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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
	FY98 Annual Report

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The IEWCS program consists of four systems: (1) the Army Ground-Based Common Sensor-Light (GBCS-L); (2) the Army Ground-Based Common Sensor-Heavy (GBCS-H); (3) the Army Advanced Quick Fix (AQF); and (4) the Marine Mobile Electronic Warfare Support System (MEWSS). The collective operation of GBCS-L, GBCS-H, and AQF will support Army divisions with signal detection, identification, location, and jamming (a growth capability). The MEWSS will provide similar support to Marine amphibious ground task forces. Both the Army and Marine systems will provide nominal geo-location accuracy using time-difference of arrival techniques when operating with a baseline of three or more systems. The Army system will provide a degree of accuracy suitable for targeting when using differential Doppler techniques with a combination of AQF and ground-based platforms.

IEWCS, when fielded, will contribute to Joint Vision 2010 by providing situation awareness in support of dominant maneuver for both the Army and Marines and target development and acquisition in support of precision engagement for the Army.

In 1988, the 82^nd Airborne Division developed an Operational Needs Statement requiring a quick reaction capability for a highly mobile intercept and direction finding system. Following a July 1994 customer test with a single system developed by Project Manager Signal Warfare, the Army made a Limited Procurement Urgent decision to procure 12 GBCS-L units.

Due to problems with development and achieving a level of maturity and reliability necessary to enter operational testing, the IEWCS program deferred planned IOT&Es several times prior to 1998. Both the GBCS-L and MEWSS were scheduled to undergo IOT&E during summer 1998, with Milestone III decisions following by the end of 1998. The Army had previously committed to acquire 12 GBCS-Ls under a Limited Procurement Urgent (LPU) and planned to buy up to 19 additional systems. The Marines had previously committed to buy three MEWSSs and planned to buy an additional nine system.

Based on the poor results from developmental testing, the Army decided at a May 1998 review to down scope the IOT&E to a combined DT/OT. The result of the DT/OT supported an Army decision to field only the 12 LPU systems to satisfy the urgent operational need. The Army has not requested additional procurement for GBCS-L systems beyond those 12. This program may be restructured under a new name.

The GBCS-L and MEWSS underwent developmental testing at Ft. Huachuca from March 17-April 24, 1998. Based on the shortfalls in location accuracy, system reliability, and software maturity, the Army downgraded the planned summer 1998 IOT&E. However, the Marines elected to proceed with an IOT&E for MEWSS to support a full-rate production decision. The DT/OT for GBCS-L and the IOT&E for MEWSS were conducted at Ft. Huachuca from July 1-August 7, 1998.

At the time it was put on DOT&E oversight, Service-level TEMPs for all four systems existed. DOT&E worked closely with the Army and Marine Corps on test plans for the GBCS-L and the MEWSS. No new TEMP is planned until the program's restructure.

The system is not currently certified to be Y2K compliant. The Program Manager's (PMs) Y2K certification strategy is uncertain due to the present status of the program. However, the PM anticipates that by mid-FY99 the 12 LPU systems will be certified prior to fielding.

The final performance and RAM data bases are still being evaluated by the Service OTAs. Based on emerging test results from the GBCS-L DT/OT and the MEWSS IOT&E, neither system is effective or suitable. Geo-location accuracy and reliability have not improved from the levels achieved during earlier DT and are continuing to fall short of users requirements. Both systems could not be fully tested against threat targets in all frequency bands due to antennae calibration limitations encountered prior to the tests and software problems encountered during the tests.

Both the MEWSS and GBCS-L had numerous modifications to their environmental control units (ECUs) prior to testing. Test results show that both ECUs inadequately cooled the system electronic components. The "fixes" that were implemented were inadequate and also added significantly to the maintenance burden on the systems. Temperatures of up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit were measured inside the MEWSS Lightly Armored Vehicle. To cool the MEWSS, it was tethered to a 60,000 BTU auxiliary air conditioner for the last four weeks of the six-week IOT&E. Because of this non-operational configuration, the Marine evaluators are only using data from the first two weeks of testing for decision making purposes. The GBCS-L ECU was the cause of numerous system failures, many of which resulted in system aborts.

The Limited Procurement Urgent method of acquisition resulted in the production of 12 GBCS-L systems. After ten years in development, the GBCS-L systems are still not sufficiently effective or suitable to warrant fielding or procurement of additional systems. LPUs should be used as the last resort for true operational needs and not as a substitution for the acquisition process.