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Coalition Combat ID

Until the fall of 2001, the Army had a program in place to develop a combat ID system. However, budget constraints led the service to cancel the Battlefield Combat Identification System (BCIS), along with 16 others. Following termination, top service officials, including Under Secretary Les Brownlee, asserted that fratricide would be reduced simply through the improved situational awareness the Army expects to achieve as a digitized force. The Army now appears to have adjusted that stance. Service leadership subsequently confirmed that the requirement for a combat ID system is still valid and ordered a survey of available -- and relatively inexpensive -- solutions.

The service wants a combat ID system that satisfies both its requirements and those of the relevant NATO Standardized Agreements (STANAG). Systems that are STANAG compliant enable interoperability on the battlefield amongst NATO allies. For combat ID, the standards include probability of correct identification, the length of time that it takes to do the identification (sending a signal out and getting a signal back), the operating frequency and the coverage angle.

Joint fires provide the ability for joint forces to locate, identify, track, and engage targets as necessary. As stated in the Joint Transformation Roadmap, this capability is to be available throughout the full range of military operations. In order to enable a joint fires capability, positive identification of the target as non- friendly by or for the shooter is critical, prior to engagement. At this time, US and Allied Forces lack a comprehensive combat identification (CID) system to prevent fratricide and enable a joint fires capability. The objective of this project is to mature and demonstrate emergent CID systems for joint, allied and coalition air-to-ground and ground- to- ground mounted, dismounted, forward observer and forward air controller mission for the Future Force and, where feasible, exploits opportunities to enhance Current Force capabilities.

This program provides the technologies for the Coalition Combat Identification Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations (ACTD) that is exploring and demonstrating CID with the UK, France, Germany, Canada, and Australia. The program provides maturation of the enabling technologies to demonstrate common identification (ID) standard agreements (STANAGs), reduce weight and cost, and evaluate radio frequency (RF) tags as a CID enabler. This program will set the baseline for the Future Force to enable fratricide reductions through CID concepts to include blue force tracking via RF Tags scanned by synthetic aperture radar/ moving target indicator (SAR/ MTI) radar. This program increases the survivability and lethality of Coalition Forces by providing a matured capability to identify friend from foe, thereby, reducing fratricide incidents across the battlefield. CID must be software functional, portable across a family of platforms, tied to the future tactical internet, over- the- horizon capable and highly resistant to countermeasures. The system must operate successfully in all weather environments and must not be impacted by smoke, fog, dirt and other obscurants.

The Future Force CID capability will fuse situational awareness (SA) and Point- of- Engagement Target Identification into a common "through sight" picture. The future CID architecture will necessitate the integration of a network composed of diverse reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) sensors that include non-cooperative capabilities in the sensor suites and a cooperative ID capability that will be realized as part of the future network centric, real- time, red and blue SA for both combat vehicles and unit of action/ unit of employment (UA/ UE) Commander. Coordination will be accomplished with other services, allies and coalition partners. MANPRINT will be addressed in all activities. Future CID will operate with the Objective Force Warrior System providing a seamless boundary with vehicle CID.

The Coalition Combat Identification ACTD in FY03, coordinated allied participation in the Coalition Combat Identification ACTD (GE, UK, FR, CA, AUS). Shared technical approaches to mature hardware and implemented the Battlefield Target ID (BTID) and Dismounted Soldier CID (DSCID) STANAGs.

The Army wants solutions applicable to both Legacy and Interim Force vehicles. All concepts should be based on mature technology that would be ready for fielding by fiscal year 2004, according to a notice in Federal Business Opportunities. Each response should include proposals that fit into three price ranges: 2,500 systems or less at $20,000 per system; 2,500 to 5,000 systems at $15,000 to $20,000 per system; and 5,000 systems or more at less than $15,000 per system. Those costs include the B-kit only and do not cover the A-kit needed for integration.

The reason for the three price groups is to establish an affordable cost bogey. When Army leadership directed the TIMS office to find an affordable solution, it did not set a spending cap. A singular architecture that could be applied to systems for the dismounted soldier, ground vehicles and aviation platforms is preferable.

Matured Radio Based Combat Identification (RBCID)

The Coalition Combat ID effort is looking at a different solution for aviation platforms, based on the Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System. Using a regular radio signal, a helicopter can "interrogate" anyone on the ground who is equipped with SINCGARS. The radio automatically responds with a signal that identifies the carrier as friendly. That system is in the experimentation phase and is not yet ready for fielding. There currently is no applicable STANAG for aviation.

