You guys hitting it out of the park that way was just a real thrill.
Debra G. Wymer: Well, thank you. It was very thrilling for us as well. One other area I wanted to touch on real quick is what we’re doing to bring Reagan Test Site into the 21st century. We have established a facility here in Huntsville, so that we can actually do the mission control here in Huntsville, and can actually control the radars from Huntsville. We were able to achieve this by first laying a fiber-optic cable so that we have connectivity from Kwajalein all the way to Huntsville. That gave us the bandwidth and the data latency so that we can actually perform both our space operations and our test operations from here in Huntsville. So, we’ve achieved full operational capability for the space operations piece, and we have achieved initial operational capability for the test operations piece. That’s a big accomplishment in the test area I wanted to be sure and include while we were talking.
The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command conducted the first flight of the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon concept Nov. 18, 2011. The AHW is a first-of-its-kind glide vehicle designed to fly within the earth’s atmosphere at hypersonic speed and long range. It was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii, to the Reagan Test Site, U.S. Army Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands.
Two quick follow-ups on that range of things you just covered. First, with the smaller and lower-cost work you’re doing in the nano-satellite arena, with it comes benefits out of something called fractionalized or clustered constellations of satellites. Obviously they are tied to that idea. Can you talk a little bit about the long-term benefits of that idea and what you see five to 10 years from now in terms of what’s going to be sitting in low-Earth orbit, as opposed to the older legacy large-frame systems we’re all used to?
Debra G. Wymer: You know, I guess I have to point out that we’re not looking to replace any of the large satellites that we’ve been counting on. We’re providing – and I have to use the word “niche” again that the general used previously – a niche capability with the NanoSats. They assist the disadvantaged soldier in rugged terrain or even in urban settings. So, we’re not looking to be able to replace any kind of large satellites.
Lt. Gen. Richard Formica: And I would like to add from my perspective, the exact same response that Deb said. We’re not replacing those satellites, but provide a capability to that tactical and operational command in places where maybe they don’t currently have satellite coverage, or don’t have adequate satellite coverage. And, if you develop this correctly, it provides the possibility for giving that operational and tactical commander a better chance to influence the tasking of that satellite than you would for a national-level asset. Clearly, he gets communications, GPS, and other services [from the existing large satellites], but has limited ability to task it because it’s a national asset. Whereas if you’ve got a NanoSat constellation, we provide more ability for a local commander to be able to task [it themselves].
Is there not also durability, survivability, and accessibility to these smaller systems that makes them very attractive to the individual warfighters you’ve been talking about?
Lt. Gen. Richard Formica: Yeah, I think if we can get launch [costs] down to a reasonable level, and demonstrate capability of having a small satellite constellation, we believe that it’s a potential technology of the future. You know, it’s kind of the small UAV equivalent in the satellite business. So, we think there’s tremendous potential, though it will come down, of course, to cost and capability assessments that DoD and the Army will eventually have to make. But we believe there’s advantages to the smaller technologies, as we continue to demonstrate those technological advances. When we master efficient and less expensive launch [services], I think it’s got real potential for the warfighter.
Your peers, particularly in the special warfare community, call it an absolute game changer for their business.
Lt. Gen. Richard Formica: Yeah, well they’d be one of the customers for this kind of capability.
On that note, I’m aware of a system that you folks are developing called “NanoMissile.” Can you give me a few thoughts on that?
Debra G. Wymer: Yes. We have a proposed JCTD [Joint Capability Technology Demonstration] called SWORDS [Special Weapons Observation and Remote Direct-Action System] that we’re hoping to get approved, and that is that missile that you just referred to. That would allow us to [create] an operational capability for [timely and responsive] replenishment for nano/small satellites. It would also assist our test programs, for one thing, because it would be a low-cost way for us to conduct a test mission [or use as a target.] So, you know, we have support from combatant commanders and we’re hopeful that we’ll get JCTD approved to pursue that.
Gen. Formica, what else would you like to tell us?
Lt. Gen. Richard Formica: Actually, I’m going to close out just by telling you that to summarize this – U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command and its Army Strategic Forces Command – is, I think, a pretty important organization for our Army, to bring capabilities today, tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow. We do serve as the Army’s service component to U.S. STRATCOM and we believe that many of the capabilities we provide were clearly specified in the Defense Strategic Guidance that President [Barack] Obama and Secretary [Leon] Panetta recently released. And so, we think that the areas that the command is focused on really are key to where the Department of Defense and the Army are going in the future. We are, as we said, uniquely organized and geographically well positioned to do the three core tasks that we’ve outlined as a command. And my closing thought is for me it’s all about providing capabilities to the soldier, sailor, airman, and Marine on the ground, to get space and missile defense capabilities to the warfighter, and to provide those capabilities to U.S. STRATCOM, the geographical combatant commander, and to our Army. And we do that through our dedicated workforce. Military, soldiers, Department of the Army civilians and contractors, all of whom are public servants, and must be public servants first. So, [my job is to] provide capabilities through these great public servants that are organized in this command.
This article was first published in Defense: Spring 2012 Edition.