FAMILY OF PERSISTENT SURVEILLANCE CAP.

The Family of Persistent Surveillance Capabilities program is set to begin in FY 2025, focusing on enhancing the Army's intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. This initiative centers on the development and deployment of Persistent Surveillance Systems - Tethered (PSS-T), which are multi-sensor platforms designed to integrate with other aerial and ground sensor systems. The primary aim is to provide continuous 360-degree detection, surveillance, monitoring, and targeting capabilities through real-time full-motion video and electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensors. These systems are intended to improve battlefield situational awareness for tactical commanders by distributing collected video to various command centers and quick reaction forces.

The PSS-T platforms are divided into medium and large aerostat configurations, each offering distinct capabilities. The large platform includes the U.S. Army Research Lab's Unattended Transient Acoustic Measurement and Signature Intelligence System (UTAMS), which cues sensors to focus on specific targets. This system also features the Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL) transmitter for video streaming to ground forces equipped with remote video terminals. Enhancements such as Expendable-Unattended Ground Sensors (E-UGS) further augment the system's ability to detect enemy movements, thereby facilitating improved tactical responses.

Beyond its core ISR functions, the program aims to address urgent theater needs through various system upgrades. These include adding high antennas for radio communications, wideband radios, and advanced networking technologies as part of an aerial layer network extension architecture. The program also incorporates weather data transmission capabilities directly to the Air Force Weather Agency and introduces dual sensor capabilities for enhanced detection and targeting precision.

The objectives of this program focus on ensuring mission effectiveness by maintaining operational readiness of deployed systems in support of combat operations such as Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). By replacing combat losses and upgrading existing systems with advanced technologies, the program seeks to mitigate risks associated with insurgent activities and enhance force protection measures for U.S. and Coalition Forces.