JTAGS gets enhanced early missile warning capabilities in Japan
NewsMay 23, 2018
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan. The U.S. Army and Northrop Grumman Corp. report that they have deployed enhanced Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS) capabilities in Japan in order to advance battlespace awareness and missile defense.
JTAGS receives and processes data directly downlinked from the Defense Support Program and other infrared satellite sensors, then disseminates near-real-time warning, alerting, and cueing information on ballistic missile launches and other tactical events of interest throughout the theater using various communications networks.
Under the update, Northrop Grumman enhanced the JTAGS hardware, software, and communication systems; improved soldier-machine interfaces; and beefed up cyberprotection.
The upgrade work was performed under a preplanned product improvement program previously awarded to Northrop Grumman to modernize JTAGS, which was initially fielded in 1997 to provide in-theater missile warning using data directly from satellite sensors.
