Forward Area Air Defense

Template:TOC-right Included in the U.S. Army Forward Area Air Defense Command, Control and Intelligence (fAAD, or FAAD C2I), a Battle Management/Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (BM/C4I) system system are the radios, computers, radars, and surface-to-air missiles to cover an Army tactical areas. With its ability to interoperate with the U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry and U.S. Navy E-2 Hawkeye, it can also get support from fighter aircraft; the E-3, again via JTIDS, can cue the air defenses of Navy ships that are in range.

Integral components of the FAAD C3I system include:

• Air Battle Management Operations Center (ABMOC) that monitors and controls the air defense tactical operations for the battalion.
• Army Airspace Command and Control (A2C2) system that provides division TOC liaison.
• Sensor/Command and Control (Sensor/C2) system that processes and disseminates track data to firing batteries.
• The Sentinel radar that provides early warning and system cueing information. This is the primary intelligence component.
• Simplified Handheld Terminal Unit (SHTU) or Handheld Terminal Unit (HTU) with the battery command posts and weapon systems.

The ABMOC and A2C2 systems utilize the Army Standard Integrated Command Post System (SICPS) shelter with HMMWV. SINCGARS and EPLRS radios, Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE), and Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) terminal provide communications (voice and data)

FAAD C3I provides command and control to Avenger, MANPADS Stinger, Bradley Stinger Fighting Vehicle (BSFV), and Linebacker weapon systems and the Sentinel and LSDIS sensor systems). FAAD C3I provides:

• A composite air picture to SHORAD weapon systems from Air and Missile Defense (AMD) sources
• Distributed threat and air battle information to the supported force
• Reduced fratricide

         o Netted organic sensors (Sentinel, LSDIS)

C2 system is referenced in

Communications systems

All the ground radios, at least, will be consolidated into the Joint Tactical Radio System/

• Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS) /

MIDS

• Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System

(SINCGARS)

• [[Enhanced Position Location Reporting System (EPLRS)

• Global Positioning System]] (GPS)

Radar=

• E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS)
• E-2 Hawkeye
• Sentinel, which is an upgrade of an early ADA radar, the AN/TPQ-36A version of the AN/APQ-36 firefinder

Information sharing=

• Army Battle Command Systems (ABCS) architecture

Weapons

Army

• THAAD
• PATRIOT
• MEADS/SLAMRAAM
• Avemger
• Stinger

Air Force

• F-15
• F-16