RANGE COMMANDERS COUNCIL 2014 SUMMARY REPORT

Transcription

1 December 2014 RANGE COMMANDERS COUNCIL 2014 SUMMARY REPORT Adapting to Change The Council (RCC) has become in many ways a more effective device for achieving efficiency and economy in range operations than many formal arrangements. The range operators with a common interest at stake are able to deal with their own mutual problems without the inevitable delay and dilution occasioned by higher level review. Committee on Government Operations, U.S. House of Representatives Agencies with established longevity tend to be the ones who most accurately forecast their environment and successfully adapt to it. Since 1951, the Range Commanders Council (RCC) has been vital in helping ranges adapt to rapid changes in range policy, programmatics, and technology while still adhering to our core mission of identifying common range needs, establishing technical standards, conducting joint procurements and equipment exchanges, and assessing applications of technical innovations to range testing. During the several iterations of declining defense budgets, including the Gramm Rudman Deficit Reduction Act and several BRAC cycles, the RCC Priorities for 2015 continually brought about range testing efficiencies and cost savings measures, and was routinely utilized as an advisory body on T&E issues. With expertise available from 100 member and associate member agencies and an informal interdependent organizational structure tailored to adapt to emerging challenges, the RCC is uniquely poised to develop enterprise wide range solutions without circumventing command or headquarter priorities. Preparing ranges for testing systems of increasing complexity while having a declining resource base indeed motivated the formation of the RCC. A new challenge is adapting the ranges for the T&E of game changing technologies now on the horizon such as hypersonics, autonomous systems, and systems employing cognitive augmentation through advanced data analytics. Testing these technologies necessitates a transformation of the T&E culture; it requires thinking about cross domain standards, metrics, and test methodologies. It also depends upon having a technically sophisticated, multiskilled workforce armed with a deep level of familiarity with range issues, capabilities, and complexities that extend beyond their home Sustaining on site working group and technical meetings as member ranges face greatly reduced travel budgets. Maintaining the RCC as the principal forum for dispensing technical guidance and best practices on range operations for DoD and NASA ranges. Preserving the utility and effectiveness of the Instrumentation Radar Support Program (IRSP) as a new contract is being negotiated. Minimizing the impact spectrum encroachment and frequency reallocation will impose on DoD and NASA ranges. Continuing to partner with TRMC on projects that promote the development of common standards and common approaches towards encroachment mitigation at MRTFB installations. DISTRIBUTION A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. OPSEC review conducted on 3 April 2015.

2 installations. The Committee on Government Operations recognized the RCC for its ability to solve range problems by virtue of its collaborative structure. Formalized organizational structures may be suited to solve precisely defined challenges but nothing involving the testing of emerging technologies will fall into that category, particularly since test technology advances will increasingly lag behind weapon systems developments for the foreseeable future. With over 700 active RCC participants, each acquainted with the challenges faced by their counterparts at other ranges, the inter range synergy that RCC brings to bear to solve range problems has no other analogue within the DoD. Perhaps it is because of this synergy that the Committee on Government Operations offered the following recommendation: Range Commanders Council: Active and full participation in this body should be widened to include all DoD and NASA activities concerned with range and tracking operations. Official recognition should be given to the work performed by the Council without sacrificing the beneficial informality of the Council. The following pages summarize some of the 2014 range contributions made by the RCC. Department of Transportation s Volpe Center Completes Two RCC Projects Two TRMC funded range safety projects were led by RCC members from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and completed by leveraging expertise of the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, the Aerospace Corporation, and MITRE. The first project was an assessment of debris size and ballistic characteristics of the generated fragments based upon radar data collected during a space vehicle break up event. This important contribution will be used to establish the credibility of risk predictions and provides a benchmark for the further development of debris prediction tools. The second project was an assessment of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS B) system as an aid in hazard avoidance and in the reduction of airspace requirements for range missions. These multi agency projects illustrate the collaborative nature and inter dependence that is characteristic of the RCC. Data Fusion and Embedding Data Within Video Frames The capability of today s high performance focal plane array cameras could not have been envisioned when the first Optical Systems Group (OSG) meeting was held at Eglin AFB on 11 February An important technical challenge then, as it is now, is embedding data in a motion picture frame. In 1954 this meant standardization of fiducial marks compatible with a variety of automatic film readers. Time codes such as IRIG B were later developed by the RCC to associate a precise time stamp with each film frame. With the advent of analog video, techniques such as scan line and edge encoding were used to provide a modest level of data capacity with each frame. The OSG is now actively investigating the use and standardization of embedded data in HD video frames. The ability to permanently fuse imagery with real time data is a substantial advance for the instrumentation community. Toolsets are currently being developed that will decode embedded data packets into a human readable overlay permitting data to be extracted frame to frame without further need for post processing. The OSG is also continuing work on common file formats for high frame rate cameras as well as establishing a software repository enabling developers to collaborate on specialized libraries, algorithms, and interface formats.

