2007 State of Air Defense Artillery: our journey to the future.

Where does one begin to describe the State of the Branch when that branch has experienced as much change and as many challenges as Air Defense Artillery (ADA) has during the past year? Because this is my first opportunity to "talk turkey" in the joint Fires Bulletin, I'll begin by expressing my optimism with the branch, our fine officers, NCOs, enlisted and civilian Soldiers, and by acknowledging their hard work and dedication during the last year.

Air Defenders have taken on many diverse missions and have deployed to the far corners of the earth. This is my opportunity to describe what your fellow Air Defenders are doing and where ADA is headed in the future. This also is an opportunity to share in formation with our Field Artillery (FA) brethren and to learn about FA's unique missions and challenges from the partner FA State of the Branch article in this edition.

This year has been a tough one for ADA due to multiple and often overlapping deployments, rotations and restationings, but our Soldiers, civilians and Families have accomplished all that was asked--and more.

For more than 50 years, Fort Bliss, Texas, has been home to the US Army Air Defense Artillery School (USAADASCH). During the past year, USAADASCH trained more than 4,000 personnel and deployed mobile training teams (MTTs) to Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout the United States. ADA continues to forge ahead with programs for combat development, enhanced and improved training and leader development using lessons learned. We also have kept pace with doctrinal changes to meet the rapidly changing enemy threat.

We all know change is inevitable--that is especially true in ADA--but I am secure in the knowledge that Air Defenders are meeting the challenges of base transformation and the restationing of the force. In fact, we are leading the way in the Army.

Weapons Technologies. The Future Force Integration Directorate (FFID) and Army Evaluation Task Force (AETF), key to developing and testing the Army's future combat systems, are up and running at Fort Bliss. Additionally, ADA rapidly is improving existing weapons system capabilities and developing new technologies to meet the evolving and emerging threats.

Patriot. In October, the Army awarded Raytheon a $150 million contract to launch the Patriot "pure fleet" modernization program. The program, which features hardware and software enhancements, will bring all Army Patriot equipment to state-of-the-art Patriot configuration-3 status. These enhancements will ensure that Patriot remains the preeminent theater air and missile defense (TAMD) system as it evolves into the Medium-Extended Air Defense System (MEADS).

MEADS. MEADS is a cooperative effort between the United States, Germany and Italy to develop an AMD system that is both mobile and transportable. MEADS technology is being spiraled into the Patriot Advanced Capabilities-3 (PAC-3) upgrade incrementally rather than waiting 15 years for a total missile replacement. In the first phase, Patriots will receive a battle management command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (BM[C.sup.4]I) station to improve situational awareness and allow for force operations and engagement operations from a single shelter. Phase two is the fielding of a lightweight launcher capable of near-vertical tube positioning that facilitates 360-degree coverage. In the third phase, Patriot batteries will receive two multifunctional fire control radars and one sensor radar, all mounted on the family of medium-tactical vehicles (FMTVs). This will allow for a mobile 360-degree defense against medium-and short-range tactical ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), hostile aircraft, jammers and cruise missiles. The Patriot to MEADS metamorphosis, which is expected to take about a decade, will produce a more transportable, mobile and lethal AMD system.

THAAD. The Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense System (THAAD) is a ground-based terminal phase launcher-radar designed to defend against short- and medium-range ballistic missiles both inside and outside the atmosphere, significantly mitigating the effects of weapons of mass destruction. Its launcher is in a mobile, tactical fire unit with eight missiles per launcher and three launchers per fire unit. Its radar provides early warning to the specific location threatened by a ballistic missile and precise tracking of the missile, including in-flight data updates, plus an accurate determination of the missile launch point.

THAAD will provide high-altitude missile defense over a larger area than the complementary Patriot system and, like the Patriot, will intercept a ballistic missile target in the "terminal" phase of flight--the final minute or so of flight when the hostile missile falls toward the earth.

Following a string of successful flight tests, ADA took the THAAD system from the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico, to the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, for further testing. With 6th ADA Brigade Soldiers operating all THAAD equipment (the launcher, fire control and communications systems and radar), THAAD quickly scored three successive intercepts.

