Pacific Collector (PC) / Pacific Tracker (PT)

The MV Pacific Collector (PC) and MV Pacific Tracker (PT) support DoD Missile Defense Agency requirements as Sea-Based Mobile Sensor Platforms. The Maritime Administration (MARAD), as MDA’s executing agent, to modified, operates, and maintains the PC and PT to host MDA sensors to track BMDS test interceptors and/or target missiles launched from any of the test ranges (Reagan Test Site, Kodiak Launch Complex, Vandenberg AFB, PMRF, Western Range, and Wake Island and land-based instrumentation sites) as well as the broad ocean area using either air- or sea-launch platforms. Both vessels would be homeported at the Cascade General Portland Shipyard, Portland, OR. TOTE Services, Inc. (then known as Interocean American Shipping) operated the TOTE vessels SS Pacific Tracker, tracking and telemetry ships Pacific Collector and Pacific Tracker.

The PACIFIC COLLECTOR and the PACIFIC TRACKER were converted from National Defense Reserve Fleet [NDRF] ships awaiting disposal into cost effective platforms for the MDA. PACIFIC COLLECTOR and PACIFIC TRACKER are under Maritime Administration Operational Control (OPCON) for operations supporting the Missile Defense Agency. PACIFIC COLLECTOR and PACIFIC TRACKER have been modified to support telemetry missions sponsored by the Missile Defense Agency. The Ship Manager is responsible for procurement of victuals and stores and hotel services on a reimbursable basis to support any assigned non-crew member. Normally the maximum number of personnel (other than crew) per mission is 27 for PACIFIC TRACKER and 25 for PACIFIC COLLECTOR. This number is determined during mission planning.

PACIFIC COLLECTOR/TRACKER do not have assigned "R-Status" but will be treated as an ROS-5 RRF vessel, except where specifically stated otherwise. A milestone schedule will be provided at a minimum of one month before the ship is due to be activated for a mission. The Ship Manager is responsible for activation and subsequent operation of these vessels in accordance with the milestone schedule. The Maritime Administration has determined that all ROS vessels and ROS-like (i.e. PACIFIC TRACKER and PACIFIC COLLECTOR) shall be enrolled in the ABS Alternative Compliance Program. The Government reserves the right to grant exceptions. Exceptions shall be in writing, by the Chief, Division of Maintenance and Repair (MAR-611). Requests shall be submitted to the COTR. All vessels enrolled in ACP must meet the applicable eligibility criteria established by USCG including full voluntary compliance with ISM.

Any public affair inquiries on these vessels should be immediately reported to the Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR) for coordination with MARAD HQ and the program sponsor. Personnel, including crew, port engineers, and shoreside management, shall make no statements to the press regarding these vessels unless prior approval is granted by MARAD. Because of the unique equipment and missions for PACIFIC COLLECTOR and PACIFIC TRACKER FOS the sponsor has requested that the ROS/FOS crews be 100% U.S. citizens. The Ship Manager will comply with this request or advise COTR before the mission why compliance is not possible.

The Maritime Administration (MARAD) had an agreement with Interocean American Shipping (IAS) which designated IAS as a general agent for MARAD to manage two of its vessels, the Pacific Collector and Pacific Tracker. During 2009 through 2011, IAS contracted with PCMA to serve as a ship agent to obtain tug services for the vessels. From 2009 through 2011, PCMA retained Shaver Transportation Company (Shaver) to provide services as requested and fully performed its obligations to PCMA. Shaver submitted invoices to PCMA for services. PCMA altered the Shaver invoices by increasing certain charges and by deleting discounts provided by Shaver. The altered invoices were submitted to IAS and MARAD for payment. MARAD paid the altered invoices resulting in an overpayment in excess of $56,000 to PCMA.

TOTE Services managed the technical conversion of MV Pacific Collector and S/S Pacific Tracker, two government owned Tracking and Telemetry ships, in service for the Missile Defense Agency. These ships are maintained in ROS-5 status and have been activated by TOTE Services in response to both scheduled missions and no-notice mission activations. TOTE Services has been known by several names in its lifetime – Interocean Management Corporation, Interocean Ugland Management Corporation, Interocean American Shipping and now TOTE Services. Interocean commenced the conversion of a semi-submersible oil rig into the radar platform SBX which was chartered to the U.S. Missile Defense Agency from the Boeing Corporation.

MDA conducted Flight Test Ground Based Interceptor-06b (FfG-06b) on June 22, 2014 at 18:49:00.016 universal coordinated time. The target vehicle, Launch Vehicle 2 (LV-2), was launched from Reagan Test Site (RTS) on Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands on a trajectory targeting the Broad Ocean Area (BOA) northeast of the Hawaiian Islands. The target complex was acquired and tracked by the Aegis BMD Radar from its Test Support Position (TSP) near Kwajalein. The GBI was launched from an operationally-configured Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) silo, Launch Facility-23 (LF-23), at V AFB. A successful intercept was achieved. Transportable Telemetry System 1 (TTS-1) on the Pacific Collector located in the BOA northeast of the Hawaiian Islands. The Transportable Telemetry System 2 (TTS-2)on the Pacific Tracker was located in the Broad Ocean Area northeast of the Hawaiian Islands, The X Band Transportable Radar I (XTR -I) was located on the Pacific Tracker located in the BOA northeast of the Hawaiian Islands.

