Utah Air National Guard Enhances Situational Awareness with KC-135 Intelligent Gateway
The Utah Air National Guard is revolutionizing situational awareness with the KC-135 Stratotanker Intelligent Gateway, a cutting-edge technology that enhances communication and intelligence-sharing among warfighters in the air and commanders on the ground. This remarkable advancement was recently put to the test during exercise Northern Edge 23-2 when the Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Air Refueling Wing, in collaboration with the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Test Center, deployed their modified KC-135 Stratotanker to Kadena Air Base, Japan, to boost battlespace communications in the Western Pacific region.
Equipped with the Real-Time Information in the Cockpit (RTIC) system and the Collins Aerospace Intelligent Gateway, the KC-135 Stratotanker flew alongside various joint and coalition aircraft, including the Raytheon Multi-Program Testbed, to modernize and enhance situational awareness for all participants in the Indo-Pacific region. The RTIC program provides KC-135 crews with real-time updates by displaying information such as enemy threats, target data, and the locations of allied forces on an avionics display in the cockpit. This empowers crews to make tactical decisions on their own, enabling them to assess the level of risk they face and determine whether to offload fuel and get closer to the fight.
Building on the success of the RTIC program, the Utah ANG, in partnership with the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Test Center and Collins Aerospace, has developed the Intelligent Gateway. This innovative technology allows the KC-135 to connect beyond line-of-sight networks, bridging the gap between operational and strategic level information and tactical edge datalinks. The Intelligent Gateway seamlessly transfers situational awareness and shortens decision cycles among joint and air operations centers, tactical command and control nodes, and joint and coalition assets across various domains––from sub-surface to space.
With the Intelligent Gateway, air operations centers now have a live picture of the battlespace, greatly enhancing their situational awareness. Joint, allied, and partner forces can communicate through the KC-135 Intelligent Gateway, enabling them to make tactical decisions based on a common operating picture. This is of significant importance in the vast Indo-Pacific region, where the availability of surveillance aircraft is limited. However, with the ever-present KC-135 in the area, the Intelligent Gateway makes full use of the stratotanker’s capabilities for command and control purposes.
During exercise Northern Edge 23-2, the Utah ANG’s KC-135 Stratotanker, working in tandem with the Raytheon Multi-Program Testbed, is being utilized to test advanced communication and intelligence-gathering capabilities. The testbed utilizes a combination of radar and electronic intelligence sensors to collect data on simulated threats, which are then processed to generate clear targeting solutions. This information is relayed to the Utah ANG KC-135 and subsequently shared with joint and allied players on the network, facilitating command and control operations.
“The connected battlespace opens new opportunities to apply artificial intelligence, big data concepts, and advanced networking at the tactical edge, explains Lora Magliocco, Collins Aerospace Director of Connected Battlespace Joint Experimentation and Demonstration. By bringing relevant command and control, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance data to decision-makers at machine speeds, the connected battlespace enables quicker response times and more efficient mission execution.
The Utah Air National Guard’s 151st Air Refueling Wing, which operates the KC-135 Stratotanker, has a rich history and extensive experience in aerial refueling. With this latest technological advancement, the wing continues to excel in its mission of global reach, providing crucial aerial refueling support to various branches of the military and allied nations. This highly adaptable and capable aircraft has played a significant role in enhancing communication capabilities during exercise Northern Edge 23-2, while also paving the way for the realization of Joint All-Domain Command and Control and Advanced Battle Management System initiatives.
Thanks to the Utah Air National Guard’s relentless pursuit of innovation and collaboration with industry partners, the KC-135 Intelligent Gateway is transforming the way military operations are conducted, enabling faster decision-making, and enhancing situational awareness for all personnel involved.
