Subject: [NEXTEL-1] JSTARS keeps eye on enemy

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 03 Apr 2003 11:38:02 -0500

JSTARS keeps eye on enemy

 BY Dan Caterinicchia
 April 2, 2003

After proving its mettle in the skies over southwest Asia during
 Operation Desert Storm, the Joint Surveillance Target Attack
 Radar System (JSTARS) once again is helping commanders keep
 an eye on the enemy.

 JSTARS is providing coalition ground commanders with a
 real-time picture of moving targets on the battlefield and shortening
 the time it takes to engage and destroy enemy forces.

 "Every Operation Iraqi Freedom ground commander has had a
 better understanding of the battlefield because of JSTARS
 contributions," said Air Force Lt. Col. Mick Quintrall, commander
 of 363rd Expeditionary Airborne Command and Control Squadron.

 A joint Army/Air Force program, JSTARS is an aircraft-based system that uses
sophisticated
 radar sensors to track slow-moving vehicles. While flying in friendly airspace, JSTARS
crew
 members can detect and track ground movements deep in hostile territory, collecting
valuable
 data for planning attacks and assessing their success.

 The system, carried on Air Force E-8C aircraft, uses a high-powered computer server to
 process and analyze data, then relays the information to Army ground stations and other
 command and control systems.

 "During this war, increased sentry capability has been due to increased numbers of E-8C
 aircraft, increased numbers of aircrews, as well as improved reliability and upgraded
onboard
 computers," Quintrall said in an April 2 e-mail sent from a desert air base. "The JSTARS
radar
 product to the battlefield commander and [Central Command] command and control centers
 has demonstrated improved moving ground target tracking and quicker sensor-to-commander
 nodes on the ground."

 The aircraft have a range of more than 150 miles, according to the Federation of American

 Scientists. Air Force officials confirmed that JSTARS provides "wide-area surveillance,"
but
 said the exact range is classified.

 One of the newest JSTARS' features is a data linking capability with the Army's Apache
 Longbow helicopter, which although not perfect is paying dividends on the battlefield,
Quintrall
 said.

 "This limited ability provides cooperative attack capability and information exchange
between
 JSTARS and the helicopter, which allows the Apache to better make targeting decisions,"
he
 said.

 The JSTARS desert-deployed squadron includes active-duty Army and Air Force personnel
 and members of the Georgia Air National Guard and civilian contractors, he said. To date,

 those crews have flown more than 50 missions as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and more
 than 130 for Operation Southern Watch, according to service officials. Quintrall flies on
the
 aircraft as mission crew commander.

 There are 15 aircraft in the JSTARS fleet, but Quintrall would not say how many of those
are
 being used to support the war effort. Due to operational security, he also would not
comment on
 any upcoming operations.

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2003/middle_east/web-jstars-04-02-03.asp

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Save Smiley. Help put Messenger back in the office.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/4PqtEC/anyFAA/i5gGAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/