3 TECHNICAL GROUP ACTIVITIES Data Sciences Group (DSG) Expertise from the DSG Data Analysis Display Committee is being sought for validation of metadata schemes associated with integrated Network Enhanced Telemetry (inet). The amount of post flight data being collected in the field is growing beyond the current capabilities of commonly used analytical applications; the DSG is moving towards addressing these concerns. Completion of a member wide Knowledge Management (KM) assessment is ongoing to document KM areas critical for operational support and to develop a KM roadmap. Cross domain IA requirements and the adapting to the transition from the DoD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process (DIACAP) to Risk Management Framework (RMF) are active issues pursued by the DSG. Electronic Trajectory Measurements Group (ETMG) The ETMG completed an update to the RCC 262, C(G) Band and X(I) Band Noncoherent Radar Transponder Performance Specification Standard. A new tasker on cataloging GPS based TSPI capabilities of MRTFB ranges has been initiated; this initiative is an update to a previous cataloging effort and updates current inventories as well as associated system accuracies. The ETMG is regarded as the subject matter experts on space based radar calibration and performance monitoring and continues to be actively involved in Common Range Integrated Instrumentation System (CRIIS), Range Radar Replacement Program (RRRP), Radar Open System Architecture (ROSA), and RADar CALibration (RADCAL) satellite developments. Frequency Management Group (FMG) The FMG continues to work with the DoD Service spectrum management offices, area frequency controllers, and others on the MHz spectrum migration and has facilitated the development of spectrum transition plans for all member ranges. The FMG participates in the C Band implementation working group to monitor implementation plans and ensure that DoD access is preserved. The FMG is actively pursuing a common set of Enhanced Flight Termination System frequencies available to the ranges. The FMG is also assessing C Band telemetry utilization, IFF Mode 4 and 5 testing on the ranges, and national MQ 1/MQ 9 Ku band command link allocations. Meteorology Group (MG) NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center led a TRMC funded RCC effort to collect upper air meteorological data for use in the Range Reference Atmosphere baseline for statistical models. MG expertise was furnished to NAVAIR Point Mugu on radiosonde launches for NAVAIR Geophysics At Sea Soundings. RCC members continue to participate in Kennedy Space Center s Lightning Launch Committee Criteria working group. Member ranges are continuing to meet a variety of cross MRTFB mission/modeling support demands such as furnishing rawinsonde support and developing automated wet bulb globe temperature measurement processes.

