The Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) battle management capability successfully demonstrated interoperability with the NATO Air Command and Control System (ACCS) during a Joint Project Optic Windmill (JPOW) test in July, the MEADS International program office said.
The interface test was conducted using the Active Layer Theatre Ballistic Missile Defense (ALTBMD) Integration Test Bed being developed by NATO.
The integration event took place during the experiment phase of the NATO JPOW exercise, during which the MEADS battle management capability shared simulation and military communications data, including track reports for different tactical ballistic missile threats.
In June, the ALTBMD program signed contracts with Team SAIC and ThalesRaytheonSystems that will provide NATO commanders with an increased ability to plan and direct tactical ballistic missile defense operations to protect deployed forces (Defense Daily, June 22).
The test represents the first time that the MEADS program has been authorized to exchange data outside of its three partner nations.
The test proved a key interoperability milestone for the MEADS, ALTBMD and ACCS programs, and is an early maturity demonstration for the MEADS battle management and command, control, computers, communication and intelligence (BMC4I) capability.
MEADS is designed to interoperate with a wide range of platforms and command and control structures.
The interoperability demonstration was completed before the MEADS critical design review in August, which showed the technological maturity to proceed into systems integration and flight test (Defense Daily, Aug. 27).
NATO’s ALTBMD program is tasked with designing a theater missile defense architecture that will include MEADS as a key component. The NATO Air Command and Control System is the overarching tactical command and control element for NATO theater missile defense.
Through interoperability features designed into the system, MEADS is expected to dramatically improve combat effectiveness and situational awareness, reducing the potential for fratricide. The result is air and missile defense designed for coalition warfare. MEADS units from the United States, Germany or Italy are to seamlessly integrate into each nation’s, or NATO’s, combat architecture as required.
MEADS International President Steve Barnoske said, “Joint Project Optic Wind was an early opportunity to prove out the interoperability of the MEADS battle management architecture and its ability to serve as the integrating element for an air and missile defense task force. Open, modular software gives MEADS great flexibility to accommodate additional requirements.”
NATO MEADS Management Agency General Manager Gregory Kee said, “The opportunity to work closely with the NATO ALTBMD office has allowed us to demonstrate this key interoperability milestone much sooner than previously planned. The combination of the ALTBMD architecture and the MEADS capability represents the highly effective air and missile defense system NATO has envisioned.”
The JPOW tests exercise theater air and missile defense elements to develop and explore interoperability. They provide an opportunity to demonstrate new concepts, doctrine, tactics, technology and techniques.
MEADS system elements are continuing integration and testing at system integration laboratories in the United States and Europe, and are on track for flight tests at White Sands Missile Range, N.M, starting in 2012.
Under development by Germany, Italy and the United States, MEADS is a mobile system that will replace Patriot in the United States and Patriot and the already retired Hawk system in Germany, and the Nike Hercules in Italy. MEADS International consists of Italy’s MBDA, Germany’s LFK and Lockheed Martin [LMT] in the United States.