The AN/FPS-108 COBRA DANE is a PESA phased array radar installation operated by Raytheon for the United States Space Force (originally for the United States Air Force ) at Eareckson Air Station on the island of Shemya , Aleutian Islands , Alaska . The system was built in 1976 and brought online in 1977 for the primary mission of gathering intelligence about Russia's ICBM program in support of verification of the SALT II arms limitation treaty. Its single face 29 m (95 ft) diameter phased array radar antenna 52°44′14″N 174°05′29″E / 52.7373°N 174.0914°E / 52.7373; 174.0914 faces the Kamchatka Peninsula and Russia's Kura Test Range . COBRA DANE operates in the 1215–1400 MHz band and can track items as small as a basketball sized drone at distances of several hundred miles.
23-608: The "COBRA" designation indicates a general Defense Intelligence program. Under the Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS), all U.S. military radar and tracking systems are assigned a unique identifying alphanumeric designation. The letters “AN” (for Army-Navy) are placed ahead of a three-letter code. Thus, the AN/FPS-108 represents the 108th design of an Army-Navy “Fixed, Radar, Search” electronic device. It initially employed
46-700: A Control Data Corporation Cyber 74 mainframe computer for data processing. Data from the radar is sent to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) at Peterson Space Force Base , Colorado. It is also listed as a partner of the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office and works with the Missile Defense Agency , under the control of the 21st Operations Group . The Cobra Dane radar has been upgraded to be integrated in
69-422: A (V) signifier. The (V) signifier would be warranted if the item accepted variable configurations of a particular component. For example: A suffix of "(P)" following the type designation number and any modification letters indicates a Unit which is designed to accept "plug-in" modules capable of changing the function, frequency, or other technical characteristics of the unit. The plug-in is not considered part of
92-466: A group or unit type designation that is already linked to a specific system/subsystem/center/central/set may use ( -FT, -IN) if the system/subsystem/center/central/set uses multiple of the group/unit and they are only distinguishable by length. This use is only for new assignments and will not be retroactive For example: Primary batteries (non-rechargeable) are designated using "BA"; Secondary type batteries (rechargeable) are designated using "BB". JETDS
115-788: Is a method developed by the U.S. War Department during World War II for assigning an unclassified designator to electronic equipment. In 1957, the JETDS was formalized in MIL-STD-196 . Computer software and commercial unmodified electronics for which the manufacturer maintains design control are not covered. Electronic material, from a military point of view, generally includes those electronic devices employed in data processing, detection and tracking (underwater, sea, land-based, air and space), recognition and identification, communications, aids to navigation, weapons control and evaluation, flight control, and electronics countermeasures. Nomenclature
138-564: Is assigned to: This system is separate from the "M" designation used in the Army Nomenclature System (MIL-STD-1464A). Items are given an Item Level which describes their hierarchy The core of the JETDS system is the combination of a Type Designation with an Item Name to specify a particular item. For example: The type designation is a unique series of letters and numbers which specifies an item. There are three basic forms of type designator used: The Type Designation
161-477: Is denoted by addition of the letter(s) "X", "Y", or "Z". The first such modification would be denoted with an "X", the second with a "Y", the third with a "Z", the fourth with an "XX", etc. If simultaneous modifications are made that improve the equipment as well as affect power input, then both a modification letter (A, B, C, D, etc.) as well as a power requirement modification letter (X, Y, Z, etc.) will be used. For example: A pair of parentheses surrounding where
184-424: Is designed specifically to provide training for one particular unit, then that unit may be specified. If it is a training equipment which can provide practice for various different sets/subsystems/systems etc., then that should be indicated with the appropriate letter indicators. For example: For example: A digit or digits in parentheses following the type designation letters indicates the type of ADPE included in
207-503: Is made up of a two letter group indicator (from the table below), followed by a dash, a group number, followed by a slash, and 1-3 letters specifying the equipment it is "part of" or "used with" (see Table 1). If the group is unique and only "part of" or "used with" one particular equipment, that equipment may be specified. If the group may be used with multiple different items, then it is more appropriate to designate it more generally. For example: The type designation used to specify Units
230-456: Is made up of a unit letter(s) indicator (from the table below), followed by a dash, a unit number, followed by a slash, and 1-3 letters specifying the equipment it is part of or used with (see Table 1). As with Group type designations, if the Unit is unique and is "part of" or "used with" only one particular equipment, that equipment may be specified. If the unit is used with multiple different items,
