C2BMC for Ballistic Missile Defense

Written by Erin Flynn Jay

MSMF 2009 Volume: 2 Issue: 5 (October)

The Ballistic Missile Defense C2BMC Program efforts enable coordinated, real-time decision-making by war-fighters and leaders across the globe, up to and including the secretary of defense and the president of the United States. Specifically, the mission of C2BMC is to provide a combatant command decision aid to integrate and globally synchronize missile defense systems and operations to provide optimized layered missile defense against all ranges of threat, in all phases of flight.

C2BMC does this by collecting and processing ground and space-based sensor (radar and infrared) data on ballistic threats into a discriminated, engageable system track (correlate data between sensors that is traceable to the same launch event and accurate enough for targeting and guiding interceptors to the lethal warhead) that is displayed to decisionmakers, distributed to interceptor fire control units, and re-assessed for kill effects. The result is an extended network of defensive sensors, shooters, battle managers and intelligence assets, said MDA Public Affairs.

The global C2BMC system spans the existing U.S. Combatant Command structure, allowing the warfighter to orchestrate and optimize U.S. ballistic missile defense response on a worldwide level.

A potential or actual attack may cross regions and may fly higher and faster than stand-alone, autonomous capabilities operated by a single military service can defend against. MDA told MSMF integrated BMD capabilities draw on space-, land- and sea-based assets operated by multiple services to provide both the best sensor information on the enemy missiles location and track as well as a more diverse and effective set of weapon options for the combatant commander to defeat the attack all connected by a unifying C2BMC system.

The C2BMC program provides: 1) the communications links and connectivity between BMD Elements; 2) a battle management function that allows a shoot/look/shoot approach that maximizes BMDS effectiveness, while minimizing the number of weapons expended (it is important to note that C2BMC provides a battle management function—it does not have a fire control system); 3) control of the BMDS radars, taking data from multiple sensors tracking the same threat, and correlating it into one optimal track; 4) real-time awareness of the battle as it unfolds to include interoperability with NATO; and 5) advanced battle planning capability that enables warfighters to place BMDS assets in ideal locations in anticipation of an upcoming battle.

Today, MDA said the center of gravity for integrated BMDS is with C2BMC at the COCOM headquarters, where BMD mission planning, situational awareness and decisions aids are focused. All data processing is performed at U.S. Strategic Command, U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. European Command headquarters. Users of the system are either co-located with or directly connected to the equipment suites at these COCOMs.

As the system evolves, the center of gravity will shift from the COCOMs to the air operations centers and supporting service components (e.g., Army), where real-time, automated battle management will be introduced. While the Area Air Defense Commander’s staff focuses on fighting the battle, senior leaders at COCOM headquarters will be able to watch the battle unfold and guide decisions using C2BMC-provided decision aids. Together, MDA said these separate capabilities enable the warfighter to prioritize theater, regional and homeland defense missions.

INTEGRATED ELEMENTS

The systems linked through C2BMC include Patriot; Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD); Aegis BMD; Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD); and sensors such as the AN/TPY-2 radar, Sea-Based X-band Radar (SBX), and Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) and Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR).

The C2BMC program has integrated BMDS elements; is in 26 locations with 12 customers in 17 time zones; has deployed over 800 pieces of equipment and three satellite communications links; has stood up over 70 crew positions; trains over 700 operators, maintenance personnel and testers per year; and is supported by over 48,000 miles of Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) communication lines.

MDA has a set of UMDFs, which increase the effectiveness of the BMD System (including probability of engagement success, increase in defended area and raid size capacity, additional redundancy of architecture, unity of command) through the integration of MDAdeveloped capabilities.

These UMDF efforts are sensor registration (reporting of sensor errors/biases), correlation (ensuring the information from multiple sensors seeing a threat relates to the same object), system track (creating a single engageable track of a threat from multiple reports provided by different land, sea and space-based multiple sensors), discrimination (identifying object details to determine the target from debris or decoys), battle management (combining the best sensors and shooters to ensure the highest probability of a kill), hit/ kill assessment (determining if the target selected was destroyed after missile impact), and communications (providing the worldwide connection of sensors and shooters to command authorities).

UMDFs are implemented across the BMDS elements to create and utilize system level data and decisions that allow combatant commanders the ability to automatically and manually optimize sensor coverage and interceptor inventory to defend against all ranges of ballistic threats, MDA said.

Each of these UMDFs is led by a single BMDS element, with participation from the others, to ensure products do not duplicate work. C2BMC is at the heart of these UMDFs and enables integrated system performance of all BMDS elements. It collects the information from all BMDS sensors, understands and considers all data errors/bias, correlates data between sensors, uses specific sensor discriminated data and fuses it between sensors, creates an engageable system track, identifies the best pairing of sensor to shooter for optimal intercept, and quickly communicates information and direction to BMDS elements and command elements worldwide. As a result, MDA said C2BMC leads the correlation, system track, battle management and communications teams.

