Ballistic Missile Defense System Testing

Ballistic Missile Defense System Testing

Joel D. Benson and Jerry D. Rand

The Aerospace Corporation is working with the Missile Defense Agency to assess testing of individual elements of the Ballistic Missile Defense System and their integration into the overall architecture of the system.

The United States has tested and fielded an initial Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) and is steadily enhancing this system with additional sensors, interceptors, and command and control capabilities. BMDS testing for 2007 included numerous successful flight and ground tests.

Flight tests may include full-up testing of BMDS or more limited testing of BMDS components. It is used to ensure various BMDS elements and components can complete their individual missions and effectively communicate and work together as part of the entire system. In 2007 flight tests included nine successful hit-to-kill intercepts; five successful Aegis BMD intercepts of short- to medium-range separating and unitary targets, including a simultaneous engagement of two short-range ballistic missiles; three successful Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) intercepts of short-range unitary targets in the atmosphere and in space; and a successful intercept of a long-range target by an operationally configured ground-based long-range interceptor using operational crews from U.S. Northern Command and the threat—a representative target missile—followed a realistic threat trajectory. Another 2007 flight test successfully demonstrated a simulated ground-based interceptor engagement on a radar track from the Sea-Based X-band radar using a live target.

Ground tests include successful assessment of the ability of the BMDS to simultaneously execute multiple engagement sequence groups—that is, groups of components that must work together to detect, track, and intercept enemy missiles—with the projected fielded and developmental baselines, and a successful distributed ground test demonstrating simultaneous execution of multiple engagement sequence groups while using the BMDS operational elements and locations with associated operational communications.

BMDS Test Strategy and Structure

The BMDS test strategy requires that test requirements be derived from the system engineering process. This strategy uses a simulation-based acquisition approach that links planned flight-test profiles to ground test events, alters conditions of operational deployment in multiple ground test cases, adheres to "test like you intend to fight" principles, and employs verification, validation, and accreditation principles to reduce risks and anchor performance models. The strategy calls for operational hardware-in-the-loop testing as much as is practical and involves component-level testing and integration of hardware and software via integrated and distributed ground tests. The goal is to merge developmental and operational testing requirements to the maximum extent possible for each test event.

Processes focused on the efficient and effective testing of the integrated BMDS will be aligned to enable "burn down" (verification) of test requirements at an increasing rate. This will require discipline in the testing process and accountability for the actions and results. The overall testing philosophy can be defined as: test early, test often, control the configuration of the components being tested, characterize capability to make fielding decisions, and embrace operational realism.

As the BMDS evolves, testing will continue to expand beyond the individual elements to encompass a system-wide approach. The system-level tests are documented in an integrated master test plan, involving one or more of the system elements as they interact. This master test plan establishes a framework for ground and flight testing of the various systems, subsystems, and components. The tests incorporate the objectives and requirements defined by the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Systems Engineering Group and the specific element(s) being tested. They verify the overall capability of the system in engagement sequence groups.

MDA testing for 2008 and 2009. Planned intercepts and those under consideration are noted. Successful testing so far has allowed MDA to declare limited capability for Ground-Based Midcourse Defense; C2BMC; Aegis; Cobra Dane, Beale, and Flyingdales early warning radars; and TPY-2 radars.

The operational testing agencies, the MDA Systems Engineering Group, and the BMDS Capability Assessment team use the test data for assessment of operational readiness, systems requirements validation, and system performance, respectively. Aerospace has participated in the BMDS Capability Assessment team since its inception. This team provides the MDA director with an internal, nonadvocate assessment of the as-built system.

While the director of the responsible test organization plans, programs, budgets, executes, and manages the BMDS test and assessment program, the principal agent for test execution is the Combined Test Force. Consisting of representatives from across MDA and the element programs, the Combined Test Force plans, executes, analyzes, and reports BMDS test events. Its test teams are responsible for integrating multiservice components at various levels of system maturity in an engagement space covering air, land, sea, and space. The basic group structure consists of one campaign director and multiple teams leading detailed event test planning, integration, mission rehearsals and executions, and posttest analysis and reporting.

