Original Date: 05/23/1994
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Communications and tracking system improvements have been initiated at Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Keyport to improve reliability, supportability, and capability of its range systems. Keyport formerly used an aging Mini- Ranger RF Tracking System that required extensive maintenance. The Mini-Ranger had a limited operating area, necessitated multiple benchmarks, and had decreased factory support.

A detailed investigation has been conducted to determine the best replacement for the Mini-Ranger, and the Differential Global Positioning System has been selected. This system provides increased tracking accuracy of one to three meters. Only one benchmark is required, it has increased tracking reliability, it can operate in any type of weather, has lower maintenance and setup costs, and can be moved anywhere.

Wideband Telemetry was previously used, but to comply with government regulations and increase the versatility and capability of the communications system, Keyport implemented a narrowband telemetry system. The new system has a longer range and is not as susceptible to noise. It has a higher reliability and if a problem does occur on one channel, another channel can be used as backup.

Digital radios were previously used for communication to and from the range sites. The system was 1970s technology, had limited capability, and required Telco leased land lines at a cost of $3000 and $5000 per month. A microwave upgrade was selected as the best option to address the problems.

The microwave upgrade provides increased reliability, maintainability, capacity, and bandwidth for voice, video, and data transmission. The ability to provide the range information to the Range Information Display Center (RIDC) has reduced travel costs to the ranges. Better security of the data is now provided via encryption devices.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.