C2BMC will support the BMDS hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) modeling and simulation program by providing and integrating into the BMDS system-level HWIL single simulation framework to support full-envelope BMDS ground test, flight test and training events based upon agency and warfighter needs. C2BMC participates in all MDA ground tests and in most of the planned flight tests. The C2BMC program office is requesting $340 million for C2BMC in fiscal year 2010. Most of the request is allocated to the continued upgrading of C2BMC hardware and software to employ the sensor management and communication for our initial defense capabilities.

The Missile Defense National Team C2BMC (Industry) (MDNTB(I)), led by Lockheed Martin Mission Systems, is the C2BMC lead contractor via other transaction agreement (OTA) with Boeing, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon as major supporting members. MDNTB is charged with the development, testing, fielding, and operations and sustainment support of the C2BMC system. MDNTB performs development and testing of C2BMC products in Arlington, Va.; Huntsville, Ala.; and Colorado Springs, Colo.; and provides on-site operations, sustainment, and operational and depot maintenance support for the fielded C2BMC capabilities located in Nebraska, Hawaii, Colorado, Virginia, Japan, Germany and Israel.

DISA supports C2BMC by providing communications engineering and acquisition assistance and collaboration, including Defense Information Systems Network (DISN) Services—Satellite Communications, DRSN, SIPRNET/NIPRNET. Furthermore, C2BMC long-haul circuit needs are acquired, installed and operated through service-level agreements with DISA. As other C2BMC products are fielded to new sites/regions (e.g., EUCOM), the appropriate agent to provide communications engineering, operations and sustainment support will be determined.

FUTURE EVOLUTION WITH THE ARMY’S IBCS

The Army’s Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) is a critical component of the Army’s theater air and missile defense efforts, serving as the overarching integration piece to the mission area. The Army has selected two competing teams to proceed to a Milestone B decision (August 2009). At that time they will award a contract to one contractor team to function as the IBCS lead developer. As part of the effort to integrate C2BMC and IBCS, the Army and MDA initiated an MOU, establishing a framework for cooperation between the two organizations. The MOU directed the collaboration and development of an Extensible Markup Language (XML) Common Information Exchange Specification (CIXS).

As part of the initiative to maximize resources and support system commonality, MDA provided the C2BMC Planner to the competing IBCS teams as a government-furnished product. Additionally, MDA and the Army have collaborated on human machine interface efforts and a Joint Composite Tracking Demonstration, again with the goal of ensuring maximum interoperability/integration between C2BMC and IBCS. C2BMC and IBCS integration will continue and become even more focused as the Army selects its IBCS solution and acquisition strategy.

As the industry lead for the C2BMC program team, Lockheed Martin is fielding an operational capability that links the numerous sensors, weapons, and command and control systems currently utilized in the individual U.S. missile defense programs or elements. This effort involves the integration of hardware and software elements that will tie together the entire global missile defense system, and enable it to function effectively and instantaneously.

The C2BMC program has the ongoing responsibility for integrating the elements and components of the BMDS, said John Osborn, program director for Lockheed Martin Information Systems and Global Services. C2BMC is the force multiplier that links, integrates and globally synchronizes individual missile defense systems and operations to provide an optimized, layered missile defense against threats of all ranges and in all phases of flight. C2BMC is responsible for integrating “sensor to shooter,” which includes sensors (space, X-band) and weapons systems such as AEGIS, THAAD and GMD.

“As the integrating element for the BMDS, C2BMC functions and capabilities are routinely evaluated against emerging requirements and the needs of the elements that we must interface and support,” said Osborn. “Our key capabilities that are planned are in the areas of multi-radar support, advanced deliberate planning, communications and sensor management.”

BMDS sensors (spacebased infrared satellites, etc.) are integrated into C2BMC, and “as the requirements are defined, we develop the interfaces to those systems and work with the appropriate community in how the data will be used, who will utilize it and how best to process and disseminate it across the BMDS,” said Osborn.

As the integrating element, C2BMC is inherently involved in the UMDF to optimize the function and its capabilities across the elements and the BMDS.

“The Missile Defense National Team B [MD-NTB] was devised by MDA to leverage the best across the industry team led by Lockheed Martin, along with Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Boeing and General Dynamics,” Osborn concluded. “The NTB shares the same statement of work and is truly an integrated product team. We are proud of the individuals and those of our suppliers that make the C2BMC program a success.”

NORTHROP GRUMMAN’S ROLE

Northrop Grumman is delivering essential capabilities and technologies that link functions across key elements of the BMDS. These include sensors, shooters, integration and BMC3. The company is developing the next generation of space systems, including the payload for the Defense Support Program replacement, the Space Based Infrared System and the Space Tracking and Surveillance System, as tactical resources for “birth to death tracking” from space. Northrop Grumman is developing and deploying critical real-time distributed BMC3 software for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) fire control and communications (GFC/C) and the command launch equipment.

Northrop Grumman is also providing the laser for the Airborne Laser (ABL) demonstration project. Managed by Northrop Grumman for the MDA, the Joint National Integration Center is a highly sophisticated facility, where modeling, simulation and integration activities for the evolving BMDS occur daily. This includes wargaming with allies and international partners. Sea-basing of missile defense capabilities presents a unique opportunity for Northrop Grumman, which, as the Navy’s primary source of ships, is positioned to grow in prominence as this capability extends around the world. ♦

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