NLOS systems for the Modular and Future Forces

Charles J. Emerson, Jr.

The Army is on a bold course of transformation. Many initiatives are underway to change our Army organizations, battle command automation, equipment and the way we fight.

Although the first pieces of the future combat system (FCS)-equipped force won't be fielded until 2008, we are moving to a Modular Force now--a new, more efficient and effective design to improve land forces support for the joint force commander (JFC).

Two new fires and effects systems are being developed that will be organic to the FCS-equipped formations: the non-line-of-sight launch system (NLOS-LS) and NLOS cannon. During simulated combat testing, these systems demonstrated such potential that the Chief of Staff of the Army directed their development be accelerated for insertion into the Modular Force as soon as possible--potentially by 2008.

This article describes these systems and explains how the Modular Force will employ them in joint and combined arms operations.

Why New Fires and Effects Systems. The Modular and Future Forces will rely more on full-spectrum effects. The implications are significant.

Our Army must be rapidly deployable and ready to fight when arriving in the theater of operations. Non-contiguous, nonlinear and distributed formations will require greater precision, range and coordination for sensors, delivery systems and munitions. The maneuver brigade combat teams (BCTs) will have extended areas of influence out to more than 100 kilometers in radius.

Operations in urban areas, concerns about collateral damage and high-payoff point targets will require precision delivery of effects and, in some circumstances, tactical nonlethal effects. Fleeting targets will require that systems loiter over an area to track and attack the targets when precisely located or on demand. Rapid force tailoring caused by enemy actions or changes in missions demands flexible, easily tailored organizations and a supporting battle command network. Many, if not most, of these challenges have occurred during operations in the Balkans and are occurring in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).

Fires must enable the Modular and Future Forces to conduct operations without relying on tactical assault to achieve decisive tactical outcomes.

Some argue that precision fires from the air are the best solution for delivering fires and effects in support of the JFC's full-spectrum operations. Although we have the most powerful Air Force in the world, we have seen serious gaps in its ability to deliver timely, effective fires from the air, especially during bad weather.

For example, during Operation Desert Storm (ODS), about 30 percent of the total Iraqi armor and artillery kills occurred during the 44-day air war with about 70 percent of the kills occurring during the 96-hour ground war. (1)

During the 1999 Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, the allied air forces planned 6,766 sorties, but 3,766 were aborted due to weather. Of the 3,000 sorties actually flown, 990 were adversely affected by weather. More than 14,000 weapons were expended but less than five percent of the Serbian combat systems were destroyed during the 78-day air campaign. (2)

New capabilities being developed for the FCS-equipped force and organizational changes in support of the Modular Force will close the gaps in the joint delivery of fires and effects.

The Modular Force Concept. The fires and effects platforms for the Modular Force will be in the fires battalions organic to the BCTs configured as units of action (UAs) and in the fires battalions in the fires brigade assigned to a unit of employment of roughly division size (UEx).

The fires brigade will give the UEx commander a powerful fires and effects headquarters to plan, synchronize and execute counterstrike, shaping operations and reinforcing fires across the UEx. The fires brigade also has the command, control, communications and intelligence ([C.sup.3]I) structure to integrate attached ground and air maneuver forces and function as a maneuver headquarters.

Fires brigades differ from past artillery units in their ability to reconnoiter, detect and attack targets and confirm the effectiveness of their fires with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). They also are characterized by networked intelligence; robust communications systems; fire direction systems that cut sensor-to-shooter times to shorter intervals than ever before; and their ability to control electronic warfare (EW) assets and integrate them closely with fires.

The fires brigade can be a supported or supporting unit, providing

and coordinating lethal and nonlethal fires and effects, including information operations (IO). It will be able to augment close fires, conduct shaping operations, provide counterstrike and conduct independent maneuver-based operations.

