Wide Area Surveillance (WAS)

Wide Area Surveillance (WAS) is a procurement program under the Air Force's Other Procurement budget activity, specifically focused on Electronics and Telecommunications Equipment. The program aims to provide homeland defense sensors to North American Aerospace Defense Command/US Northern Command (NORAD/USNORTHCOM) for the National Capital Region (NCR). This includes the procurement, production, and fielding of operational Scorpion sensors, maintenance of system infrastructure, hardware and software upgrades for seamless integration of new sensors and technologies, and support for potential manufacturing sources, material shortages, obsolescence solutions, and recapitalization. The program also involves technical adjustments and realignment of funding to support site procurement, high-priority site lease payments, network support, site security, and program office support.

The specific objectives of Program 834240 are to enhance homeland defense capabilities by providing advanced sensors for detecting and tracking low, slow, and other asymmetrical threats in the airspace of the National Capital Region. The program aims to meet user needs for sensing stressing airborne targets in complex environments with affordable sensors. Additionally, it seeks to integrate sensor outputs into the Battle Control Systems-Fixed (BCS-F) air picture and utilize them as the NORAD/USNORTHCOM Command and Control (C2) air surveillance system of record. In FY24, the program plans to award and exercise production contract options for both STARS and Scorpion systems while continuing to procure initial spares, replenishment spares, repair parts, and perform a technical refresh of fielded sites. The program also supports performance of a full financial audit as required by title 10 U.S.C. Chapter 9A, Sec 240-D.