Environmental Assessment of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization Cooperative-Engagement-Capability/PATRIOT (CEC/PATRIOT) Interoperability Test

As part of its program to develop technologies to protect against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and high-performance aircraft, the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization BMDO proposes to conduct a test of radar equipment designed to detect, track and target these kinds of threats. However, no missiles will be used in conducting the test. The proposed test, termed the Cooperative Engagement CapabilityPATRIOT Interoperability Test would continue the development of an innovative technology that will enable U.S. Army and U.S. Navy radar systems to work together to jointly track and counter air threats at longer ranges than is now possible. The technology to be tested uses a network of radars with overlapping coverage to create a combined, larger, more detailed detecting, tracking, and targeting capability. The Cooperative Engagement Capability CEC, a system developed by the U.S. Navy, will link radars from multiple platforms, including ships and aircraft and land, into a network to produce a single, composite picture of radar tracks. The proposed test will link land-based Navy radar systems, a Navy AEGIS cruiser at sea, an airborne P-3 Orion aircraft, and an Army PATRIOT radar at a separate site. The test will simulate with computers the cooperative acquisition, tracking and engagement of various threats by combining the capabilities of several radars at once. This will be a test of radar, communications and computer capabilities only there will be no actual missiles or missile launches involved in this test in any way. Although a PATRIOT radar will be involved, this unit is physically completely separate from PATRIOT missiles, which will not be present at any of the test sites, nor involved in the test in any way.