N a v y P R O G R a M S

AN/BLQ-10145

• Duringat-seadevelopmentalandoperationaltestinginOctober2012,theNavyassessedtheabilityofTI-08tointerceptLPIradarsandtheabilityoftheMMMtolocalizecommunicationssignals.DOT&EissuedaclassifiedreportonthistestinginSeptember2013.

• InSeptember2013,theNavyconductedcybersecuritytestingofBLQ-10.

Activity• TheNavycompletedTEMPRevisionCtocovertestingoftheTI-08andTI-10upgradestothesystem.

• AfterTEMPRevisionCwassigned,theNavydecidedtoacceleratethefieldingofanewcommunicationsinterceptalgorithmintoTI-10.ThischangewillnecessitateanewTEMPrevisiontocovertheadditionaltestingrequiredforthiscapability.TheNavyhasbegunthetestdesignandTEMPrevisionprocesses.

referredtoasTIs,willbefieldedeverytwoyears.TI-08wasthefirstsuchupgrade,whichaddedasubsystemtointerceptsomeLPIradarsignals.

• TheAN/BLQ-10providessupportforspecialized,carry-onelectronicwarfareequipmentandpersonnel.

MissionSubmarinecrewsusetheAN/BLQ-10electronicwarfaresupportsystemwheneverthesubmarineisatperiscopedepth.CrewsusetheinformationprovidedbyAN/BLQ-10forthefollowingsubmarineforcemissions:• Threatwarningtoavoidcounterdetectionandcollision• Determiningthenumberandlocationoftargetsforsubsequentprosecution

• ConductingIntelligence,Surveillance,andReconnaissanceinsupportoffleetorbattlegroupobjectives

Major ContractorLockheedMartinMissionSystemsandTraining–Syracuse,NewYork

Executive Summary• TheNavyoperationallytestedtheAN/BLQ-10systemwiththeTechnicalInsertion(TI)2008(TI-08)upgradeandtheMultifunctionModularMast(MMM)inOctober2012.

• DOT&EissuedaclassifiedreportonthattestinginSeptember2013andconcludedtheTI-08upgradeimprovesthesystem’sinterceptcapabilityagainstLow-ProbabilityofIntercept(LPI)radars,andtheMMMprovidescommunicationssignallocalizationaccuracythatwouldbesufficientformostmissions.DOT&EassessedtheAN / BLQ-10systemasnotoperationallyeffectiveforuseincollectionofcommunicationssignals.

• DOT&EisworkingwiththeNavytodevelopaTestandEvaluationMasterPlan(TEMP)tosupportassessmentoftheAN/BLQ-10systemwiththeTI-10upgrade.TestingontheTI-10versionofthesystemisexpectedtooccurduringFY14.

System• TheAN/BLQ-10systemisanelectronicwarfaresupportsystemforU.S.submarines.Itprovidesautomaticinterceptcapability(detection,classification,localization,andidentification)forbothradarandcommunicationssignals.Separatesubsystemsprocessradarandcommunicationssignals.

• TheAN/BLQ-10processessignalscollectedwiththesubmarine’smasts.Radarsignalsarecollectedbytheimagingmast,whichiseitheraphotonicsmast(ontheVirginiaclass)oraperiscope(onallotherclasses).Communicationssignalsarecollectedfromboththeimagingmastandadedicatedcommunicationsinterceptmast,whichiseitheranAN/BRD-7(ontheLos Angeles and Seawolfclasses),anAN/BSD-2(ontheVirginiaclass),oraMMM(recentlyfieldedonsomeLos Angeles and Virginiaclassships).Thesemastsprovidelargelythesamefunctionalitybutwithdifferentfrequencycoverageandlocalizationaccuracy.

• Theprogramisadoptinganopen-architecture,incrementaldevelopmentprocess.Hardwareandsoftwareupdates,

AN/BLQ‑10 Submarine Electronic Warfare Support System

N a v y P R O G R a M S

146AN/BLQ-10

Assessment• TheAN/BLQ-10systemislimitedinoperationaleffectiveness.Thesystemdetectssomeradarsatlongranges;however,operationaltestingwasinadequatetodeterminetheextentoperatorscanusetheAN/BLQ-10tosupportsubmarinemissions.TheNavyhasnotyetconductedoperationaltestingagainstsomemodernthreatradarsorappropriatesurrogates.TheAN/BLQ-10systemisnotoperationallyeffectiveforcollectingcommunicationssignalsduetoitsinabilitytoautomaticallydetectsomesignaltypes.

• TheTI-08upgradeprovidesimprovedinterceptcapabilityagainsttheintendedLPIradars.However,thenumberofLPIradarsisincreasingandtheNavywillneedtodevelopfutureupgradestostaycurrentwithnewertechnology.

• TheMMMprovidescommunicationslocalizationaccuracythatwouldbesufficientformostsubmarinemissions.OperationaltestingshowedthesystemdidnotmeettheNavy’sestablishedthresholds.

• Themostrecentoperationaltestingwaspartiallyadequatebecauseitprovidedsufficientdata,whensupplementedwithdevelopmentaltestingresults,toassessthetechnicalperformanceoftheAN/BLQ-10’sinterceptcapabilities.However,theNavydidnotconducttestinginaccordancewiththeOctober2012DOT&E-approvedtestplan.- Testingwasnotadequatetoassesstheoperators’abilityto

determinecounterdetectionrisks,whichisaprimaryuseinsubmarineoperations.Inparticular,thetestplanrequireda Ticonderogaclasscruisertoactasasurrogatethreat;however,theshipscheduledtoparticipatewasunableduetoamaterialcasualtyandnoothershipswereavailable.

- Thesubmarine’screwdidnotactrealisticallytothethreatposedbytheavailableP-3Caircraft,whichwastheonlythreatsurrogateinthetest.TheseproblemslimitedthedataavailabletoevaluatetheAN/BLQ-10’ssupportofthreatavoidance.

• TheAN/BLQ-10isnotoperationallysuitablebecausetheNavy’strainingsystemisnotsufficienttoallowfleetoperatorstomaintainproficiencyonthesystem.

Recommendations• StatusofPreviousRecommendations.Thisisthefirstannualreportforthisprogram.

• FY13Recommendations.TheNavyshould:1. ReconsideruseofProbabilityofCommunicationsSignal

InterceptandProbabilityofElectronicSignalInterceptinestablishingtheAN/BLQ-10systemrequirementsandusemeasuresthataddressthesystem’scapabilitiesagainsteachofthesignaltypes.

2. DevelopamorerobusttrainingprogramtoincreasetheproficiencyofAN/BLQ-10operatorsandmaintainersonthecommunicationssubsystem.

3. Avoidconductingdevelopmentaltestingimmediatelybeforeoperationaltestingunlessmeasuresareinplacetopreventdegradedoperatorperformanceduetodesensitization.

4. StructurefutureteststoevaluateAN/BLQ-10’ssupportofthreatavoidance,ratherthanlimitingthemtoassessingthetechnicalperformanceofthesystem.