Target Systems Development

The Target Systems Development program (PE 0604258A) is a critical Army Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) line item supporting the development, maintenance, and modernization of both aerial and ground targets. The primary objective of this program is to ensure the Army and its joint partners have access to realistic, threat-representative targets and target systems necessary for the effective test and evaluation (T&E) of modern and emerging weapon systems. This capability underpins Army modernization priorities and Multi-Domain Operations (MDO), providing essential support for validating weapon system accuracy, reliability, and operational effectiveness in realistic environments.

Project 238: Aerial Targets focuses on the development, acquisition, and modernization of a diverse portfolio of aerial targets, including full-scale, subscale, and miniature fixed-wing and rotary-wing targets, as well as virtual target models and associated control systems. The goal is to provide realistic surrogates and threat-representative targets that exhibit the flight characteristics and signatures of current and emerging adversary systems. These targets are used for live-fire testing, sensor evaluation, and training, ensuring that weapon systems are rigorously assessed under operationally relevant conditions. The Army serves as the Tri-Service lead for rotary wing and towed target development, coordinating requirements and validation processes across the Department of Defense (DoD).

Within the Aerial Targets project, specific objectives include the continued engineering and manufacturing development of towed targets and ancillary devices, such as the High Energy Laser (HEL) Tow and Sphere Tow Targets. These systems are designed to emulate current threats or provide calibrated radar cross-section sources at low cost, supporting programs like the Army Directed Energy Program and various radar system evaluations. The project also supports the development and maintenance of Aerial Virtual Targets, which are simulation models used across DoD agencies for developmental and operational test planning, rehearsal, and post-test analysis, especially when live testing is impractical or cost-prohibitive.

Another key component is the Army Ground Aerial Target Control System (AGATCS), which aims to provide a modern, secure, and versatile control system capable of remotely operating a wide range of aerial, ground, and seaborne targets. AGATCS supports live-fire testing and sensor package evaluation, with ongoing enhancements to meet evolving Army requirements. This includes compliance with DoD cybersecurity mandates and the integration of advanced features such as convoy, formation, collision avoidance, and swarming capabilities for multi-domain operations.

The Unmanned Aerial System - Target (UAS-T) initiative provides technical updates, prototyping, and life cycle management for UAS-based targets, ensuring the Army can replicate a broad spectrum of unmanned aerial threats for test and experimentation. This includes both tactical class and commercial-off-the-shelf UAS platforms, supporting test events at major Army ranges and integrating payloads for threat realism.

The High Speed Aerial Target (HSAT) subprogram funds the replacement and sustainment of high-speed target platforms, which are essential for simulating advanced enemy aircraft and supporting live-fire T&E required by law for major munitions and missile programs.

Congressional adds within this line item have furthered specific objectives, such as the development of a new U.S.-manufactured engine for the MQM-178 aerial target, enhancing the realism and sustainability of cruise missile surrogate targets. Additional funding has supported the development of UAS platforms and payloads for 5G, artificial intelligence, and cyber detection and mitigation, as well as UAS swarm threat representation, detection, and mitigation. These efforts reflect emerging threat priorities and technology trends.

Project 459: Ground Targets addresses the need for realistic ground target surrogates and virtual models to support the T&E of advanced Army weapon systems. This project manages a fleet of foreign threat ground vehicles and surrogate vehicles, providing cost-effective, threat-representative targets for destructive and non-destructive testing. It also oversees the development and maintenance of ground virtual targets and low-cost ground targets, including software-defined radar emitters that create dense, realistic radio frequency environments for MDO. These efforts ensure the Army can adequately stress weapon systems under test, maintain readiness, and support modernization objectives across a range of operational scenarios.