(U) Small Tactical Terminal

(The effects of any budget/program decisions made since the information was collected during 1997-98 are NOT reflected in the National Security Space Road Map (NSSRM).)

Overview: (U)
(U) The Small Tactical Terminal (STT) allows direct downlink of satellite imagery to deployed and in-garrison personnel, improving the flow of critical meteorological information to combat users.  The Small Tactical Terminal (STT) provides worldwide, real-time, tactical weather support to the Army and Air Force.  The system consists of lightweight, portable weather terminals that provide an interactive meteorological satellite data analysis capability without reliance on surface communications. The system is configured in basic, enhanced, lightweight, and Joint Task Force Satellite Terminal (JTFST) versions. The basic system is upgraded by means of enhancement and JTFST kits. The basic configuration of this system ingests, processes, stores, and displays Real-time Data Smooth (RDS) data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) satellites; Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) data transmitted from the NOAA Television Infrared Observations Satellites (TIROS), the Chinese FENG YUN satellites and the Russian METEOR satellites; and Weather Facsimile (WEFAX) data from the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS), METEOSAT, and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) geostationary satellites. The enhanced configuration of this system, in addition to providing the capabilities of the basic configuration, ingests, processes, stores, and displays encrypted and non-encrypted Real-time Data (RTD) from the DMSP satellites, and High Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT) data from the NOAA polar orbiting satellites. All configurations provide the capability to interface with the Army Integrated Meteorological System (IMETS) and the Air Force Tactical Forecast System (TFS), which replaces the Combat Weather System (CWS). The lightweight system uses one three foot antenna to replace the two tracking antennas used in the enhanced configuration, resulting in a weight reduction.  The lightweight system has the same capabilities of the enhanced system.  The JTFST configuration of the system, in addition to providing the capabilities of the enhanced configuration, ingests, processes, stores, and displays high resolution data from GMS, METEOSAT, and GOES-I through M. The JTFST configuration also will transmit raster images to a Satellite Imagery Dissemination System (SIDS).

Description: (U)
(U) The criticality of supplying complete, on-line weather data to the Department of Defense (DoD) and commercial organizations alike continually increases.  A primary source of the data is the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP).  The mission of DMSP is to collect and disseminate global visible and infrared cloud data and other specialized meteorological, oceanographic and solar-geophysical data.  This capability is required to support worldwide DoD operations and other high-priority programs.  The Meteorological Satellite Basic Small Tactical Terminal (B-STT) is a major element of the DMSP user segment. Currently this system consists of a 490 pound (including transit cases) portable weather terminal that provides an interactive meteorological satellite data analysis capability without reliance on surface communications. The B-STT ingests, processes, stores and displays: 

(U) a) Real-time Data Smooth (RDS) data transmission (at 2207-2268 MHz) from the DMSP satellites.

(U)  b) Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) data transmitted (at 137-138 MHz) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites; the Chinese FENG YUN satellites and the Russian METEOR satellites, and 

(U)  c) Weather Facsimile (WEFAX) data transmitted (at 1690-1695 MHz) from the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite (GMS), METEOSAT, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) and GOES-NEXT geostationary satellites. 

(U)  B-STT major system functions include: 

(U)  1) Receiver/Antenna equipment including antennas, pedestals, controllers, down converters, low noise amplifiers and receivers 

(U)  2) Classified DMSP decryption device (size of a CD ROM Drive and weighs less than four pounds)

(U)  3) Processing equipment including central processing unit, memory, data storage, data display, keyboard, and mouse 

(U)  4) Auxiliary equipment, including power distribution, power inverter, generator, hard copy device, and 

(U)  5) System software including Unix based operating system, system control, satellite tracking and     receiving, data reduction and processing, display generation and application software. 

User Impact: (U)
(U) Current Small Tactical  Terminals (STTs) are used by the Air Force to provide tactical users, deployed worldwide, an early source of meteorological satellite data in forward areas of conflict.

Programmatics: (U)
(U) Operational.

Related Initiatives: (U)
(U) AN/SMQ-11, DMSP, GOES, Mark IV, Mark IV-B

Related Requirements: (U)
(U) None.

Related Categories: (U)
(U) User Equipment

Road Map Placements: (U)
(U) ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING.

Lead Office: (U)
(U) Air Force.

Date of Information: (U)
28 July 1998

(The effects of any budget/program decisions made since the information was collected during 1997-98 are NOT reflected in the National Security Space Road Map (NSSRM).)