From  scicom!werple.apana.org.au!legion
From: legion@werple.apana.org.au (John Stepkowski)
Date: Fri, 8 Apr 1994 05:59:48 +1000 (EST)

A summary from the 3/23/1994 Aerospace Daily:

Names: RADIANT OAK, RADIANT IVORY, TALON SHIELD

Navy's RADIANT OAK exercise validates satellite-to-shooter idea.

Navy planes used information beamed directly from satellites to
attack a moving target patrol boat off Southern California, validating the
off-board "sensor-to-shooter" concept.

The exercise was called RADIANT OAK and was conducted on Aug. 19, 1993.

The exercise involved transmission of satellite data directly to the
cockpits of an EA-6B and a P-3, both of which fired missiles from below the
radar horizon of the target.

A HARM missile fired by the EA-6B homed on and knocked out the target
acquisition and target tracking radars on the target vessel, and a HARPOON
missile launched by the P-3 penetrated the 100-foot-long craft's hull just
above the waterline.

The Navy has described the test in some detail (see below), but it has not
identified the sensor that provided the target information.

Gen. Charles Horner, commander in chief of North American Aerospace
Defense Command, U.S. Space Command and Air Force Space Command,
in a volume of testimony originally prepared for delivery to a CLOSED
session of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and released by them
this month, that RADIANT OAK is one of SEVERAL initiatives "to put
space-originated information directly into the hands of the warfighters."

The EA-6B from electronic warfare squadron VAQ-209, that led the air wing
strike group on the RADIANT OAK excersize, had a fully integrated Multi-Mission
Airborne Tactical Terminal (MATT) added to its basic avionics package.

The off-board data to strike the patrol boat target was sent from the
sensor via the near-real-time TADIXS-B and Tactical Related Applications
broadcasts which were received with Tactical Receive Equipment (TRE). The
data was filtered and displayed with MATT.

The strike group flew a 500-mile, low-level ingress to the target area
remaining terrain masked from the threat. They were guided to the target
solely by off-board targeting data.

The EA-6B crew derived the HARM 'range known' targeting solution from the
over-the-horizon contact data provided.

After the EA-6B fired its HARM, a P-3 from patrol squadron VP-60
used the TRE to launch a 'range and bearing' HARPOON missile from beyond
line of sight to the target - without tracking data from the P-3's radar.

Both missiles were successfully launched from below the radar horizon,
enhancing strike aircraft survivability and ensuring the element of surprise.

The HARPOON acquired, tracked and struck the target, piercing
a three-foot diameter hole directly through the patrol craft two feet
above the waterline.

Integration of "this off-board, over-the-horizon adjunct will support
a MULTITUDE of missions/warfare areas throughout the tactical air
community," Nees wrote.

Horner, in his statement, said several OTHER efforts are underway by
U.S. Space Command to put real-time satellite information into the hands
of warfighters.

In the area of defense against attack by theater ballistic missiles,
he said, the Navy is pursuing RADIANT IVORY, which uses data from
Defense Support Program (DSP) early warning satellites "in combination
with a national sensor."

The Air Force's TALON SHIELD effort, he said, capitalizes on RADIANT
IVORY and "will use MULTIPLE national and DSP sensors to increase the
situational awareness-thereby improving both the probability of detection
and the accuracy of missile launch parameters."