Joint STARS Re-capitalization effort begins

Initial phase of Joint STARS effort begins

The current system is comprised of a radar and computer systems, which display real-time battlefield information, and a 24-foot long antenna that is capable of detecting targets from long distances. Joint STARS, which first flew during Desert Storm in 1991 and has been a consistently used military asset for nearly two decades, operates on refurbished commercial 707 airframes.  

But, the aging fleet must adapt to the times.

"The next generation JSTARS will be a more affordable solution and will increase our operational capability," said Lt. Col. Michael Harm, JSTARS Recapitalization program manager. "More advanced communication tools are needed for success in today's evolving battlefield." 

Lt. Col. Michael D. Harm was previously program manager of the Multi-Platform Radar Tech Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) in July of 2012.

USAF reveals plan to replace JSTARS with business jets by 2022 - 1/27/2014 - Flight Global 
The US Air Force has taken the first step in a newly revealed, eight-year process to develop and field a business jet-sized replacement for the Northrop Grumman E-8C joint surveillance target attack radar system (JSTARS), although the project still has no approved funding.

The JSTARS Recapitalisation (Recap) programme seeks to achieve an initial operational capability in 2022 with a “more efficient airframe” in the business jet class. It will be acquired using separate contracts for developing the aircraft, the airborne sensor, battle management command and control (BMC2) system and a communications subsystem.

USAF Eyes T-X, New JStars Projects 
The E-8C Joint Stars fleet is housed on aging Boeing 707 airframes, all of which were purchased as used platforms before being modified with mission systems in the 1990s and 2000s. So, their service life is hampered and maintenance cost is high. That, coupled with a desire from combatant commanders for more and better ground surveillance—tracking ground vehicles to individuals on foot—is behind the need. An analysis of alternatives conducted by the service has pointed to a solid business case for housing the next system on a business jet to access both its speed and low operating cost. And significant advances have been made in active, electronically scanned array radars to allow for multimode detection and tracking of many targets simultaneously.

The E-8Cs are housed on the oldest of the USAF's 707s, but it is likely that the service could embark on a larger recapitalization project to eventually put the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System air surveillance and RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence missions on the same business jet platform.

Jumped-up JSTARS: What Future USAF’s Ground Surveillance Planes? 

The 3rd area involves the planes’ radar and sensors. J-STARS operations have to contend with their AN/APY-7 radar’s limitations, which have been underscored by the challenges inherent in campaigns against stateless terrorists and counter-insurgency fights. 

• One is that the radar has to “break track” with a target, in order to collect an image.  

• Another is the radar’s resolution, which is adequate to find tanks and ground vehicles, but doesn’t reach the under 1 meter resolution of current technologies. 

It isn’t difficult to imagine that a J-STARS or Global Hawk would need to perform wide area scans, while focusing with higher resolution on one target of interest, and occasionally taking high-resolution synthetic aperture radar pictures for transmission to HQ or other platforms, all at the same time.The E-8C J-STARS can’t do that at the moment, but the architecture of AESA radar arrays is making this sort of thing possible on platforms like advanced fighters.

Understandably, the USAF wanted this capability for its reconnaissance aircraft. A new AESA radar called MP-RTIP was originally developed for the (canceled) E-10A JSTARS replacement, with a claimed 5x – 10x resolution improvement over the APY-7. A smaller version will now be mounted on Global Hawk Block 40 UAVs, and one obvious approach would be to equip E-8s with a full-size MP-RTIP or a similar radar.
The cost of that conversion has pushed the USAF away from that idea, while looking at other methods to improve the platform. The JSTARS Radar Modernization (JSRM) replaced 2 radar receivers with 1 modern receiver, improving resolution and tracking. 2011 tests added a keel beam accessory bay (KAB) behind the APY-7 radar, and installed a high-resolution MS-177 multispectral camera for sub 1-meter resolution and target identification. The KAB could accommodate other sensors instead, which would add flexibility to the platform. A February 2013 test even added MP-RTIP, after a fashion. It showed that E-8s could stream MP-RTIP radar data from a RQ-4B Block 40 UAV for analysis on board, then use the E-8′s superior communications systems to distribute the results.

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