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Military


 DOT&E

Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
  
FY97 Annual Report

FY97 Annual Report

SECURE, MOBILE, ANTIJAM, RELIABLE, TACTICAL TERMINAL
(SMART-T)

Army ACAT IC Program
313 systems
Total program cost (TY$) $687M
Average unit cost (TY$) $1.3M
Full-rate production (IOC) 1QFY99
IOT &E 3QFY98

Prime Contractor
Raytheon

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The Secure, Mobile, Antijam, Reliable, Tactical Terminal (SMART-T) is the multichannel element of the Army's Milstar Advanced Satellite Terminal (MAST) program. SMART-T will draw on the Milstar system's secure, jam-resistant, survivable, low-probability-of-intercept/detection communication capabilities to enable our forces to maintain information superiority throughout all levels of conflict, which supports the full-dimensional protection operational concept and ensures that warfighters retain freedom of action through continuous, secure communication.

The primary mission for the SMART-T is to provide extended-range connectivity for the Army's Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE) and other small digital switches. The congressionally mandated restructuring of Milstar in 1992 added a tactical medium data rate (MDR) payload to the existing strategic low data rate (LDR) payload. Use of Milstar's MDR capabilities eliminates the line-of-sight limitations during battlefield operations imposed by land-based radio communications systems. The SMART-T supports the transmission requirements of an MSE node consisting of four trunk groups each containing 16, 32, or 64 channels. Accurate location and timing required for satellite acquisition by the SMART-T are provided by an internal Global Positioning System receiver.


BACKGROUND INFORMATION

The SMART-T entered the engineering manufacturing development phase of the acquisition process in May 1992 and the low-rate initial production phase in February 1996. The Milestone III full rate of production decision for the SMART-T is scheduled for 1QFY99. Since the first MDR satellite will not be available until 4QFY99, the IOT&E of the SMART-T will be supported by the Lincoln Laboratory low and medium data rate satellite simulator rather than by an on-orbit satellite. An FOT&E using the on-orbit satellite is scheduled for late FY99. Developmental tests for the SMART-T consist of a First Article Test, Milstar System Tests, Interoperability Demonstrations, Reliability Growth Test, Software Tests, and a Production Acceptance Test.


TEST & EVALUATION ACTIVITY

Army, Navy, and Air Force terminals participated in the Milstar Intersegment Tests conducted in July 1997. In this developmental test, the Service terminals were connected to the Flight 3 Milstar satellite payloads at the contractor's facility. The SMART-T and the Navy EHF Satellite Communications Program terminal participated in both medium and low data rate tests, while the Air Force Command Post Terminal participated in the low data rate tests. These tests examined the compatibility and interoperability of the SMART-T terminal with the Milstar LDR and MDR payloads. The tests included low and medium data rate acquisitions, simultaneous low- and medium-rate network operations, interoperable low- and medium-rate network and point-to-point calls, antenna and network control functions, and Year 2000 rollovers.

The Lincoln Laboratory low/medium data rate satellite simulator has been very useful in extensive developmental testing of the SMART-T. However, no verification, validation, or accreditation has been reported on its use for supporting operational testing for the SMART-T. Army's Operational Evaluation Command plans to certify the simulator as an adequate vehicle to support the SMART-T prior to Operational Testing.


TEST & EVALUATION ASSESSMENT

Contractor testing thus far indicates that the SMART-T meets developmental specifications. Developmental testing to date included two Milstar Intersegment Tests that demonstrated SMART-T's ability to operate with both the low and medium data rate Milstar payloads.



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