Pacific Collector (PC)

The MV Pacific Collector (PC) vessel hosts the TTS-1 and a Range Safety System (RSS). The PC is owned, operated, and maintained by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration in support of MDA missions. The TTS-1 is a long-range, high data rate telemetry collection, processing and data transmission system. Its primary mission area is midcourse and terminal phase telemetry coverage. In a secondary role, TTS may be used to augment the telemetry infrastructure at existing test ranges.

The Pacific Collector Range Safety System (PCRSS) was integrated onto the PC to expand the BMD test architecture with a mobile flight safety platform. The PCRSS processes missile telemetry (S- or L-band) collected by the two 24-ft TTS-1 antennas to provide real-time Time Space Position Information, FTS health and status measurements, and other critical data to onboard Flight Safety personnel. PCRSS contains all of the equipment necessary to maintain positive control over a missile FTS.

Pacific Tracker (PT)

The SS Pacific Tracker (PT) vessel hosts the XTR-1 dual X/S-band instrumentation radar and the TTS-2 to support MDA test missions at remote sites anywhere along the flight test trajectory (boost phase, mid-course, terminal phase). The Pacific Tracker is owned, operated, and maintained by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Maritime Administration in support of MDA missions. TTS-2 system is the same as TTS-1 system on the M/V Pacific Collector. The TTS-2 has its control room below deck housed in two primary telemetry shelters, connected to two 24-ft antennas, and a satellite communications shelter.

SS Beaver State (ACS-10) was laid down, 13 April 1964, as the breakbulk ship, SS Mormacdraco, a Maritime Administration type (C6-S-60a) hull, under Maritime Administration contract (MA 144) at Ingalls Shipbuilding Inc., Pascagoula, MS. The vessel was later converted to a MARAD type hull (C6-S-MA60b) Crane Ship at National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, CA. SS Beaver State (ACS-10) was berthed at Bremerton, WA. and assigned to Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron Three and was maintained in a five-day readiness status. The ship was removed from MSC control, withdrawn from the RRF by reassignment to the National Defense Reserve Fleet, 28 July 2006. Converted for the Missile Defense Agency at Cascade General Shipyards, Portland, OR. to an X-Band Transportable Radar Ship, designated (XTR-1). Renamed SS Pacific Tracker, 1 April 2009. The X-Band Test Radar (XTR) is a dual band, X and S, seamobile, instrumentation radar that brings a huge new capability to Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) flight testing. Most notably, it frees test geometries from landbased radar constraints. The XTR is now integrated with the Transportable Telemetry System (TTS)-2, which provides long-range, high bandwidth telemetry collection, processing, and communication capabilities, on board the Pacific Tracker.

The Pacific Tracker [PT] is one of DTR’s sea-based assets and is owned, operated, and maintained by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) in support of MDA missions.

TTS-1, hosted on the Pacific Collector [PC], and TTS-2, hosted on the Pacific Tracker, make available to MDA test programs, the same telemetry capability. The addition of the XTR on Pacific Tracker and the Range Safety System on Pacific Collector provides each vessel with unique capabilities that fulfill divergent test requirements. Both vessels are home ported in Portland, OR.

AHW FT-1A was the first test event where the Pacific Tracker collected simultaneous radar and telemetry data. This was especially demanding because DTR had to develop a new mission execution plan which balanced the requirements placed on each sensor within a compressed planning timeline. The low target elevation angles and the high velocity of the AHW’s target, combined to stress the XTR’s viewing angles. The CONOPS developed by DTR enabled both sensors, XTR and TTS-2, to collect data encompassing the AHW above the horizon flight time. The CONOPS also implemented the first use of the TTS to directly cue the XTR. The performance of both sensors exceeded all expectations.

The test, designated "Flight Test Operational-02 Event 2a," was successfully executed 31 October 2015. Southeast of Wake Island, a C-17 supplied by Air Mobility Command launched a Short Range Air Launch Target over the Pacific Ocean that was detected and intercepted by the THAAD weapon system from Wake Island. As the AMC C-17 turned towards home, the AFTC C-17 manned by an Edwards crew launched a second target, an extended Medium Range Ballistic Missile into the debris field created by the THAAD weapon system,which intercepted and destroyed the SRALT. One important aspect of the test event was to demonstrate that Aegis BMD was able to detect a target inside of a debris field. The THAAD weapon system, which had also been tracking the eMRBM in a terminal defense role, acquired and successfully intercepted the target. Each C-17 was paired with a P-3 Orion chase plane for photo support and a KC-135 for aerial refueling. Below them, a ship known as Pacific Collector acted as a telemetry and range safety representative. The Pacific Collector monitored the health of the missile throughout the launch until its termination.