The fires brigade will have an organic multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) or high-mobility artillery rocket system (HIMARS) battalion and other cannon and rocket/missile battalions, as required. At some point, perhaps by 2008, the Evaluation Unit of Action will receive the first NLOS-LS and NLOS cannon platforms and munitions. Eventually, they will be fielded in each BCT's fires battalion as well.

NLOS-Launch System. NLOS-LS will launch long-range precision munitions vertically. It will provide networked, extended-range targeting and precision attack of armored, lightly armored and other stationary and moving targets during day, night and adverse weather. The system's primary purpose will be to provide precision attack of high-payoff targets (HPTs) in support of the BCTs in concert with other NLOS, external and joint capabilities.

Command and control ([C.sup.2]) of the NLOS-LS in the FCS-equipped force will be part of a larger net-centric warfare concept, called "networked fires." Networked fires will link sensors and effectors using the FCS battle command system (BCS). Networked fires will rapidly and reliably exchange sensor data, command decisions and weapons allocations.

For the Modular Force, the Army battle command system (ABCS) will provide [C.sup.2], primarily via the advanced FA tactical data system (AFATDS).

The NLOS-LS threshold munitions will include precision and loitering munitions with a "discriminating" capability to locate and engage targets via automatic target recognition (ATR). Mission planning and execution of multiple and simultaneous missions with different munitions will be a function of the Future Force BCS. Munitions will be able to provide images on demand, accept external target designation, be retasked in flight, relay missile data and provide other functions, including non-lethal applications.

The NLOS-LS under development will have a container/launch unit (CLU) for the loiter attack missile (LAM) and precision attack missile (PAM) with a computer and communications system (CCS) module integral to the CLU.

CLU and CCS. The NLOS-LS CLU will have 15 sockets for missiles and a 16th socket to hold the CCS. Each CLU will be able to carry 15 of a single missile type or a mix of missiles. The CCS will process missions, contain the communications subsystems, be able to self-locate and self-orient, interface with its weapons, and have its own power supply and protection against tampering. One CCS will be able to control multiple CLUs.

The CLU's primary role will be to act as the shipping container and firing platform as well as the battle command link for the missiles to the network. On the battlefield, the CLU either will fire the missiles off of its transportation platform or independently from the ground. The CLU will be controlled primarily via wireless link using a secure radio network, thus classifying it as an unattended system.

Both the shorter range PAMs and longer range LAMs housed in the CLU each will weigh about 120 pounds; be about 58 to 60 inches in length and seven inches in diameter; have the global positioning system/inertial navigation system (GPS/INS); and be capable of digital, secure and bi-directional data links.

PAM. PAM will be a guided missile effective against moving and stationary heavy armor and soft targets at ranges from 0.5 to 40 kilometers. It will have two flight profiles: a flat trajectory to reduce time-of-flight at shorter ranges (0.5 to 20 kilometers) and a lofted trajectory for attacking targets at extended ranges.

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PAM will receive target information before launching and use its guidance system to fly to a target location. The missile will be able to receive target location updates from a battlefield sensor or observer while in flight--essential for locating and attacking moving targets beyond 20 kilometers. The seeker will search the target area during the terminal portion of the flight and make final corrections for PAM to hit the target.

PAM will incorporate an un-cooled infrared seeker with automatic target acquisition (ATA) that will enable precision attack with or without external (laser) designation or anointment of the target. Mission controllers also will be able to direct PAM to fly to a specific grid location and detonate upon impact.

LAM. LAM will be a discriminating precision munition to be employed against stationary and moving point targets at extended ranges: from 0.5 to 210 kilometers (distance in a straight line). Ideally, UAV, manned aircraft and other sensor-shooter teams will cue LAM missions and conduct battle damage assessment (BDA). The missile will have a small warhead for attacking HPTs.

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LAM will be able to fly to an extended range with a significant search time. A mid-range mission of 70 kilometers will allow 30 minutes of search time in the target area; a precision mission in excess of 200 kilometers will allow little or no search time.

