via augmented joint training and revised and enhanced concept developments efforts. The unresolved operational issues will be tested and evaluated during the E-8C software regression testing, follow-on operational test and evaluation, CGS IOT&E, and various joint exercise and training opportunities commencing in 1QFY98. The start of the follow-on operational test and evaluation is contingent on incorporation of a previously delayed interim software update to the E-8C. Currently, the E-8C software fixes and upgrades are experiencing significant schedule slips. These delays result both from developmental difficulty and the impact of the high deployment demands on the initial operational unit.