Matured Radio Based Combat Identification (RBCID) using the ASIP SINCGARS in FY04, mature a smaller, lighter, more efficient and less costly version of the Battlefield Combat Identification System Millimeter Wave system with a NATO STANAG approved waveform. Coordinate establishment of a NATO standard for DSCID for a US/ NATO common system to increase protection to the dismounted soldier. Plan/ conduct a CID Military Operation in an Urban Terrain exercise.

In September 2005, USJFCOM J8 conducted Exercise Urgent Quest, a demonstration of cooperative ground combat identification technologies, at Salibury Plain, United Kingdom. The analysis of that demonstration resulted in investment recommendations to the Army-Marine Corps Board and the JROC as well as an Army-Marine-UK ground forces agreement to pursue selective ground combat identification technologies.

Building on the success of Exercise Urgent Quest, USJFCOM J8 obtained permission to extend the ACTD for the purpose of conducting additional military utility assessments on non-cooperative combat identification technologies. This event, Exercise Bold Quest, was conducted at the Army's National Training Center and Nellis Air Force Base in September 2007. The exercise examined 16 cooperative and non-cooperative combat identification technologies and had the able participation of nine NATO/ISAF nations and all four U.S. services (and SOCOM). The exercise included 820 player personnel, 45 ground vehicles, 40 aircraft, and over 1000 additional support personnel. Total cost of the event was $20.8 million in direct investment plus additional U.S. and coalition indirect support.

Fratricide prevention efforts included:

• Non-Cooperative Air to Ground technology demonstration using Laser Target Imaging Program (LTIP) and Synthetic Aperture Radar/Aided Target Recognition (SAR/ATR).
• Various US and Coalition Ground to Ground Cooperative technology demonstrations including: Battlefield Target ID (BTID); Radio Based Combat ID (RBCI); Radio Based Situational Awareness (RBSA); and Mode S.
• Coalition-only Ground to Ground Cooperative technology demonstration of Mode 5/S (Reverse).
• Recognition of Combat Vehicle (ROC-V) Combat Identification Training System (CITS).
• Ground situational awareness shared among US and Coalition participants.
• Situational awareness passed from individual systems through Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below (FBCB2) to populate the Link 16 network.
• Ground situational awareness picture seen at NTC and at the CAOC-N at Nellis Air Force Base.
• Extensive work with US and Coalition on digital close air support (CAS) operations and procedures.

Besides the technological and operational hurdles expected of such an endeavor, USJFCOM J8 and participating venues faced immense bureaucratic resistance to allied information sharing and cross-domain network access. The command, assisted by staff at the National Training Center and the Air Force Communications Agency, was able to work through these issues, execute the exercise to its fullest design, and establish a cross-domain and information sharing precedents for U.S./allied exercises in the future.

Millimeter Wave Radar Technology

Millimeter wave radar technology also is part of the current STANAG for combat ID. If the Army were to choose a low-cost alternative based on different technology, the United States would not meet the STANAG requirements to which it has acceded. There is no movement away from the millimeter wave radar standard; in fact, Great Britain and France are now building millimeter wave systems, and Germany has expressed an interest in acquiring one as well.

The Army leadership acknowledged that millimeter wave radar is good technology and NATO compliant. The Army has or is developing other combat ID systems. In response to problems encountered during Desert Storm, some service vehicles have external, combat ID panels. By using their thermal sights, a crew can detect certain markings (a black spot on a white background or a white spot on a black background) and determine the vehicle is friendly. Another Desert Storm "quick fix" provides the individual soldier with a nine-volt battery strobe, which can be seen through night vision goggles. Both of these technologies are somewhat problematic, though. Night vision goggles, which are now commercially available, have proliferated around the globe and many potential adversaries have access to thermal detection equipment, as well. That means U.S. troops could be seen by their own and the enemy. A more robust and secure solution for combat ID is needed.

The Network Centric Combat Identification Technologies in FY04, evaluated the use of Ku and X - Band Digital Radio Frequency (RF) Tags for Blue Force Tracking and air- to- ground Combat Identification (CID). In FY05, it conducted operational testing and assess military utility of RF Tags in conjunction with a Synthetic Aperture Radar/ Moving Target Indicator radar to provide passive CID. Will mature ground integrated target identification system for ground- to- ground CID for the Future Force. This will integrate CID data from cooperative and non- cooperative target identifiers (FLIR, EPLRS, RF Tags, Radar, tactical internet, etc.) and situational awareness sensors to display CID results through the sight. This will mitigate engagement latency and provides beyond line- of- sight capability.

Laser-Based Technology

Laser-based technology for the individual soldier includes a detector that sends out a laser beam and receives a radio frequency signal in return. It entered low-rate initial production in September 2001, but was transferred to the Land Warrior program for incorporation into that system. The laser technology will be developed into a soldier-to-soldier STANAG.