Mission controllers will program mission data into the missile before it is launched and be able to change the data while the missile is in flight as the tactical scenario changes ("dynamic retasking").

LAM will transmit near-real time information in the form of ATR reports of HPTs (text only or images with text) to the BCS. The mission controller will review the images collected by LAM's laser radar (LADAR) seeker to validate targeting and for BDA.

The LAM is currently unfunded for production but is being matured in the science and technology base and will be spiraled back into the Future Force and the current Modular Force as soon as possible.

NLOS-LS performance in simulations and experiments has been extraordinary. The system is effective in urban terrain and key to shaping operations. LAM is more survivable than an armed UAV and, literally, can kill a target 10 seconds after its LADAR seeker acquires it.

NLOS-LS also will greatly reduce the tonnage of munitions and platforms required to achieve success on the battlefield and represents a new era of weapons with unprecedented flexibility and capability. See the figure for NLOS-LS' overall capabilities.

NLOS Cannon. The cannon is one of eight FCS-manned ground vehicles. Using a common chassis, it will have interoperability, mobility and survivability characteristics similar to other combat systems in the Future Force BCTs. Like today's indirect fire systems, the NLOS cannon will provide sustained close support fires and destructive fires for tactical standoff engagements.

The NLOS cannon will have a 155-mm, Zone 4, 38-caliber cannon. This cannon will fire the current suite of 155-mm ammunition but will achieve true overmatching when it fires future munitions now under development.

NLOS cannon will have a rate-of-fire of six rounds per minute sustainable for all missions in its typical combat environment. When moving, it will be able to respond to a fire order with the first round fired within 30 seconds of the vehicle's stopping. The howitzer will carry 24 complete rounds on board. It will receive and compute fire missions from all fielded and developmental target acquisition sources and battle command systems. Each also will be able to compute its own firing data and provide limited tactical fire direction for the rest of the battery, as required.

NLOS cannon will use a projectile tracking system (PTS) to increase its precision. PTS is especially valuable at longer ranges, giving a range and deflection probable error of 33 to 50 percent less than Paladin. (3)

Because the NLOS cannon will have a chassis common to other FCS systems, it will be in the battle with the other FCS combat system--just as deployable, mobile and survivable. With a chassis of just less than 20 tons, it will be more deployable and more mobile within theater.

In terms of survivability, the NLOS cannon's composite armor around the crew is substantially better than the Paladin's. An active protection system (APS) will protect the crew from rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), anti-armor missiles and tank-fired high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds. The FCS BCS will alert adjacent FCS platforms to enable cooperative responses to threats in their midst.

Also, the NLOS cannon will have a crew-served weapon for close combat that will be able to engage stationary or moving targets up to 1,500 meters away. The primary candidate is the objective crew-served weapon (OCSW), but others also are being considered, such as a modified M2 .50 caliber machine gun.

The FCS program uses a holistic approach to minimize exposure to threat system. For example, the NLOS cannon first will use its common operating picture (COP) and employ tactics to try to avoid encountering an overmatching system. Should it encounter enemy forces, it will try to avoid detection and acquisition by managing its thermal, visible and acoustic signature. Should it be attacked, it will try to avoid a hit or penetration through its APS and composite armor. And should it be hit, it will try to avoid being killed through redundant systems and smart placement of critical systems.

FCS vehicles will have a series of sensors for situational awareness and to navigate, detect and engage threats. The sensors will be both passive and active, cover infrared and visible light spectrums and use a multifunctional radome to detect obscured or hidden vehicles and personnel. The crew will be able to use the NLOS cannon sensors for cueing (alert the crew to a potential target) and targeting, determining an enemy's location to within 25 meters. In effect, when the Future Force BCT is deployed, any FCS platform will be able to locate a threat precisely enough to respond with a variety of precision options as long as the threat is within range of its sensor. Future enhancements will allow FCS vehicles to automatically recognize and categorize targets detected by their sensors and share the information with other FCS vehicles.

