The Offboard Sensing Initiative MOIE (MITRE Corporation) [1996-97]

[Grey Havoc]

Reconstruction of Acoustic Collection
Missions Against Three Cruise Missiles

October 1999
Daniel J. Lowen

Abstract

Between July 1996 and June 1997, The MITRE Corporation planned and directed the
collection of acoustic data on cruise missile flights as part of a corporate Mission-Oriented
Investigation and Experimentation (MOIE) study examining the feasibility of using off-board
sensors for over-the-horizon detection of low flying cruise missiles. The Offboard Sensing
Initiative (OSI) MOIE proposed to identify and develop methods for exploiting nontraditional
signatures associated with low-flying, anti-ship cruise missiles. The concept
envisioned an improved detection capability, against these increasingly stealthy threats, using
deployed sensors to provide early cueing, longer detection timelines, and an extended depthof-
fire. While many different sensor types were considered, MITRE and government
resources limited the collection of information to acoustic signatures. The MOIE was
performed under the auspices of the Program Executive Officer, Theater Air Defense
PEO(TAD), with the support of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations for Air Warfare
(Opnav N88) and the Commander, Patrol Wings U.S. Pacific Fleet. Each of the three
missions targeted a different cruise missile. Two August 1996 missions collected acoustic
data on the MQM-8G Extended-Extended Range (EER) VANDAL and the Russian-built
MA-31. A June 1997 mission collected acoustic data on a Navy Special Engineering Test
Target (SETT) SETT-8A. This report presents a reconstruction of the acoustic collection
missions.

KEYWORDS: cruise missile, detection, acoustic, MQM-8G EER VANDAL, MA-31, SETT-
8A