SACRAMENTO, March 14 (UPI) -- The data processing subsystem for the Guardrail signals intelligence system has been established at a second of four U.S. Army installations.
The Guardrail Ground Baseline (GGB) subsystem was fielded successfully at the Wiesbaden Army Airfield in Germany, which is home to the 1st Military Intelligence Battalion, Northrop Grumman announced Wednesday.
The GGB is part of the Guardrail Common Sensor System, a network-based system that uses electronics-packed C-12 planes to detect and locate radar and other communications signals, and link forward garrisons and installations in the rear together by satellite. The overall goal of Guardrail is to provide corps-level signals intelligence with an emphasis on what's going on far behind enemy lines.
Imad Bitar of Northrop's Electromagnetic Systems Laboratory in Sacramento said Guardrail and the GGB were a means of getting relevant information to the right users faster in a "rapidly changing environment" centered around the Global War on Terrorism.
The GGB is an initial step toward integrating and eventually embedding Guardrail into the Army's Distributed Common Ground Station.
The 1st battalion supplies signals intelligence and analysis to the V Corps, which has seen extensive duty in Iraq. The GGB was established last year with the 3rd Military Intelligence Battalion in South Korea and is slated next for intel units in Georgia and Texas.
