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Naval Networking and E-2C. Lexington Institute. http://lexingtoninstitute.org/1043.shtml



 
 
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Old January 18th 07, 10:30 PM posted to rec.aviation.military.naval,rec.aviation.military
MikeLake
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Default Naval Networking and E-2C. Lexington Institute. http://lexingtoninstitute.org/1043.shtml

Naval Networking and E-2C.
Lexington Institute.
http://lexingtoninstitute.org/1043.shtml

The key to the operation of modern complex systems in the information
age, whether in the military or the commercial sector, is networking.
Networking allows individual elements of the system to share
information and coordinate their activities thereby achieving greater
efficiency and effectiveness. Networking allows organizations to
operate in new ways, faster, over greater distances and with fewer
assets.

The U.S. Navy is engaged in a far-reaching transformation based on the
exploitation of information technologies. At the heart of this
transformation is the concept of "network-centric warfare." This
concept involves, first, connecting all the platforms and major systems
deployed by the U.S. Sea Services -- ships, submarines, aircraft,
unmanned vehicles and Marine Corps units -- and even joint forces so
they can share information, establish domain awareness and create a
common operating picture (COP). The establishment of a COP is critical
to the operation of joint and combined forces. Once interconnected,
commanders can exploit the power inherent in a large pool of
distributed platforms and systems through innovative operational
approaches.

Naval networking allows the exploitation of information from a variety
of sensors distributed throughout the battle space to be gathered and
fused so as to achieve maritime domain awareness (MDA). MDA is about
more than just threat detection; it is comprehensive, high confidence
situational awareness. This awareness tremendously enhances the
capability to detect and respond to threats. It is easier to identify
threats, track them and coordinate responses with MDA.

The modern battlefield is becoming an extremely complex environment.
There are likely to be many neutral as well as hostile and friendly
objects. Moreover, U.S. forces must coordinate the movement or launch
of manned and unmanned air, sea and ground platforms, offensive
ordnance and missiles and defensive ordnance. There is also an
increasing requirement to conduct both offensive and defensive
Electronic Warfare. Managing friendly forces has become almost as great
a challenge as dealing with hostile ones.

An example of the innovative operational concepts enabled by naval
networking is Naval Integrated Fire Control Counter Air (NIFCA). The
goal of NIFCA is to create a joint tracking and fire control network
that can support joint, distributed and long-range defensive fires.
NIFCA is intended to create the best opportunity to detect, identify
and track targets, and to put the right shooter on the right target.

It is difficult to overestimate the value to the surveillance,
reconnaissance and warning missions of an airborne sensor that can see
much further than a sensor on the ground/at sea and provide early
warning of attack. With its powerful radar, the E-2C Hawkeye aircraft
can identify and track multiple targets. It has long legs and the
mobility of its aircraft carrier base, and is emerging as one of the
central platforms of Navy networking.

The first mission of the E-2 Hawkeye is air-to-air and air-to-surface
targeting, and directing weapons to the target. E-2 operators are very
good now at surface search and finding ships. However, with the
addition of improved communications capabilities -- such as Link-16 --
more powerful computer processing, advanced control work stations, an
integrated satellite communications suite and the Navy?s Cooperative
Engagement Capability (CEC), the E-2s are now much more than an
airborne early warning system. These new command, control and
communications systems being deployed on the E-2Cs will enable the
Hawkeye to serve as a central C2 node in a distributed NIFCA
architecture. The E-2s will be able to integrate with other aerial
surveillance platforms such as AWACS, Global Hawk and P-3s to more
efficiently manage the kill chain.

The E-2C was designed for and currently operates best over water.
However, E-2Cs are not just for the Navy anymore. They have done
numerous land-based missions: counter-narcotics, Operation Southern
Watch, and they helped on Katrina. With planned upgrades, the E-2 will
be able to sort out ground clutter. This will enable it not only to
locate and track low flying aircraft, sea-skimming missiles and ground
hugging aerial vehicles, but even to search for ground targets.

The cornerstone of the NIFCA network will be the E-2D, an advanced
version of the venerable E-2 Hawkeye family of carrier-capable,
airborne sensor platforms. The E-2D will have a new solid-state,
electronically steered UHF radar capable of conducting surface as well
as airborne surveillance, integration of multiple sensors, an advanced
tactical cockpit and software to support theater missile defense
engagements. It will have better networking/processing power with the
ability to do IP networking. The E-2D will also have in-flight
refueling, enabling the Hawkeye to stay airborne twice as long as
before.

The Advanced Hawkeye is scheduled to reach the Fleet in 2011. Once
deployed, it will provide the Navy and the joint force with enhanced
situational awareness, battle management and theater missile defense
capabilities.

The E-2 fleet is evolving from a primarily Airborne Early Warning
platform to an airborne command and control platform, providing
information, connecting other platforms and making decisions. With
their data links they will be coordinating various assets from the
tactical air controller on the ground while communicating with the
Combined Air Operations Center and ships at sea and also reaching back
to the United States with direct satellite feeds to the Pentagon.

The E-2s have always worked well with Aegis; they are acquiring the
capabilities, notably Link-16, that will enable them to also work
closely with AWACs and Patriot.

The E-2Ds central role in NIFCA should not obscure its potential
contribution to offensive operations, as well. The ability to fuse data
from many sources into a COP and direct the fires of different systems
against air and missile threats is one side of the networked command
and control coin. The other side is an ability to support offensive
operations. The ability to track an inbound missile in order to enable
the Aegis to launch a Standard Missile 3 is also the ability to
backtrack the trajectory to its point of origin. This is why E-2
personnel are now working at the Nellis and Eglin Air Force Base strike
centers.

The evolution of the E-2 from an airborne early warning platform to a
joint-capable command and control node demonstrates the critical
importance of an open architecture. Upgrades to the E-2 are relatively
easy to make and advances in commercial technologies can be readily
inserted.

While there are dozens of smaller contingencies taking place on a
regular basis overseas that don't need Airborne Early Warning, once
there is any chance of significant opposition, the Navy really needs a
Hawkeye overhead. It is hard to imagine an ESG, or a significant
Marine Corps operation without an E-2C keeping watch overhead.

 




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