Conducted in January 2006, the first test was a high-endo-atmospheric intercept. A second test conducted in April 2006 also was a success. Involving a mid-endo-atmospheric target. In late October 2006, THAAD scored an exo-atmospheric intercept, destroying a target outside the earth's atmosphere. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) will conduct two intercept tests of the THAAD interceptor in 2008--one against a separating target in space and the other against a separating target high in the endo-atmosphere.

We expect to achieve THAAD initial operational capability in 2009, and initially plan to field two THAAD battalions, each with four batteries. Future plans call for four THAAD battalions that will operate along the US coast or in allied countries.

JLENS. The Joint Land-Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor (JLENS) will be able to detect small aerial targets at long ranges and provide precise fire control data to Air Defense units. The JLENS elevated dual-Aerostat system (a ship-or ground-moored balloon supporting radar systems) provides two radars, one for wide-area surveillance at long ranges and one for shorter ranges with precision tracking for long duration missions. The focus is on providing data for attacking cruise missiles and other moving targets, such as large-caliber rockets.

In April 2006, JLENS passed its system functional review--a major milestone that permitted the program to progress to the preliminary design phase. Each JLENS system consists of a long-range surveillance radar and a high-performance fire-control radar mounted on a large Aerostat connected by a tether to a ground-based processing station. Scheduled for fielding in 2012, when we will begin replacing currently fielded Aerostats and Rapid Aerostat Initial Deployment (RAID) towers, JLENS will provide a long-duration, wide-area cruise missile capability while also supplying the battlefield commander with situational awareness and elevated communications capabilities.

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The system provides over the horizon detection and tracking of incoming cruise missiles with sufficient warning to enable air defense systems to engage and defeat the threat. JLENS will relay target data to ADA Avenger and Patriot sys-tems and, eventually, to the Surface-Launched Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (SLAMRAAM) system.

SLAMRAAM. Beginning around 2011, SLAMRAAM gradually will begin replacing Avenger systems, enabling ADA units to engage cruise missiles, helicopters and UAVs over the horizon and beyond the line of sight.

SLAMRAAM will address the threat posed by cruise missiles, UAVs and unmanned combat aerial vehicles. SLAMRAAM will be able to destroy aerial targets being masked by terrain or clutter, operating in reduced visibility or employing standoff capabilities beyond the range and altitude of our current Stinger-based weapons. In attacking cruise missiles or other targets over the horizon, it will use an elevated sensor platform--the JLENS.

C-RAM. Counter-Rocket, -Artillery and -Mortar (C-RAM) systems is a multibranch program to counter enemy indirect fires in WOT. Its purpose is to improve persistent surveillance on the enemy, enhance the fusion of sensors that acquire the enemy and facilitate both proactive and reactive responses to enemy indirect fire.

During 2007, C-RAM, manned by ADA and FA Soldiers and assisted by US Navy personnel, successfully continued to counter indirect-fire attacks directed at forward operating bases (FOBs) in Iraq and Afghanistan. These systems alerted targeted personnel, initiated countermeasures and intercepted and destroyed incoming rounds. These intercepts should have made headlines, but were hidden behind a veil of operational security. Now, the Army has released public affairs guidance that permits much of the C-RAM story to be shared.

Like the Patriot-Scud engagements of Operation Desert Storm (ODS), the C-RAM engagements of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) herald a new era in warfare. And like the first tactical ballistic missile engagements, they have the potential to transform the way we fight in the future.

Transformation, Restationing and Deployments. Air Defenders have been busy resetting, moving and supporting missions worldwide this year, and I salute them for the professionalism and dedication with which they attack and excel at every mission.

ADA Soldiers assigned to newly created Air Defense Airspace Management (ADAM) cells, which include Sentinel radar sections and command, control, communications and intelligence ([C.sup.4]I) components, deployed with divisions and brigade combat teams (BCTs) to Iraq and Afghanistan. These cohesive teams of ADA officers, warrant officers and enlisted Soldiers made vital contributions by unraveling the crowded airspace above the battlefield. By effectively managing the airspace, the ADAM cell teams accelerated counterfire reaction times and improved restricted-operations zone deconfliction, thereby enhancing the combat effectiveness of all fires and UAVs as well as rotary-and fixed-wing platforms. Our ADAM cell Soldiers have become the vital link for all AMD and Army airspace command and control ([A.sup.2][C.sup.2]) operations in the joint environment.