4 Optical Systems Group (OSG) An airborne separation video standard is under development on procedures for characterizing the image performance of focal plane arrays. The OSG completed a best practices study for the testing and validation of timing properties for high speed digital cameras. The OSG facilitated a large number of inter range support requests including high speed camera test support at the Holloman AFB High Speed Test Track and at the Tonopah Test Site. Range Operations Group (ROG) The ROG and the FMG are investigating issues associated with migration into frequency bands approved for Enhanced Flight Termination Systems use. The ROG will team with the Range Safety Group (RSG) to develop best practices for the testing of small unmanned aerial systems. The Altitude Reservation (ALTRV) process utilized by the FAA to execute airspace closure was examined because of its applicability to missile launch planning. Range Safety Group (RSG) An initiative to quantify infrastructure risk is currently being developed. The RSG is examining recent launch failures to determine if overpressure and debris modeling was accurate and if the Flight Termination Systems functioned as intended. Threshold vulnerability models were developed for sea vessels accounting both for individual casualties and loss of ship resulting from debris impact (inert or explosive) with the findings likely to result in changes to the next version of the RCC 321, Common Risk Criteria Standards for National Test Ranges. Sustainability and Environmental Group (SEG) The SEG is developing a guidebook to assist ranges in the process of accessing renewable energy projects for unintended environmental impacts. Lessons learned from application of the DoD Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program are being examined to determine applicability to member ranges. Encroachment of test ranges from renewable energy projects are being monitored due to a recent increase in environmental reviews for proposed new transmission line projects. Telemetry Group (TG) The TG has partnered with the TRMC on several new telemetry tasks including Phase 2 development of the IRIG 106 standard, updating new test methods for telemetry recorders, and developing interface protection criteria for RF telemetry systems. The TG is surveying member ranges to determine if an RCC standard is necessary for distributed data acquisition unit standardization. Network telemetry standards were updated to facilitate inet implementation. New 2015 tasks include the development of an Extensible Markup Language (XML) style guide, automation of XML schema validation, and crafting a plan to integrate inet Metadata Description Language (MDL) with other IRIG 106 XML schemas.

5 Timing and Telecommunications Group (TTG) The TTG will lead the evolution of IRIG serial time codes to more network friendly time dissemination signals. Error corrections for the IRIG Standard Serial Time Code are currently being developed. The TTG is partnering with the US Naval Observatory to reduce anomalous performance observed in many commercial Network Time Protocol servers during certain timing events. Different IP solution sets are being explored that could be applied towards transporting time sensitive data over an IP network. Future directions for this group that are being discussed include GPS jamming, spoofing, and selective availability. Underwater Systems Group (USG) Priority focus areas include range sustainment (e.g., seafloor cables and structures, tracking ranges) and ocean technology development. New range services and acquisition efficiencies for USG initiatives are being examined such as contract vehicle sharing. Member range engineers collaborated with local Navy divers to perform cable repairs between Point Mugu and San Nicolas Island, resulting in substantial cost savings and building a capability to provide cable repair support to other ranges. Number of Technical Standards Published: 6 Digest of FY14 RCC Products Data Systems Catalog C(G) Band and X(I) Band Noncoherent Radar Transponder Performance Specification Standard Flight Termination Systems Commonality Standard Flight Termination Systems Commonality Standard (Supplement) Infrared/Electro Optical Equipment Survey Spectrum Management Metrics Standard Number of Special Reports Published: 2 An Assessment of X Band Radar Data to Estimate the Number of Fragments Generated During the Demise of a First Stage Standardization of Underwater Pinger Formats Cost Avoidance/Savings (FY14): $ 7,039,159 Cumulative Cost Avoidance/Savings (since 1991): $ 555,111,311

6 RCC Member Ranges Army Aberdeen Test Center Dugway Proving Ground Reagan Test Site White Sands Missile Range Yuma Proving Ground Navy NAVAIR Atlantic Ranges (Patuxent River) NAVAIR Pacific Ranges (Point Mugu/China Lake) Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport Pacific Missile Range Facility Air Force 30 th Space Wing (Vandenberg, AFB, CA) 45 th Space Wing (Patrick AFB, FL) 96 th Test Wing, (Eglin AFB, FL) 412 th Test Wing (Edwards AFB, CA) Arnold Engineering Development Complex Non DoD National Aeronautics and Space Administration Secretariat Range Commanders Council TEDT WS RCC 1510 Headquarters Avenue White Sands Missile Range, NM PHONE: