AMERICA’S ARMY WINNING IN A COMPLEX WORLD

ACAT II
Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and
Surveillance System (EMARSS)
PEO Aviation | Redstone Arsenal, AL
WARFIGHTING
FUNCTION
Mission Command
Movement and Maneuver
Intelligence
Fires
Sustainment
Maneuver Support
and Protection
Engagement
ACQUISITION
LIFECYCLE PHASE
Materiel Solution Analysis
Technology Maturation &
Risk Reduction
Engineering & Manufacturing
Development
Production & Deployment
Operations & Support
MILESTONE DECISION
AUTHORITY
Defense Acquisition Executive
Army Acquisition Executive
Program Executive Officer
DESCRIPTION
The Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System
(EMARSS) provides a persistent Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance (AISR) capability to detect, locate, classify, identify and
track surface targets with a high degree of timeliness and accuracy during
the day, night and nearly all weather conditions. It enhances Brigade
Combat Team effectiveness by defining and assessing the environment
and providing surveillance, targeting support and threat warning.
EMARSS contains a tailored set of Distributed Common Ground
System – A (DCGS-A) enabled software intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance functionalities to process, exploit and rapidly disseminate
the intelligence derived from the imagery sensor. Selected EMARSS
imagery is immediately processed on the aircraft and forwarded to
DCGS-A for further processing, analysis and reporting.
EMARSS complies with DoD Information Technology Standards
Registry and Defense Information Systems Network. This architecture
permits interoperability with any multiservice or Joint systems that
comply with DoD standard formats for data transfer and dissemination.
BENEFIT TO THE WARFIGHTER
EMARSS, together with Aerial Exploitation Battalions within the
Intelligence and Security Command, provides command and control,
mission planning, sustainment support, and deployment packages to
facilitate worldwide missions in accordance with standard Joint and
Army tasking processes.
SPECIFICATIONS
• EMARSS-S: Multi-intelligence with Broad Spectrum Signals
Intelligence and High Definition (HD) Full Motion Video (FMV)
• EMARSS-G: Geographical intelligence with Wide Area
Surveillance, Light Imaging and Ranging, and HD FMV
• EMARSS-M: Multi-intelligence with Signals Intelligence and
HD FMV
• EMARSS-V: Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER)
Moving Target Indication (MTI) with Vehicle and Dismount MTI,
Signals Intelligence and HD FMV
PROGRAM STATUS
• FY14:
››
EMARSS: Capability Production Document approved; Milestone
C Decision approved; authorized an acquisition strategy to
leverage and incorporate Quick Reaction Capability (QRC)
AISR systems into the EMARSS Program of Record (POR);
transferred eight Liberty Project Aircraft from the Air Force to
the Fixed Wing Project Office (FW PO) for future integration
into the EMARSS-M variant; FW PO assumed overall program
management responsibility for the ACAT II EMARSS Program of
Record (POR)
• FY15:
››
Completed Limited User Test for EMARSS-S
››
Awarded Initial Variant Modification contract to initiate strategy
to modify QRC aircraft to incorporate into the EMARSS POR
››
VADER: QRC – Divested two Twin Otter aircraft with VADER
systems after two VADER systems (VADER 3 and 4) were fielded
on King Air B300 platforms; VADER 3, 4 and 5 employed
reachback control of VADER, FMV and signals intelligence
via beyond-line-of-sight; VADER 5 was integrated under Rapid
Acquisition Authority, completed under budget in 12 months and
deployed in support of Operation Freedom Sentinel
• 1QFY16:
››
Completion of New Equipment Training for EMARSS-S
››
Award Follow-on Variant Modification contract authorizing the
modification of the remaining QRC aircraft to be incorporated
into the EMARSS POR
PROJECTED ACTIVITIES
• FY16: Deploy and sustain OCONUS, three EMARSS-S aerial
systems (MC-12S)
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UNITED STATES ARMY