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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
FY97 Annual Report

EA-6B UPGRADES, BAND 9/10 TRANSMITTER (XMTR)

	Navy ACAT-III Program Band 9/10 XMTR 196 systems inventory objective 120 systems funded Total program cost (TY$) $27M (plus $11M contractor funded overage) Average unit cost (TY$) $500K Full-rate production 1QFY98 (22 months lead, first delivery 4QFY99) Prime Contractor TRACOR Aerospace Electronic Systems

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The Band 9/10 XMTR contributes to full-dimensional protection by improving supported aircraft probability of survival through its contribution to the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) Electronic Attack (EA) mission of the EA-6B "Prowler" aircraft.

The EA-6B is a four place, all weather, twin turbojet powered, tactical EA aircraft designed to operate from aircraft carriers and airfields ashore. Its primary mission is the interception, analysis, identification, and jamming of enemy weapons control and communications systems in support of Joint offensive and defensive operations. High priority EA missions include SEAD by denying, delaying or degrading the acquisition of friendly forces. The crew includes one pilot and three electronic combat mission officers. The EA-6B carries the AN/ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System (TJS). The TJS onboard system (OBS) includes the receiver, processor, and aircrew interfaces. The TJS also includes a selection of mission configured jammer pods carried as external stores. Each jammer pod contains a ram air turbine generator, two selectable transmitter modules with associated antennas, and a universal exciter which is interfaced with and controlled by the onboard system and aircrew. The modular open architecture of the jammer system, which facilitates optimizing transmitters and antennas for a given frequency range, also facilitates tailored mission configurations. The EA-6B is armed with HARM high-speed anti-radiation missiles carried as external stores.

The Band 9/10 XMTR is intended to be capable of replacing existing Band 9 transmitter modules in the TJS configurable architecture, while extending the transmit frequency coverage through all of the system defined Band 9 and Band 10. This design provides the extended frequency coverage with the added operational flexibility of not requiring separate Band 9 and Band 10 modules for a missionized configuration which requires transmitter coverage in both bands.

The EA-6B has been operational since 1972. It has undergone a number of upgrade programs: Expanded Capability, Improved Capability (ICAP), and Improved Capability II (ICAP II). A subset of ICAP II was installed on operational aircraft in Desert Storm and included HARM capability and updated communications.

A major set of upgrades, designated Advanced Capability (ADVCAP) was in FSD in FY93. These included onboard system upgrades and substantial changes to the aircraft itself. ADVCAP warfighting improvements included a new receiver processor system, the AN/ALQ-149 Communications Jammer, a new band 2/3 transmitter, and an upgrade to the universal exciter. Also included was a major aircraft avionics upgrade and airframe and engine improvements. IOT&E (OT IIA) of the warfighting improvements was completed in 1QFY94.

In the post Desert Storm re-ordering of defense priorities and missions, influenced in part by the success of the EA-6B during Desert Storm, the ADVCAP program was excluded from the FY95 Navy budget submission and was subsequently canceled. The Navy was also deactivating older aircraft from the total inventory of 127, as they ramped down to the FY95 required force structure of 80 operational aircraft. The FY95 decisions to cancel the EF-111 System Improvement Program (SIP) and to retire the EF-111 fleet, resulted in transfer of the full DoD Joint EA mission requirement to the EA-6B.

The current EA-6B Upgrade program provides for a force structure of 104 operational aircraft by the time the last EF-111's are retired in FY98. The EA-6B has remained a Navy program with infrastructure support from the Navy. Air Force crews have transitioned into the training and operational squadrons. The Air Force has remained a participant with joint interest in the Navy operational requirements for the EA-6B Joint mission.

The current EA-6B upgrade program includes a three tier building block approach.