253-443: Is placed after the type designation number to signify a modification to a specific equipment that still retains at least one-way interchangeability with all previous versions. Modification letters begin with "A" and proceed sequentially. For more information on Interchangeability (see below). Note: the letters "I", "O", "Q", "S", "T", "X", "Y", and "Z" are not to be used as modification letters For example: A suffix "(V)" following
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#1732782732825276-494: Is used in conjunction with an approved Item Name drawn from the H-6 Item Name Directory. For example: The type designation used to specify Systems, Subsystems, Centers, Central, and Sets is made up of a prefix AN/ , three type designation indicator letters, a hyphen, and a type designation number. The AN prefix signifies Army-Navy. The three type designation letters (chosen from the table below) specify where
299-643: The United States Coast Guard in 1950, Canada in 1951 and the NSA in 1959 (though the NSA continued to use its own TSEC telecommunications security nomenclature ). In 1957 the U.S. Department of Defense approved a military standard for the nomenclature, MIL-STD-196. The system has been modified over time, with some types (e.g. carrier pigeon -B- ) dropped and others (e.g. computers and cryptographic equipment) added. The latest version, MIL-STD-196G,
322-709: The Cobra Dane radar operations, maintenance, and sustainment. 52°44′14″N 174°05′28″E / 52.73722°N 174.09111°E / 52.73722; 174.09111 Joint Electronics Type Designation System The Joint Electronics Type Designation System (JETDS) , which was previously known as the Joint Army-Navy Nomenclature System (AN System. JAN) and the Joint Communications-Electronics Nomenclature System ,
345-488: The Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). The improvement includes midcourse BMDS sensor coverage by providing acquisition, tracking, object classification, and data that can be used for cueing, launch of interceptor missiles, and course updates of interceptors while retaining the site's legacy intelligence and space track missions. The Space Force maintains responsibility for
368-474: The equipment designation should include only the indicators which are common or appropriate. If a unit could be described by multiple indicators, the indicator which best describes the unit's primary function should be used. The exception would be if there exists a unit indicator which can describe the unit's multiple functions (see examples below); if such a multi-function describing unit indicator exists, then it should be used. For example: A modification letter
391-629: The equipment is used, what the equipment is, and what its purpose is. The type designation number helps specify the exact item; subsequent items with the same Installation/Type/Purpose are numbered sequentially (i.e. the next item developed after the AN/PRC-34 would be the AN/PRC-35). For example: * Additional info on Installation indicators: ** Additional info on Type of Equipment indicators: The type designation used to specify Groups (assemblies that are used in conjunction with others to function)
414-425: The item. For example: Maintenance equipment that is given a type designation is set up as AN/xxM, where the first two letters after the slash (signifying Installation and Type of equipment) are followed by an M. However, if a maintenance or test Unit or Group is considered a "part of" the item in question, it does not receive the M signifier. For example: A change in the power input voltage, phase, or frequency
437-440: The plug-in's function, then the generic plug-in unit indicator (PL) will be used. For example: Type designators for groups and units like cables, waveguides, cords, etc. may also include a parenthetical "( -FT, -IN)" to designate the specified length. These type designators will not include a specified System/Subsystem/Center/Central/Set type designator after the / but will be given a more generic indicator like /U or /GR. However,
460-412: The type designation number and any modification letters indicates variable components or configurations for said Group/Set/Subsystem/System/Center/Central. A number may follow the parenthetical V to identify a specific configuration. For example: Note: A specific equipment should only be given a (V) signifier if it can be configured with different components, not simply because one of its components has
483-631: The type designation number would be located is used to signify an experimental or developmental model. Type designation number is not required but is useful for clarity. When the developmental model is ready for production, the parentheses are struck off. For example: Electronic type (non-rotating) servo amplifiers are designated "AM"; rotating type servo amplifiers are designated "PU". Plug-in Units which can be described by their function (like receiver, microphone, loudspeaker, etc.) will use those corresponding Unit indicators. If no indicator exists to describe
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#1732782732825506-416: The unit itself. For example: A suffix of "(C)" following the type designation number and any modification letters indicates an item which directly contains NSA-controlled cryptographic material. For example: A suffix of "-T n ", where n is a number, indicates equipment (Set, Subsystem, System, Center, or Central) designed to provide training in the operation of a specific set or multiple sets. If it
529-653: Was adopted 16 February 1943 by the Joint Communications Board for all new Army and Navy airborne, radio, and radar equipment. Over time it was extended to cover the Marine Corps and the Navy's ship, submarine, amphibious, and ground electronic equipment. When the Air Force was established as a separate department, it continued the use of the system for electronic equipment. JETDS was adopted by
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