Sensor Development
COBRA DANE (CD) radar is located 200 miles from Russia, at Eareckson AS, AK (Shemya Island, AK). CD is the most powerful, sensitive, and accurate Ground-based Mid-course Defense (GMD) radar and the premier Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) radar. At the same time, it is the most accurate and capable phased array available to the Space Surveillance Network (SSN) for cataloging hazardous and difficult-to-track satellites and space debris objects that clutter the near-earth orbital regime that cannot be detected by most other SSN tracking assets. CD detects Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and Sea-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBMs), classifies reentry vehicles (RVs) and other missile objects, provides real-time information to the GMD Fire Control (GFC), and provides tracking of threat ballistic missiles with sufficient accuracy to commit the launch of interceptors and to update the target tracks to the interceptor while the interceptor is in flight. CD's other primary mission is to support US Space Command's (USSPACECOM) Space Domain Awareness (SDA) mission by detecting, tracking, correlating, and characterizing man-made resident space objects, primarily in the Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) regime, including space debris and early observation of New Foreign Launches (NFLs). It operates as part of the larger SSN and provides metric observation data to its command and control nodes: the Combined Space Operations Center (CSpOC) and the Distributed Space Command and Control - Dahlgren (DSC2-D). CD also supports USSPACECOM's Space Object Identification (SOI) mission by providing narrow-band radar data of man-made resident space objects in the LEO regime. SOI information is used to ascertain the mission and operational status of various payloads and aids in forecasting maneuvers or deorbits. CD will acquire a modern architecture through design, development, integration, and test. This architecture enhances mission capability, providing warfighter and stakeholder customers direct operational benefit. CD utilizes Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC), Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I), University Affiliated Research Center (UARC), and Assistance and Advisory Services (A&AS) contractors to support programmatic and technical activities.