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Range Systems

APL's Range Systems Program provides an independent evaluation of test instrumentation systems in support of Trident missile test launches. The role as independent systems test agent is for the development, validation, and continuing support of instrumentation systems in the following areas:

  • flight test range safety,
  • real-time tracking systems,
  • range command, control, and communications systems,
  • telemetry,
  • reentry body impact location and scoring systems,
  • meteorological support, and
  • submarine position and velocity determination
Preparations are currently in progress for west coast FCET and DASO missile flights. An overview of range instrumentation systems that are being developed to support west coast missile flights is shown in the figure below. These instrumentation systems support the launch, midrange, and terminal areas of missile flight tests. Development activities include the launch area support system known as the Submarine Towed Acoustic Reference System (STARS). STARS could replace the need for the DASO Reference Navigator (DRN), the SSBN Buoyant Cable Communications System (BCS), and the Velocity Position Reference System (VPRS).
Pacific Test Flight Program
Navy Mobile Instrumentation System (NMIS)

The Navy has developed the capability to obtain all necessary terminal area reentry flight test data from a system (NMIS) that is deployed on a ship of opportunity supplied by the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVO). This capability allows flight tests to be conducted in remote portions of the oceans without needing instrumentation aircraft for support. This system's portable instrumentation provides C-band and X-band radar tracking, telemetry, optics, meteorology, and impact scoring systems. As the lead integration agent for NMIS, the Range Systems Program of the Strategic Systems is responsible for ensuring that all of these systems, provided by various contractors, work together to provide complete and uninterrupted data. Prototypes of each of the systems were deployed beginning in 1999 to support scheduled flight tests and evaluate performance. NMIS was declared fully operational by SSP in April 2003.