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The radar uses the Doppler shift theory in order to pick up moving targets. This is distinct from most other radars because looking for the frequency shift means that the system is not looking for returns in the same frequency that they are sent out. So the radar can be used continuosly. Its range allows it to look from a long range (which the military calls a high stand off capability). Any objects of sufficient size (vehicle) and density that are moving will show up on the radar. The radar cannot pick up stationary objects. Objects with a lot of angles (i.e. the inside of a pick-up bed) will give a much better radar signature (called specular returns).
The system has many very useful capabilities. Its high stand off allows the E-8 Joint STARS plane (an Air Force owned converted Boeing 707) to fly in (relative) safety while performing its mission. Its radar coverage called WAS (Wide Area Surveillance) covers a very large area, about a corp sized military unit. Its results are near-real time, giving commanders an accurate view of the entire battlefield. Those two capabilities combine to make JSTARS one of the most versatile and informative sensor platforms in the armed forces.
But along with its capabilities are its limitations. The information returned has very little detail. While it can pick up moving vehicles on the complete other side of the battlefield, it can give very little information about the vehicles. Approximate number of vehicles, location, speed, direction of travel, and the time that the target was detected is about all that can be detected. Identifying who the target is, what equipment they have, whether it is friendly, hostile, or bystanders, is not possible with this system. That is why cross cueing is of vital importance.
JSTARS can detect almost any movement that a force may make, but it depends on other sensors to verify who the targets are. That is one of the reasons why it is a joint system, so that other sensors from the other services may reference each other to positively verify JSTARS reports. In the Army, JSTARS is analyzed in the Common Ground Station (CGS) and disseminated from there.
In USAF service, this role is to be taken over by the E-10 MC2A.
For more information about JSTARS, please visit
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