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CUSTODY

The Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) will enable 24/7, all-weather custody of time-sensitive targets to support engagement by advanced weapons, contributing to the closing of critical kill webs in real-time and ensuring survivability of future combat forces.

The Custody Layer will utilize multiple satellite constellations fielded by both SDA and our mission partners. With this architecture, the Custody Layer will leverage multiple sensing modalities via organic and mission partner contributions, enhance on-orbit fusion of sensor information, and deliver capability to the joint warfighter by rapidly closing the sensor-to-shooter kill chain.

Maintaining weapons quality tracks for time-critical targets, coupled with low-latency space data transport, will enable the creation of a targeting solution from the sensor to the warfighter in operationally relevant timelines through increasing levels of automation.

SDA is exploring technical areas across the Joint All-Domain Command and Control’s (JADC2) “sense”, “make sense,” and-“act” spectrum to enable the Custody Layer including, but not limited to:

  • Improvements in automated processing and fusion of data from traditional space-based sensing payloads (e.g., visible, infrared, RF, synthetic aperture radar, and multispectral),
  • Design of a multi-phenomenology fusion architecture that enables the agile incorporation of new algorithms,
  • Identification and exploration of novel sensing phenomenologies to enable maintaining custody of threat targets,
  • Reduction in latency of processing, exploitation, and dissemination of information for time sensitive targeting solutions especially for targets in a denied environment, and
  • Memory management and target hypothesis distribution from one satellite node to the next.

Melding the Custody, Transport, Tracking, Navigation and Battle Management layers into a complete and cohesive PWSA ensures beyond line of sight (BLOS) tactical operations and the defeat of advanced targets today and tomorrow.