WEAPON MADE IN SIMI BEING USED IN BOSNIA\'Shortstop' provides 'electronic umbrella' against incoming fire.

Byline: Terry Kanakri Daily News Staff Writer

American peacekeeping troops in Bosnia have an "electronic umbrella" to shield them from artillery and mortar fire, thanks to a Simi Valley-based company.

Whittaker Corp. has built an electronic device said to be the only one of its kind able to explode incoming artillery, rockets, and mortar weapons in the air high above the ground where they pose less danger to troops.

U.S. Army officials who have deployed the electronic devices in Bosnia are praising Whittaker's invention, called the Shortstop Electronic Protection System, saying it is providing America's forces with a distinct edge.

"The Army's Shortstop system will provide our soldiers in Bosnia with an added level of security that was never dreamed possible should they come under artillery fire," said Brig. Gen. David Gust, program executive officer for Intelligence and Electronic Warfare for the Department of the Army.

"While it is our hope that American forces do not come under attack, based on extensive testing against many types of proximity-fuse weapons, we have confidence in the ability of the Shortstop system to defeat an attack, thus deterring that possibility," Gust added.

As the name denotes, proximity-fuse weapons are programmed to explode several feet above the ground to cause maximum damage, officials said. Utilizing the Shortstop system, the weapons are detonated hundreds of feet above and away from the intended target on the ground.

"The Shortstop makes the (incoming mortar, rocket or artillery warhead) think it's closer to the ground than it really is," said Larry Zebrack, a Whittaker vice-president who managed the development process. "We send a signal out to fool the warhead to make it explode before the desired time."

Whittaker began developing the Shortstop during the Gulf War, responding to the threat of Iraqi artillery and mortar forces during Operation Desert Storm, officials said.

The company was able to deliver one in early 1991, but by then, the Iraqis had been defeated by United Nations forces led by the United States, and there was no immediate need for deployment of the system.

However, with the arrival of the Bosnian crisis and the deployment of 20,000 American troops in Tuzla to separate heavily armed Serbian and Bosnian/Croatian federation troops, the need for the Shortstop quickly became evident, officials said.

Now, the U.S. Army is positioning the Shortstop systems in various locations throughout Bosnia, said Lt. Col. Thomas Cole, product manager for Intelligence and Electronic Warfare for the Department of the Army. The devices will be used to protect U.S. forces as well as shield airfields, command posts, barracks and other facilities against enemy artillery and mortar attacks.

"It's a really valuable system," Cole said. "Now, we have an opportunity to deploy it to protect soldiers in Bosnia that could come under attack. The Shortstop can help to reduce casualty."

It is estimated that deployment of the Shortstop system could reduce casualties to ground troops by as much as 50 percent or more during the initial stages of an enemy attack, Cole said.

Packaged in a suitcase-size enclosure and fitted with a small multi-directional antenna, the Shortstop system can be activated and operational within seconds, officials said.

A single Shortstop system can protect against a single shot or barrage of attacks. The system's passive electronics and operational features make it impervious to detection by enemy signal intelligence sensors.

"Shortstop is a one of a kind electronic survivability system designed to save lives on the battlefield," said Thomas A. Brancati, president and chief executive officer of Whittaker. "It can automatically detect and defeat a wide range of weapons, protecting our soldiers in ways that we never envisioned."

Tests against more than 5,000 live artillery and mortar rounds have been conducted by the U.S. Army since 1991, proving the system is essentially foolproof and 100 percent effective and reliable against selected weapons, said James B. Schultz, Whittaker's director of business development.

Of the millions of artillery and mortar shells in service worldwide today, the greatest threat to soldiers and vehicles are those fitted with proximity fuses, he said.

"The Shortstop is the only one of its kind in the world," Schultz said. "It's an electronic umbrella that gives our troops an added protection against these deadly weapons. It's kind of a Space-Age type thing. It's amazing when you think about how it's transformed battle tactics. It's truly an amazing accomplishment."

U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, who is familiar with the Shortstop system, said it pleased him to know that a local company was able to make such a huge contribution toward the defense of American troops.

"It's innovative and it's new technology that not only is going to help us in Bosnia, but it could help us in conflicts in the future," he said. "This is something that will help our military for years to come, and it came from a local company. It's a company that has deep roots in Simi Valley. It's a company that not only is providing jobs, but is a good neighbor in the community as well."

Walter Roman, a Whittaker program manager who oversaw the design of the Shortstop, said developing the Shortstop was a challenging task.

"The difficulty was coming up with the technology to go after the fuse," he said. "The challenge was to deceive (the warhead) into thinking it's at the destination it's supposed to be," and make it explode high enough in the air where it posed less danger to ground troops.

The Shortstop system is operated by battery or remote power and may be positioned in a fixed location or on military vehicles such as HMMWVs, trucks and armored personnel carriers, officials said.

Shortstop systems deployed in Bosnia are first-generation units, Schultz said.

Whittaker received a $10.9 million contract from the Army in July 1994 to develop advanced versions of the system which will be smaller and more lightweight and packaged in three models, Schultz said.

Later this year, Whittaker will deliver Shortstop Electronic Protection System units to the Army in three configurations: a lightweight manpack set, vehicle mounted sets and a stand-alone unit fitted on a tripod.

"We're extremely proud of this system," Schultz said. "In my years in being in defense and aerospace, this is one of the finest programs that is now available for the soldiers in the battlefield. It's a life-saving protective system and clearly can be a distinct advantage to our soldiers in these very difficult environments."

Cole of the U.S. Army echoed that opinion.

"There's less likelihood that a soldier will be killed and less likelihood that we'll have damage to vehicles by proximity-fuse munition," he said. "Whittaker has done a very good job with the program. We're very happy with the performance of the company."

Whittaker is a global company with 450 employees in Simi Valley, and provides high-technology products and services to the aerospace and communications markets.