(U) Talon COMMAND

(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)  Talon COMMAND is one of eight functional areas under the Air Force TENCAP Program to exploit the tactical use of existing national systems.  Talon COMMAND focuses on applying national system capabilities to warfighter requirements to enhance Theater Battle Management (TBM) information support for command and control warfare (C2W) systems.  Talon COMMAND accomplishes this by integrating processed information into C3I displays and providing enhanced information to C2 nodes worldwide using existing TBM C4I architectures.  There is one ongoing FY98 project under Talon COMMAND, Project Command & Control Mobile Capability (C2MC).  For FY99, Talon COMMAND will add Project Geolocation of Threat Emitters. 

Description: (U)
(U) C2MC is a collection of integrated software applications that responds to the prosecution of time-critical targets (TCTs), supports theater-wide warning, tracking and cueing data for air defenders and weapons allocation and tasking to engage TCTs and their infrastructure in the shortest possible time after initial detection.  C2MC also fulfills the role of an in-theater or enroute battlespace situational awareness capability.  Data supporting the C2MC include National systems, in-theater Local Area Networks (LANs), intelligence networks, data links with Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS), Army air defenders and organic ground-based radars.  C2MC has the potential to become an initial in-theater decision tool for the Joint Forces Air Component Commander (JFACC) for any future contingency. With C2MC, a JFACC can receive improved situational awareness, conduct Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB), access Air Tasking Orders (ATOs) enroute to theater, find TCTs and match air and ground resources for prosecution of those targets.  C2MC further allows interface for joint execution with naval and ground forces, warn forces of launch events and cue active defense systems for active air defense in theater.

(U) Discussions between HQ SWC/CTC and the Theater Battle Management Core Systems (TBMCS) SPO are continuing to determine which C2MC modules are suitable for integration into future versions of TBMCS.  The National Eagle Integration Study, C2MC DII/COE Compliance Study, Information Dissemination Study and the Airborne Expeditionary Force Study have all been completed.  C2MC systems are still planned to go into the Command and Control Training Innovation Center (C2TIC) and the Aerospace Integration Center (AIC-formerly Space Training Facility) later in 1998.  FY98 improvements under development include:  Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace (IPB) via connectivity testing with the Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC), connectivity testing with National Eagle for 3-D displays and mission planning, data fusion, Zebra radio testing and generating improvements to the GCCS Common Operational Picture (COP) through the Common Battlespace Display (CBD).
 
(U) In FY99, Project Geolocation of Threat Emitters will demonstrate near-real-time precision geolocation of tactical emitters to the warfighter.  Using AWACS and National assets coordinated to collect threat emissions, GPS time tagged emitter data will be relayed via a Common Data Link (CDL) to an external facility for geolocation processing.  The improved geolocation will be distributed over the Tactical Data Dissemination System (TDDS).  An AWACS will then receive the information via the Airborne Broadcast Intelligence (ABI) system, where a weapons director will provide the target location to users such as attack aircraft, Airborne Battlefield Command & Control Center (ABCCC), Joint STARS or other government agencies.

User Impact: (U)
(U) See Description.

Programmatics: (U)
(U) Operational.
	(U) Termination: 01/1998 (2QFY1998).

(U) Organizations and Funding:
	(U) Air Force-Space Warfare Center: Funding Source.
		Talon COMMAND is funded under PE 27247F.  Project C2MC will enter transition in FY99.  TAPLOC is funded for FY99 and as a two-year project, will also receive funding in the FY00 budget.

Related Initiatives: (U)
(U) Talon  VISION, Talon  WARRIOR, Talon KNIGHT, Talon OUTLOOK, Talon READY, Talon SHOOTER, Talon TRANSITION

Related Requirements: (U)
(U) None.

Related Categories: (U)
(U) Air Force TENCAP

Road Map Placements: (U)
(U) ISR.

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

Date of Information: (U)
22 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).)