Northern Watch 2008 Above-Water Sensor Trials at the Naval Electronic Systems Test Range Atlantic NESTRA Experimental Set-Up, Analysis, and Results for the Radar
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Northern Watch 2008 Above-Water Sensor Trials at the Naval Electronic Systems Test Range Atlantic NESTRA Experimental Set-up, Analysis, and Results for the Radar Dan Brookes DRDC – Ottawa Research Centre Defence Research and Development Canada Scientific Report DRDC-RDDC-2017-R156 October 2017 IMPORTANT INFORMATIVE STATEMENTS Disclaimer: Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada (Department of National Defence) makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, of any kind whatsoever, and assumes no liability for the accuracy, reliability, completeness, currency or usefulness of any information, product, process or material included in this document. Nothing in this document should be interpreted as an endorsement for the specific use of any tool, technique or process examined in it. Any reliance on, or use of, any information, product, process or material included in this document is at the sole risk of the person so using it or relying on it. Canada does not assume any liability in respect of any damages or losses arising out of or in connection with the use of, or reliance on, any information, product, process or material included in this document. This document was reviewed for Controlled Goods by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) using the Schedule to the Defence Production Act. Endorsement statement: This publication has been peer-reviewed and published by the Editorial Office of Defence Research and Development Canada, an agency of the Department of National Defence of Canada. Inquiries can be sent to: [email protected]. Work sponsored by Project 06AB1: Northern Watch (formerly 15ej01) Template in use: (2003) SR Advanced Template_EN (051115).dot © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada (Department of National Defence), 2017 © Sa Majesté la Reine en droit du Canada (Ministère de la Défence nationale), 2017 Abstract In August 2008 a team of scientists and technicians from DRDC attempted to undertake the first Arctic field trials for the Northern Watch Technology Demonstration Program (TDP) project on Devon Island at sites in Gascoyne Inlet and on Cape Liddon. Key objectives of the operation were to deploy several above water sensor (AWS) systems on Cape Liddon and an underwater sensor (UWS) system in Barrow Strait. The aim was to evaluate their individual and collective ability to detect, track, classify and identify a cooperative vessel, or targets of opportunity. Very severe weather prevented the accomplishment of this objective, so alternative trials were arranged for the AWS at the Naval Electronic Systems Test Range Atlantic (NESTRA) near Halifax in 7–11 Dec. 2008. The main intent was to perform a comprehensive shake down of all the AWS systems and perform as many of the original Arctic system tests as possible under the constraints imposed by this southern site. This report is one of several that are anticipated to result from the analyses of the NESTRA Trials data for each of the main AW sensors; this one is focused primarily on the performance of the navigation radar system. The results of the radar data analysis were generally consistent with performance predicted by the Scenario/Shipboard Integrated Environment for Tactics and Awareness (SIESTA) for the environmental conditions and the target-sensor geometries. The CFAV Quest was tracked to a maximum distance (stern-, or bow-on) about 29 km; large container vessels were tracked up to 35 km; and small vessels were tracked to distances of 10 to 20 km. The main factor limiting the radar’s ability to track ships was the line of sight to the horizon. The indications were that this radar system would be suitable for further evaluation at the arctic trials site near Gascoyne Inlet. Significance to Defence and Security Background: With recent and anticipated changes in arctic climate, more shipping channels in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago are opening during the summer, and for longer periods of time. This, coupled with increased interest in exploiting northern resources, has led to a re-examination of the need for greater monitoring of, and presence in, the Arctic; the Northern Watch (NW) Technology Demonstration Program (TDP) project was initiated to support this research. Part of the original mandate of the NW project was to develop, and demonstrate, a prototype suite of integrated, complementary sensor systems for effective surveillance of surface vessel traffic at a known arctic maritime chokepoint. The system-of-systems would also be capable of limited surveillance of underwater vessels and local aircraft. Within budget constraints, the component sensors were selected based on their complementary capabilities to detect, track, classify and identify vessels of interest. The primary systems for maritime domain awareness consisted of both above water (AW) and underwater (UW) systems. The AWS systems consisted of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) devices, as well as systems developed by, or specifically for, Defence R&D Canada (DRDC). The COTS systems included the Rutter 100S6 X-band navigation radar, and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver, whereas the DRDC systems included an in-house developed radar warning receiver (RWR), and an electro-optic/infrared imaging (camera) system developed for DRDC using COTS components. The UW sensor system was a passive sensor array based on an earlier DRDC demonstration system called the Rapidly Deployable System (RDS). DRDC-RDDC-2017-R156 i Developing the integrated suite was to be accomplished by iterative integration and refinement over the duration of the project, culminating with a complete system demonstration in the final year. The first step of the process was to simultaneously evaluate the capabilities of the individual stand-alone systems under identical conditions at the arctic trials site—Gascoyne Inlet (GI) and Cape Liddon (CL) overlooking Barrow Strait—during the main arctic shipping season. However, these first sensor trials in August of 2008 had to be aborted after two weeks of severe weather that prevented the deployment of both the AW and UW sensors and their associated infrastructure. Subsequently, alternative trials were arranged for the AWS at the Naval Electronic Systems Test Range Atlantic (NESTRA) near Halifax during 7–11 Dec. 2008. The intent was to perform a comprehensive shake-down of all the AWS and perform as many of the original arctic system tests as possible under the constraints imposed by this southern site. The trials also served as a very useful team building exercise by providing the first real opportunity for the multi-centre, multi-disciplinary, scientific team to work together in an operational setting. In addition to the sensor systems and associated shelters, the resources required for the trials included the NESTRA facilities (power, lab space, and meeting rooms), and cooperative targets provided by the Canadian Forces Auxiliary Vessel (CFAV) Quest and her Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB). The location near the entrance to the Halifax harbour also provided a wide selection of targets of opportunity, from small fishing vessels to large container ships. Results: An extensive database of sensor data was acquired from all of the AWS systems, including data from calibrated targets, and positional “truth” of most vessels recorded from Global Position Systems (GPS) or reported via ship’s Automatic Identification System (AIS). Environmental data (e.g., weather, sea state) were also acquired from local weather stations and provided by imagery recorded during the trials. With respect to the radar system, this data was used to provide a preliminary evaluation of the system’s capability under conditions very similar to those experienced at GI earlier in August 2008. The radar’s detection and tracking capabilities were consistent with predictions provided by software developed by DRDC called Shipborne/Scenario Integrated Environment for Tactics and Awareness (SIESTA). It was also discovered that, under certain conditions, the Rutter 100S6 radar system could be used as a rudimentary RWR to detect and provide bearing tracks on vessels that were using similar X-band navigation radars. Significance: These trials provided the first real opportunity for DRDC to test the radar system, and become familiar with its functioning under challenging operational conditions. The added benefits of co-testing the other AWS systems under identical conditions, becoming familiar with the large scale logistics required for such trials, and the team building opportunity, were essential to the future success of the arctic field trials specifically, and of the project in general. The radar results from these trials supported the belief that a non-coherent 25 kW peak-power radar system, such as the Rutter 100S6, deployed to the top of Cape Liddon at a height of 320 m above mean sea level might be capable of detecting and tracking medium to large ships up to the full distance (~70 km) across Barrow Strait choke-point. Also, with the belief that it would be useful for developing new target detection, tracking, classification and identification algorithms, and new sensor integration concepts, the database collected from all of the sensors and supporting systems was later shared amongst the participants of SEN TP-1, the technical panel (TP) responsible for Sensor Integration research within The ii DRDC-RDDC-2017-R156 Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP). TTCP member nations include Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Future plans: