Joint Stars

The E8C

Joint STARS is a joint Army-Air Force wide-area-surveillance system that provides battle management and targeting information. It supports situation development and targeting of mobile and fixed ground targets and slow moving rotary wing aircraft. Joint STARS consists of an Air Force E8C aircraft and Army GSMs.
The Joint STARS system is designed to detect, locate and track moving and stationary ground equipment targets located beyond the Forward Line of Troops (FLOT). The GSM processes data from the Joint Stars aircraft Commanders Tactical Terminals (CTT), Joint Tactical Terminal (JTT), and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and disseminates intelligence, battle management and targeting data to Army Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I) nodes via LAN, wire or radio. This enables integrated battle management, surveillance, targeting and interdiction plans to be developed/executed using near real-time data.

The E8C

The E8C collets MTI, FTI and SAR radar data using a multimode radar. The Army's GSMs receive and analyze the radar imagery data from the E8C.
The E8C/GSM data link is a wideband, anit-jam, two way data link. Requests for special radar products are requested through this data link. The E8C and GSMs are also linked through secure UHF and VHF radios.

Common Ground Station

Joint STARS Common Ground Station (CGS) receives manipulates, displays, stores and disseminates Joint STARS, UAV, Army AVN, SIGNIT, broadcase intelligence and secondary imagery from tactical, theater and national systems. The CGS is designed to operate on the move and at a secret collateral level. It interfaces with ACE, TOC, aviation and artillery nodes. The CGS has a robust suite of modern communications which include SATCOM and CTT. CGS facilitates intelligence, surveillance, taegeting and other battle management operations. It provides the force with a fully scalable, tailorable, mobile, and responsive sensor data processing capability to satisfy operational and tactical requirements.

Common Ground Station

Ground Station Modules (GSM) are capable of receiving imagery from the Army's UAV-SR and SIGINT data through the Commanders Tactical Terminal (CTT). The GSMs are distributed to all echelons brigade and above. It supports surveillance, intelligence, targeting and battle management functions with NRT interactive displays which can be reproduced on a remote terminal. The operator provides accurate fixed and moving target locations, speed, target classification, and direction of movement. The GSM is equipped with standard tactical communications, and secure commercial communications.

These slides were created by John Clancy
Page Updated December 31, 2003, page created September 02, 1998

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