The Combined Test Force is located in Huntsville, Alabama, with test operations, data analysis, and reporting activities located there and at the Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A coordination team is located at MDA headquarters in Washington, DC. The operational testing agencies work on-site with the Combined Test Force to provide independent operational assessment of the BMDS. This group is designed to ensure maximum warfighter involvement and operational realism in the testing.

Another aspect of testing involves element test leads, collocated with each of the BMDS elements. Successful testing has been conducted on the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System; the Airborne Laser; the C2BMC system; the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system; the Patriot missile; the Arrow missile; the THAAD missile; and a variety of sensors. Aerospace has been involved in mission assurance functions for pedigree reviews of the target vehicles for Ground-Based Midcourse Defense and Aegis intercepts.

The Ballistic Missile Defense System test environment is a complex integration of multiservice components at various levels of system maturity. Here, a ground-based interceptor is shown shortly after liftoff from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Sept. 28, 2007. The test was successful: the missile intercepted its intended target (courtesy of US Air Force).

Countdown to Testing

Approximately 12 months prior to a BMDS test event, the director of the responsible test organization will sign a "Test Milestone Zero" memorandum identifying key personnel as well as key test information such as objectives, funding, targets, modeling and simulations, and resources. Key personnel include the system mission manager, the system mission director, the test resource manager, the joint analysis team lead, the target mission manager, and the operational test agency lead. The system mission manager oversees planning and integration of a single test-event team, while the system mission director manages the test-event team. The test resource manager is the primary MDA coordinator for test-range and test-asset requirements. The joint analysis team lead is responsible for developing detailed test data requirements and test documentation and planning and conducting posttest analysis and BMDS characterization activities. The target mission manager coordinates target-related requirements and issues. The operational test agency lead coordinates inputs and requirements from the operational testing agencies concerning test design, planning, execution, and reporting.

Approximately 9 months before a system test, the director of MDA or the responsible test organization begins a series of executive reviews. These culminate in an authority to proceed within 7 to 14 days before test execution. The first of these reviews, the Executive Test Planning Review, provides test planning information to ensure the participating BMDS and element personnel, test articles, equipment, test control, data capture, and supporting functions are sufficiently defined so the leadership can approve detailed preparations for the test. Next, the Executive Test Review covers the detailed test preparations to ensure the mission is achievable and sufficiently defined so leadership can approve detailed planning and preparations. Finally, the Executive Mission Review focuses on test-team readiness, test-article configuration, range, instrumentation, target, and other test resources before directing the team to proceed into test execution.

Conclusion

The BMDS test environment is a complex integration of multiservice components at various levels of system maturity. The engagement space covers air, land, sea, and space. The Combined Test Force must address new technologies that are introducing safety and environmental considerations along with emerging international interest. For example, system testing that will include the Airborne Laser involves testing of new technologies. Special considerations come into play with lasers, which demand the testing be extremely well planned for the safety of humans and sensitive equipment such as satellites. BMDS elements are advancing by spiral development—incremental delivery of capabilities—which yields multiple fielding decisions, as well as research and development, and future concepts validation tests. This too must be taken into consideration as testing is planned.

BMDS testing must overcome many challenges. The testing has to balance developmental and operational testing, and spiral development. The differences are not always clear. In some cases, developmental testing may allow for some emergency capability to be declared before the operational test agencies conduct their tests.

The transition to combatant commands requires that the warfighter's needs be addressed while supporting the transition itself, and the scarcity of flight assets requires synchronized operational test events to get the maximum value out of testing. The transition between testing and operations has to be addressed to answer operational requirements as well as warfighter training, and coalition partners must be included into future blocks as the system matures.

Successful testing also requires stabilized requirements and control of configuration within the test process. The testing infrastructure will need to be procured early enough to demonstrate capability and reduce risk prior to use in a major test event.

Evaluation-based test planning requires that the testing maintain agility so that it can accommodate emerging test requirements. Another tenet of successful testing will be to ensure the seamless integration of developmental and operational test objectives, teams, and processes. All of this will be executed while attempting to keep the same staff from test to test and while meeting environmental requirements for safe and efficient testing.