A number of munitions in development will extend the reach and usefulness of all US howitzers. For example, the NLOS cannon will have a range of 35 kilometers firing the precision munition Excalibur. Other special purpose NLOS cannon munitions are being developed to allow commanders to tailor their effects on the battlefield: infrared illumination, multi-spectral obscuration, preformed fragmentation rounds and nonlethal payloads.

Operational Vignettes. Tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) for the NLOS-LS and NLOS cannon are being developed. The following vignettes show the value of the NLOS systems in various situations across the spectrum of operations with a Modular Force conducting early entry and mid-intensity conflict operations.

The BCT in Early Entry. The lead combined arms battalion of a BCT has secured an airhead near a city and must expand it to allow the remaining elements of the brigade to deploy into the theater. The mission is to seize and hold several refugee camps outside the city. Rebel forces, both conventional armored forces and guerrillas, are moving to contain the advance.

One of the combined arms companies has established an anti-armor ambush on the main avenue of approach into the city. The company has tactical control of an NLOS-LS CLU loaded with PAMs in a sensor-to-shooter relationship. The company's FCS platforms and its observers communicate directly with the CLUs through the BCS.

A tactical UAV is launched to fly along the route into the city. The UAV detects two tank platoons with accompanying air defense artillery (ADA) vehicles moving toward the combined arms company's position. Enemy fire brings down the UAV.

The company commander asks its BCT for sensor assets. The BCT, in turn, requests targeting support from the brigade fires and effects coordination cell (FECC). A LAM is uploaded onto an NLOS-LS with target templates reflecting the relevant HPT enemy combat systems as well as no-strike templates of friendly systems and is directed to search for and report enemy vehicles along the main route.

The LAM flies along the designated route and detects the enemy formation, sending individual target images through the BCS (with confidence levels equal to or exceeding the commander's attack criteria), making the images available to the unit and its higher, adjacent and subordinate headquarters. Based on the threat, the company sends a digital fire mission for six PAMs with target location and description directly to the NLOS-LS CLU via the BCS. The CLU's CCS processes the request and fires six PAMs into the target area.

The LAM flying over the target area provides updated target locations that are transmitted by the BCS to the PAMs in flight. Before the PAMs impact, each sends an image to the company that is used to validate targeting accuracy.

After the impact, the LAM is retasked to continue flying along the route and send full-frame images to help in the BDA process. The LAM detects vehicles continuing to proceed down the route toward the ambush site. The PAM and LAM images show that two tanks and a ZSU were destroyed and one tank was damaged.

The ambush destroys the remaining tanks and vehicles in the column. As the LAM nears the end of its fuel supply, rather than allow it to automatically impact in the designated target avoidance zone, it is retasked to attack the tank that only had been damaged by the PAM attack.

The BCT Conducting Close Support for Decisive Operations. A BCT is moving into a position of advantage as part of a larger UEx operation against a well equipped and well trained enemy. The lead combined arms company has the advanced guard mission for the brigade with supporting helicopters as well as NLOS cannons and NLOS-LS CLUs from the BCT's organic fires battalion.

The lead elements come under effective fire from three BMPs in a village and from enemy artillery north of the village. The terrain and possible minefields hamper maneuver. An accompanying UAV is diverted to the area and immediately shot down.

The BCT commander directs Army attack helicopters to screen the western flank. The aviation commander requests mortar smoke as an immediate response to help develop the situation.

The multi-mode radar (MMR) detects the enemy artillery and immediately sends the radar acquisition locations to NLOS cannons for engagement. NLOS cannons operating in teams of two about three kilometers behind the engaged lead elements respond to neutralize the enemy artillery. The range-to-target is approximately 18 kilometers, and the NLOS cannons engage them with high-explosive projectiles with course-correcting fuzes to precisely deliver effects on the enemy howitzers.

