ARKONA (FüWES)

ARKONAPLATZ stands for Automated Radar Control and Navigation System ( original name of the NVA ) and is a command and weapon deployment system for the German Air Force.

• 3.1 functionality today
• 3.2 Performance
• 3.3 Hardware Software
• 3.4 utilization line

Definition

ARKONAPLATZ was after NATO understanding of a situation awareness / Recognized Air Picture (RAP ) system of the NVA, which taken over by the German Luftwaffe and adjusted air situation display, use of weapons and command and control in the sense, was formed and developed.

Today ARKONAPLATZ is a management and weapons control system ( FüWES ) with RAP primary function in EinsFüDstLw, which was used operationally in the stationary Control and Reporting Centre ( CRC) in 2010 and can still be used in verlegefähigem use as well as by third party users.

History

ARKONAPLATZ was developed on behalf of the command LSK / LV of the NVA of the GDR as armament projects, procured and used. For the overall project, the then chief radio technical troops, Major General M. Merkel was responsible. It was only intended for the NVA Air Force / Air Defense and was used in the implementing agencies, according to current understanding, CRC / CRP. According parlance NVA, it was part of the " Automated information system of the Air Force with alphanumeric screen input and output ." System design, software development, software maintenance and software change ( SWMM ) were carried out mainly by officers of the radio technical troops that were specifically summarized and released for this purpose to a development team. With the latest software version available to the NVA, in its understanding, an eastern by the former battlefield management system Almas co -primary product. ARKONAPLATZ had decisive advantages (eg, confidentiality, availability, etc. ) against Alma. It formed a passages digital processing of radar to operational management level in real time.

Note ( ru / de: Original name Алмаз / Alma ): Алмаз - АСУ КП объединений и ЦКП Войск ПВО, German translation: Automated management system GS Division and ZGS the troops of air defense.

Benefits ARKONAPLATZ

Despite some compatibility issues to the Integrated Air Defence System NATO - ARKONAPLATZ offered does not include full backup the purposes of use of weapons / battle management - was worth preserving the basic idea. The overall positive overall assessment of ARKONAPLATZ IT architecture promoted ultimately the decision basis for the inclusion in the Bundeswehr.

Takeover - and use in the Bundeswehr

After the acquisition of ARKONAPLATZ by the Bundeswehr, the reproduction of the system documentation (including IT security concept ) was performed as a full armament projects. In addition, the product was molded to FüWES. Since it is embedded in the organizational structure of the Air Force. The use was primarily in the stationary CRCs of mission control areas and deployable application, but also by so-called third party users (eg BOS) after approval of the appropriate use of conductor.

Functionality today

ARKONAPLATZ is an autonomous system with interfaces to other IT architectures. Internal system will be loaded from sensor data over tactical data links (eg, link 1), a RAP generates, distributes and represents. For weapons use support different coordinate systems " on-the- fly" can be displayed and changed. " Bull's -eye control" is possible and "Vector Assistance " is available. In addition ARKONAPLATZ can accommodate data from different sensors with different data formats, process and display. The respective CRC deployment scenarios and the different tasks and roles can be achieved by explicitly defined Arbeitsplatzmodi, wherein the hardware facilities may be retained unchanged. The treatment of correlated flight plan data was until 2005, with the support ADMAR 2000 and later CIMACT.

Features

The performance of the FüWES ARKONAPLATZ is assignable by the following data:

• Compatibility with the NATO data link standard link 1 and interoperability with NATO air defense
• Maximum target ceiling of the machined Destinations = 3,000 destinations (tracks)
• Direct connection of up to 255 radar sensors
• Receiving radar data over which the military radar data network ( MilRADNET ) and the radar data network ( RADNET ) DFS
• Conversion of any proprietary radar data formats for data ASTERIX standard
• Link 1 data exchange with up to 16 of the implementing agencies LV
• Data communication over IJIMS (Interim JTIDS Message Specification / Standard ) with AWACS
• Air situation simulation for education and training up to participate in LV- NATO exercises
• LAN data communication over TCP / IP and UDP / IP

Note: ARKONAPLATZ processes the ASTERIX Categories CAT001, 002, 034, 048 and 150, which are available on the civilian RADNET DFS.

Hardware Software

ARKONAPLATZ is available to mark the-shelf hardware ( COTS ) run, the specific minimum technical requirements sufficient. Except for a few cases of application of the PC X86 grade is recommended.

As IT for data supply is also sufficient commercially available hardware. The operating software Microsoft Windows being used. The software maintenance and modification ( SWMM ) the proprietary software was air force internally by the weapon system support the Army Aviation Centre (TE: system support center for the management services of the Air Force ( SysUstgZ FüDstLw ) in Erndtebrück ).

The former benefits ( support on Windows, usability on COTS hardware) at the end of the 1990s had increasingly detrimental. Was due to the relatively short time intervals of the market of increasingly complex software Windows versions, the increasing need for changes to the hardware configuration and deferred IT security risks ultimately procuring the successor product GIADS ( German Improved Air Defence System ) are compulsory.

Utilization line

The Air Force Office, later the material command of the Air Force and ultimately the weapon system command of the Air Force, were responsible for the ARKONAPLATZ utilization line. There were also done obsolescence management, configuration control and SWMM assignment.

End of its useful

With closure of the last ARKONAPLATZ CRC Brock List in December 2010, the inpatient utilization was frozen as FüWES. For remaining requirements ARKONAPLATZ is associated with DASDIPS as long as opportunities for logistics supply exist, continue to be used. This is also true for non- users. In particular unabated there is a need with respect to selected functionalities such as:

• Interface function / data exchange via Tactical Data Links
• Security IT security gap "high- to- low" about BSI Certified Security Gateway ( ASGW - Advanced Security Gateway )
• ASTERIX radar data conversion of proprietary formats ( RACO - Radar Data Converter )
• Mode S processing / presentation

Note: When " DASDIPS " are referred to deployable systems in use guide service of the Air Force ( EinsFüDstLw ). Mainly, these are the ARKONAPLATZ air situation display component, the remaining ground stations Flight Radio Service ( R -863, aeronautical East / Original title: " Бекас P- 863m " ) and, if necessary, CSI (CRC / SAM Interface) device. DASDIPS is ( eg assistance for police, etc. ) mainly used in small projects with a focus on air situation display and interface function and serves to improve the local, regional and national situation awareness.

Currently, the successor GIADS is used operationally in the stationary CRCs and Deployable CRC.

Sources

• 50 years EinsFüDstLw 1960-2010, L. Fölbach 2001.
• Military Encyclopedia, 2nd edition, Military Publishing House of the German Democratic Republic, 1973.
• L. Willmann, O. Kopatz: Combat Ready, 1982.
• Dictionary for German military history, 1st edition, 1985.
• G. Hiemann, textbook Mil. FS, ..., 1987, ISBN 3-327-00310-6
• Soviet troops in Germany, ... 1994, ISBN 5-235-02221-1
• Mil. Study glossary Bundessprachenamt 50354, current edition
• W.-R. Stuppert and S. Fiedler, The Radio Technical troops of air defense of the German Democratic Republic - history and stories, Steffen Verlag Berlin and Friedland, 1st edition 2012, ISBN 978-3-942477-39-0