500th ESC-managed airborne intel system hits the field

  • Published
  • By Chuck Paone
  • 66th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  The 950th Electronic Systems Group here recently delivered the 500th unit of an airborne intelligence system that enables air crews to send and receive the most timely situational awareness and threat data.

The system, called Combat Track II, has been in production since 2004. Over time it's become a real staple for the air mobility users for whom it's primarily intended, program officials noted.

"Combat Track II has continued to be praised by the users and is a critical asset for cockpit situational awareness and threat avoidance in theater," said Col. David DeNofrio, commander of the 950th.

Combat Track II allows crew aboard the air mobility fleet, as well as on some bombers, to maintain full awareness of friendly and potential hostile aircraft positions. It also alerts them to ground threats, including mobile surface-to-air missile sites.

"This capability lets them plan or adjust missions on the fly, using the safest possible routes," said program manager Capt. Scott Frank of the group's 631st Electronic Systems Squadron.

The 500th system was deployed to the 17th Air Force at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where it will be used to support the United States' Africa Command. Other users include the Air Force's Air Mobility Command, Air Combat Command, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserves.

The units include a small laptop computer and GPS- and SATCOM-enabled radio, which can receive and transmit information derived from another Electronic Systems Center-managed intelligence product, the Integrated Broadcast System. The entire unit can easily be transported on and off aircraft, saving space on board and allowing one system to serve the needs of multiple aircraft, which saves money.

It also enables transmission of secure text, Captain Frank said.

"If one aircraft gets information about a threat, crew on board can send a message ahead to other aircraft that may be closer to the threat area, to confirm that operators on board those aircraft have also received the information," he said.

Also fielded in U.S. and coalition air and space operations centers, Combat Track II provides enhanced command and control capability with encrypted communications to and from aircraft in theater.

"They give AOC operators a good control relay option, allowing better, faster and more widespread transmission of critical information," the captain said.

CT II has an excellent track record in the field, he noted, and user feedback has consistently been very positive. The user list has continued to grow, too. Test Tanker II, which doubles as a transport for senior Air Force leaders, is now among it.

"It's a critical feature to have on board when senior leaders are traveling, especially in and out of hot spots," Captain Frank said.

A successor program, referred to as MAF-DLI, for Mobility Air Forces-Data Link Integration, has been set back a bit, with fielding now scheduled to commence in 2016, so program officials remain focused on delivering and sustaining CT II.

"Users have told us how important the system is, so we want to make sure they'll have the capability and that it will be as useful as possible," Captain Frank said.