In A fghanistan and Iraq, ADA Soldiers deployed RAID towers and Aerostats rigged with television cameras with zoom lenses, infrared systems for night vision and laser rangefinders to give ground commanders a "persistent stare" at the battlefield. The Aerostats, as you might imagine, present tempting targets, but according to an Army News reporter. ADA Soldiers simply patch up the bullet holes, top them off with helium and send them back up.

Numerous other active Army, Army Reserves (USAR) and Army National Guard (ARNG) Air Defenders deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of OIF and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), performing traditional and nontraditional ADA missions. Similar to FA Soldiers, ADA Soldiers are members of military transition teams(MiTTs)--often described as the world's most dangerous job. These Soldiers serve as instructors, advisors, translators, convoy security, truck drivers and military police assistants where and when needed.

Closer to home but still engaged in the War on Terrorism, the 1st Battalion, 265th ADA (1-265 ADA) from Daytona Beach, Florida, recently relieved the 2-174 ADA from McConnelsville, Ohio, of its mission to maintain defense of critical assets in the National Capital Region (NCR). Assuming a mission begun by active Army ADA units in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks, these ARNG Soldiers crew Sentinel radars and a foreign weapon system--the Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAM)--to defend the nation's most valued assets against terrorist air and missile attacks.

At Fort Greely, Alaska, and VandenbergAir Force Base, California, Alaska ARNG ADA Soldiers with the 100th Missile Defense Brigade (Ground-Based Missile Defense or GMD) continue to test the GMD system. The system interceptors use hit-to-kill technologies to destroy intermediate- and long-range ballistic missile warheads in space, in the midcourse phase of flight. These are the weapons the US relies on to defeat longer range threats once they have been launched. At the end of April, we had 16 interceptors in silos at Fort Greely and two more at Vandenberg. The interceptor inventories at these sites are expected to reach 24 by the end of this year.

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The GMD system briefly went operational for the first time in 2006 in response to a flurry of North Korean ballistic missile tests. Today, the GMD system is still in development and testing mode, but it quickly can be reactivated in an emergency. Senior MDA leaders, impressed by a string of successful intercept tests, have expressed high confidence in the system's capability to protect the US from limited long-range ballistic missile attacks.

In July, the Pentagon announced details of a proposal to expand the GMD systems by stationing 10 GMD interceptors in Poland. These interceptors, nearly identical to those in Alaska and California, would be housed in underground silos in an area about the size of a football field. The proposal is now the focus of an international debate; however, it opens the possibility of an expanded mission for ADA Soldiers.

Meanwhile, this year's noncombat deployments began reshaping the ADA force. The 108th ADA Brigade--my old brigade--has moved from Fort Bliss to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. The 1st Battalion, 1stADA(1-1 ADA) closed on Okinawa, the first ADA unit on the island since the early 1970s, and the first in the projected Okinawa rotation cycle. Four Patriot batteries moved from Fort Bliss to Fort Hood, Texas, and this spring 1-43 ADA returned to Fort Bliss from Korea and was replaced by 1-7 ADA. The 2-1 ADA is completing a Korea rotation and is being replaced by 1-44 ADA. The 3-43 ADA and E/1-44 ADA are in Qatar/Kuwait performing Central Command (CENTCOM) missions in country; and 5-5 ADA from Fort Lewis, Washington, has spent the past year (plus) in Iraq in support of OIF.

In October, our 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC), Fort Shafter, Hawaii, activated a Forward-Based X-Band radar in Shariki, on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan. The detachment will provide operational control over and maintenance on the radar system, which is designed to provide early warning against ballistic missile threats. This radar will be the keystone of the ballistic missile defense shield that will protect both Japan and the US. ADA Soldiers also manned a newly deployed Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS) in nearby Misawa.