1. Sustainment: Brings all aircraft to a common Block 89A baseline including structural and safety of flight upgrades, a computer upgrade, and communications upgrades.
2. Current Acquisition: Provide essential warfighting capability improvements including the Universal Exciter Upgrade (UEU) (ACAT-III), the Band 9/10 transmitter (transferred to the Navy from the canceled EF-111 SIP) (ACAT-III), and the Low Band Transmitter (LBT) (ACAT-III), all of which are modular upgrades for use with the AN/ALQ-99 jamming pods. In addition there is an ongoing USQ-113/Connectivity Upgrade (ACAT-III) program to improve the interim (until the ICAP-III is fielded) operator interface (via a more capable lap top computer/software than those already in use) with the existing stand-alone AN/USQ-113 Communications Jammer, and to function as an interim interface for the connectivity improvements (radios/data link) being incorporated in the Block 89A baseline.
3. Future Upgrades: Designated ICAP-III (ACAT-II). Intended to procure a new receiver processor, to enhance the reactive jamming capability of the EA-6B, and to integrate the OBS and new displays with the USQ-113 and connectivity with off-board C3I systems.

DOT&E staff supported the Low Band Transmitter upgrade TEMP through an informal review process and subsequent dialogue in order to support the MS-II approval late 4QFY96.

DOT&E approved COMOPTEVFOR operational test plans for the UEU and Band 9/10 transmitter upgrades during FY96. The UEU program achieved MS-III in 2QFY96 and entered full rate production 4QFY96.

DOT&E staff monitored some Band 9/10 transmitter upgrade DT activity during FY96. The Navy extended the DT/OT schedules in order to resolve reliability issues discovered during DT and Contractor reliability growth testing.

DOT&E staff has participated with an IPT formed 1QFY97 to facilitate TEMP preparation in support of source selection and an anticipated 1QFY98 MS-II for the ICAP-III upgrades.

A similar process has continued to support LBT TEMP preparation for approval when submitted, and preparation of the ACAT-III USQ-113/Connectivity Upgrade TEMP for approval when submitted.

The Band 9/10 transmitter completed DT in June 1997 and the OPEVAL was conducted from July through August 1997 in accordance with the DOT&E approved Test Plan. MS-III is planned in 1QFY98. OPEVAL test flights were conducted by VX-9 at the Electronic Combat Range at Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, China Lake, CA, at the Air Force Material Command Nellis AFB Range complex, and during other VX-9 test flights. Fleet Navy and Marine Corps Prowlers carrying the comparison baseline Band 9 XMTR configuration also supported the OPEVAL. The VX-9 operational EA-6B aircraft was configured with both of the tested Band 9/10 XMTRs. The Deputy Director Operational Test & Evaluation / Conventional Systems observed a portion of the OPEVAL during an OT range mission from onboard the test aircraft. DOT&E staff and support personnel observed most test mission runs against range threat systems and were intimately involved with VX-9 data collection. The independent DOT&E evaluation results closely parallel the OPTEVFOR evaluation of the same data.

The FY97 OPEVAL of the ACAT-III Band 9/10 XMTR was adequate to find it effective. The Band 9/10 XMTR was assessed to be only potentially suitable due to an incompatibility under some conditions between the existing extended high band radome and transmissions in the Band 10 region. The Band 9/10 XMTR met its basic requirement for equivalent effectiveness to the current Band 9 transmitter in the frequency band covered by the current Band 9 transmitter. It also demonstrated effectiveness in the Band 9 /10 extended frequency range. Some scenarios tested demonstrated a definite requirement for follow-on tactics development to ensure effective employment. The two Band 9/10 transmitters tested were the newest of five EMD systems built, and were considered to be production representative after correction of hardware deficiencies discovered during DT, and after progressive overhaul with new components during the course of the extended DT. The systems under test performed without mission affecting failures throughout the OPEVAL.

The one major compatibility problem with the existing radome must be resolved via FOT&E prior to fleet deployment. This condition was well documented prior to entering IOT&E. Band 10 spot dwell on some azimuths are currently limited in order to guard against possible charring or delamination of the radome material. An ongoing radome material upgrade is planned to be completed in parallel with production of the Band 9/10 transmitter modules. Due to the azimuths of concern and predominant tactics, this restriction has virtually no adverse operational impact. It is imposed to prevent inadvertent damage of the radome. The radome upgrade is apparently fully funded and assessed as a low technical risk. The Navy's stated plan is to conduct FOT&E to demonstrate resolution of the radome incompatibility prior to any fleet deployment of the Band 9/10 XMTR, in order to field the system without operator controlled azimuth restrictions.