The UAV destroyed north of the village had been shot down by an undetermined means. LAMs are sent north of the village. Mission controllers use the LAM images to determine the BDA of the previously engaged enemy artillery and identify an undamaged howitzer. The LAMs send the enemy howitzer's location and digital image back through the BCS where the BCT FECC initiates an attack with Excalibur precision artillery projectiles from the NLOS cannons.

Continuing north, the LAMs identify a BMP in a terrain fold on the main avenue of approach north (the probable source of anti-UAV fire). The LAMs send its location and digital image back through the BCS to the BCT FECC, which initiates an attack with PAMs launched from the NLOS platoon of the fires battalion. The LAMs then send images of the target area to the BCT FECC for BDA and continue to search for and attack other targets.

NLOS-LS and NLOS cannon have enormous potential for providing fires and effects to dominate any envisioned threat. The programs are on the fast track to contribute to the warfighter's operational needs beginning as soon as 2008.

As the Army moves from the Modular to the FCS-equipped Future Force, additional enhancements to these systems will make them even more capable of delivering overmatching lethal and non-lethal fires and effects for Army and joint force commanders.

Endnotes:

1. "Kosovo Strike Assessment Final Report," Allied Force Munitions Assessment Team and Joint Intelligence Team, 14 October 1999.

2. Ibid.

3. "Achieving a Transformation in Fire Support: Report to the Congress on Indirect-Fire Systems," Office of the Secretary of Defense, June 2002.

RELATED ARTICLE: The NLOS-LS will--

* Provide networked lethality.

* Have precision navigation to the target area.

* Have extended range and search time.

* Reduce missile launch and flight signatures.

* Perform in adverse weather.

* Provide effects against a wide range of targets.

* Include discriminating sensors.

* Locate moving targets autonomously.

* Have a fire-and-forget capability.

* Be self-contained for remote operations.

* Incorporate human-in-the-loop interaction.

* Have the ability to overcome large target location errors (TLEs).

* Be able to be reprogrammed in flight for new target types.

* Provide images for targeting and battle damage assessment (BDA).

* Reduce manning and logistical requirements.

* Be modular and reconfigurable.

* Be transportable by multiple modes.

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RELATED ARTICLE: NLOS cannon will--

* Have interoperability, mobility and survivability characteristics similar to other combat systems in the Future Force BCTs.

* Have a 155-mm, Zone 4, 38-caliber cannon, firing the current suite of 155-mm ammunition and those under development.

* Have a rate-of-fire of six rounds per minute sustainable for all missions in its typical combat environment.

* Be able to respond to a fire order with the first round fired within 20 seconds of the vehicle's stopping.

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By Majors Charles J. Emerson, Jr., AC, and Mark H. Laflamme, AC, and Colonel (Retired) James E. Cunningham

Major Charles J. (Jack) Emerson, Jr., Acquisition Corps (AC), is a Combat Developer Staff Officer in the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Systems Manager for Cannons (TSM Cannon), Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He also was the Combat Developer In-Plant Representative for Crusader at United Defense Limited Partnership, Minneapolis, Minnesota. He commanded Service Battery, 1st Battalion, 82d Field Artillery (1-82 FA) in the 1st Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

Major Mark H. Laflamme, AC, is the Assistant TRADOC System Manager, Rocket and Missile Systems (TSM RAMS) for the Non-Line-of-Sight Launch System (NLOS-LS) at Fort Sill. He commanded E Company, 2-46 IN at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and served as the Assistant Operations Officer for the 1st Iron Brigade, 2d Infantry Division in Korea.

Colonel (Retired) James E. Cunningham is a Senior Military Analyst under contract to support NLOS-LS development for TSM RAMS. Before retiring in 1996, he was the Deputy Director of the Depth and Simultaneous Attack Battle Lab, also at Fort Sill. He commanded the 17th Field Artillery Brigade and 3-9 FA (Pershing), 214th Field Artillery Brigade, both in III Corps Artillery, Fort Sill; and three batteries. He also served as Chief of Staff of the 56th FA Command in Germany.

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