Personnel Matters. ADA NCOs and enlisted Soldiers have weathered the worst of the personnel turbulence that arose with the Army's transformation to the BCT becoming its primary operational capability. Due to the change in divisional structure, our inactivated divisional ADA battalions downsized and merged with the Patriot force to create composite AMD battalions. The Army also eliminated Bradley Stinger Fighting Vehicles (Linebackers) from the Army inventory.

ADA officers also are facing changes, but these are welcome changes. To facilitate career progression of future officers, the Army has made significant changes to historical career paths. The recently updated Department of the Army Pamphlet (DA Pam) 600-3 Commissioned Officer Development and Career Management reflects a shift toward modularity. For example, branch qualification no longer is dictated in DA Pam 600-3, and battery command no longer is a prerequisite for promotion to major. Branch qualification assignments have been replaced by key and developmental assignments. This new modular design offers more abundant and more flexible assignment opportunities for ADA officers.

As the Army continues its transformation, Air Defense Artillery also continues its transition to a more flexible and mobile branch. During this past year, we made substantial progress in developing, testing and fielding integrated, layered AMD systems to defend the US, our deployed forces and our allies and friends against ballistic missiles of all ranges in all phases of flight. As always, we are counting on ADA officers. NCOs and enlisted Soldiers to lead the branch through these turbulent and uncertain times brought on by the War on Terrorism.

Future ADA Soldiers must be multitalented, resilient and quickly adaptive. I can tell you with confidence that today's ADA Soldiers are definitely up to the task.

Embracing the Future. When 6-52 ADA arrived at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in July 2006 and immediately began off-loading 102 railcars worth of Patriot missile launchers and equipment, it served as an initial introduction of ADA to Fort Sill and the FA Branch and the beginning of a great partnership. This integration and development of our future together will be enhanced further by the ADA School's move to Fort Sill during the next few years.

ADA Soldiers and FA Soldiers have a lot in common. We have been through a lot together, especially since the Twin Towers came crashing down on 11 September 2001. ADA Soldiers have shared the hardships of fighting the War on Terrorism. ADA Soldiers also have endured long separations from family and loved ones, watched friends die and survived adrenaline-pumped moments of sheer terror mixed with long hours of agonizing boredom. ADA Soldiers, like all Soldiers, have persevered, kept the faith and earned the right to hold their heads high.

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ADA and FA Soldiers also share a deep conviction that their respective branches have uniquely decisive roles to play on future battlefields. Both are relevant and ready today and are critical to the future success of our Army.

As the Chief of ADA, I am in awe of what we have accomplished this year and humbled to represent the many Army Strong Soldiers, civilians and Family members around the world today--First to Fire!

Major General Robert P. Lennox is the Commanding General of the US Army Air Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss, Texas, (USAADACEN & FB), Commandant of the US Army ADA School (USAADASCH) at Fort Bliss, and Chief of ADA. He served as the Deputy Commanding General (DCG) and Chief of Staff for Accessions Command at Fort Monroe, Virginia; DCG, US Army Space Command and DCG for Operations, Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; and DCG, USAADASCH, Fort Bliss. He commanded the 108th ADA Brigade, Fort Bliss; 1st Battalion, 2nd ADA (1-2 ADA), Fort Polk, Louisiana; and C Battery, 1-67 ADA, 9th Infantry Division, Fort Lewis, Washington. He also served as an Instructor, Course Director, Assistant Professor and later Associate Professor of Military Science at the US Military Academy, West Point, New York; and Executive Officer of 4-43 ADA (Patriot), 32nd Army Air Defense Command (AADCOM), Giessen, Germany, deploying to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Determined Resolve. He has a Masters Degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, DC.

By Major General Robert P. Lennox Chief of Air Defense Artillery

RELATED ARTICLE: ADA Museum--Opens New Exhibits.

New exhibits opened 1 November at the Air Defense Artillery (ADA) Museum. The new exhibits are "Antwerp-X" and "Remagen (or Ludendorff) Bridge."

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The Air Defense Artillery Museum is aligned with the Fort Bliss Museum and Study Center, which has exhibits of artifacts and weapons from the Civil War to today's War on Terrorism.

For more information on the US Army Air Defense Artillery Museum and the history of ADA, visit https://www.bliss.army.mil/Museum/fort_bliss_museum.htm or call [phone].