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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
	FY98 Annual Report

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The Single-Channel Antijam Man-Portable (SCAMP) terminal is the rapidly deployable, single-channel, individual-portable component of the Army's Milstar Advanced Satellite Terminal program. SCAMP will draw on the unique capabilities of the Milstar system and enable our forces to maintain information superiority during conflict and enhance full-dimensional protection by using anti-jam and low-probability-of-intercept technologies.

The primary mission of SCAMP is to provide survivable extended-range communications to Corps and Division tactical units for command and control. SCAMP's use of Milstar's low data rate (LDR) capabilities to interconnect small tactical units eliminates the line-of-sight limitations on battlefield operations imposed by land-based radio communications systems. The SCAMP operates in a half-duplex mode at a maximum data rate of 2.4 kbps. The SCAMP program is divided into two separate development efforts: Block I and Block II. The requirement of the Block I effort is to develop a 37-pound terminal; and the goal of the Block II effort is to develop a 12-pound terminal.

The Milestone III production decision for the Block I SCAMP occurred in November 1994. The full-scale production contract for Block I SCAMP was awarded in February 1996. An FOT&E for the SCAMP is scheduled for November 1998. The FOT&E will evaluate the operational effectiveness and suitability of the end-to-end system to support the Army's fielding decision for the Block I terminal. Milestone II for the Block II program is expected in 4QFY99, although the current development effort is minimally funded.

The Block I SCAMP was redesignated as an Acquisition Category (ACAT) III program in January 1995. The Block II SCAMP remains an ACAT IC program. DOT&E continues full oversight of the SCAMP program, including the Block I terminal, in order to maintain the system perspective in the oversight of the Milstar program.

A customer test was performed in a field and garrison environment in August 1996 to assess the terminal's progress in an operational environment. This test focused on three operational issues:

(1) extending the range for voice and data communications in the field; (2) deployment, setup, and teardown of the equipment; and (3) interoperability with other Milstar terminals. On the basis of the customer test, the U.S. Army OPTEC performed an abbreviated OA of the Block I SCAMP terminal.

The Milstar Intersegment Tests 4000/6000 involving the Army, Navy, and Air Force terminals was conducted in July 1997 and August 1998. In these medium data rate (MDR) focused developmental tests, the Service terminals were connected to the Milstar Flight 3 satellite payloads at the contractor's facility in Sunnyvale, CA. The Army's LDR/MDR capable Secure, Mobile, Antijam, Reliable, Tactical Terminal (SMART-T) and the Navy EHF Satellite Program (NESP) terminal, equipped with an MDR appliqué, participated in both MDR and LDR tests, while the Air Force Command Post Terminal participated in the LDR tests. These tests examined the compatibility and interoperability of the NESP terminal with the Milstar LDR and MDR payloads. The tests included LDR and MDR acquisitions, simultaneous LDR/MDR network operations, interoperable LDR and MDR network and point-to-point calls, antenna and network control functions, and Year 2000 rollovers.

The First Article Test (FAT) ran from April 1997-October 1998. The FAT contained subtest events that verify specific requirements and design characteristics from production specifications. The overall objective of the test was to verify that the SCAMP production terminal conformed to specifications in the requirements documents. FAT concluded with a confidence test, which determined the terminal was ready for operational testing.

The only remaining operational test for the SCAMP terminal before full fielding was the FOT&E conducted October-November 1998 at Ft. Bragg, NC. The FOT&E was a 15-day test of five production terminals in a simulated wartime field environment to evaluate effectiveness, suitability, and survivability. Each terminal was assigned to and operated by three general-purpose user soldiers from Corps staff organizations. The test scenarios exercised all of the functional capabilities of the terminals. Each test day was approximately 12 hours with set up, communications, teardown, and movement activities each day. The terminal was required to demonstrate interoperability with Army Common User Equipment to communicate with higher headquarters and supporting elements of other Services. OPTEC is currently analyzing test results.

The Milstar Intersegment Test 8000 will be conducted after Milstar Flight 3, the first MDR capable Milstar satellite, is launched from Cape Canaveral Air Station, FL. The launch is currently scheduled to occur in early 1999. After on orbit payload checkout is completed, SCAMP terminals will participate in the low data rate portion of combined service testing to demonstrate the compatibility and interoperability of the SCAMP terminal with the in-orbit Milstar Flight 3. The tests include low data rate satellite acquisition, network operations, interoperable network and point-to-point calls with Army, Navy and Air Force terminals, and antenna and network control functions.

Y2K compliance testing consisted of two major events. Rockwell conducted functional performance testing at the Rockwell-Collins plant in Richardson, TX, from April 21-23, 1998. Lockheed Martin conductedY2K testing in Sunnyvale, CA, as part of intersegment testing from April 20-24. The test included Army and Air Force terminals as well as the Milstar Flight 3 satellite. Y2K issues were not found. The Army is in the final stages of the Y2K compliance certification process.

DOT&E approved the SCAMP TEMP on August 31, 1998. The FOT&E Test Concept, System Evaluation Plan, and Event Design Plan were briefed and approved in September 1998.

Because the 1996 customer test employed prototype terminals that were not designed for the rigors of field operations, numerous terminal breakdowns and shortcomings were observed. However, OPTEC identified the following five general issue categories in their abbreviated operational assessment, whose resolution is necessary to improve the operational effectiveness and suitability of the production terminals:

• Low message completion rate.



• Poor interoperability with other Milstar terminals caused by communications security problems.



• Excessive set-up and teardown times.



• Human factors problems.



• Mission database problems.

Although there were difficulties encountered with the prototype terminals, the customer tests demonstrated technology that will satisfy the Army's requirements for extending the communications range of small tactical units. The tests also demonstrated that the Army needed to establish a mechanism to develop and maintain the terminal mission data base, which specifies the acquisition and communications input parameters necessary to establish links with the satellite. The Program Office has addressed each of these issues.

The SCAMP terminal's successful participation in Milstar Intersegment Tests and FAT indicate the terminal is capable of meeting all system specifications in a developmental test environment. The FOT&E scheduled for 1QFY99 will establish whether these technical capabilities translate into an effective and suitable system when placed in an operational environment.