21st Century U.S. Army Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) Field Manual (FM 34-25-1) - Operations, Terminals, Ground Stations, E-8 Aircraft

This is the latest edition of an important U.S. Army field manual (FM) covering the Joint STARS system, providing doctrine and the tactics, techniques, and procedures for the employment of the system and describes the equipment, function, and placement on the battlefield, from the E-8 aircraft down to the individual ground station module (GSM) operator.

Some highlights of the contents:

"Joint STARS provides continuous wide area surveillance of surface activity. It serves the ground component commander in much the same way as the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) serves the Air Component Commander (ACC). WHAT IS JOINT STARS? Joint STARS is an Army and Air Force multiservice system designed to provide real-time surveillance, intelligence, targeting, and battlefield management information to the Land Component Commander (LCC). MISSION The primary mission of Joint STARS is to provide dedicated support to the corps commander and other ground commanders, under the overall direction of the Joint Force Commander (JFC). One Joint STARS consists of an Air Force owned E-8 aircraft staffed by Air Force and Army personnel and GSMs staffed by Army personnel. Three to five positions onboard the E-8 are staffed by Army personnel who provide tasking and reporting channels between the E-8 and the GSMs. WHAT DOES IT PROVIDE? Joint STARS provides Ground Component Commanders (GCCs) access to near-real-time (NRT) radar imagery data that is valuable and accurate and supports the decisionmaking process. Joint STARS provides a value-added capability because it provides NRT indications and warnings (I&W) of threat activity during peacetime or pre-hostilities."

This manual is produced by the U.S. Army Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca (Arizona).