Communicate to dominate

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Alexandra M. Boutte
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Do you remember when you were in high school, nothing was kept a secret and everyone found out by lunch time? The Air Force has a system that does just that but in a lot less time.

The single-channel, anti-jam, man-portable terminal is a quick way to up- and down channel reports at this Air Force Global Strike Command base, just as high school students tell each other what event happened last weekend.

The SCAMP terminal uses the military strategic and tactical relay and other satellite systems to provide four full duplex user channels of worldwide secure, survivable, covert voice and data and imagery communication.

"The SCAMP terminal is one of the two survival nuclear command, control and communication systems that serve as a command and control function for this Wing," said Master Sgt. Jennifer Lyons, 509th BW command post, NCO in charge of command and control operations. "Not only day-to-day here at Whiteman, but at deployed locations."

The primary mission of SCAMP is to provide survivable extended-range communications to Corps and Division tactical units for command and control.

"It is the communication squadron's main objective to provide maintenance and set up the terminal for the command post's personnel to secure the computer and receive the messages that come from the network," said Senior Airman Allen Idol, 509th CS radio frequency transmission systems technician.

"Using the terminal is one of the primary ways to receive the emergency action messages to support U.S. Strategic Command taskings and war orders," said Airman 1st Class Joseph Lee, 509th CS radio frequency transmission systems technician.

The terminal will automatically acquire the satellite and then establish, maintain and control communication links. SCAMP consists of only three major functional components: the receiver/transmitter, a hand-held control device and the interface unit.

The receiver/transmitter, with its built-in collapsible reflector, contains all the signal processing, waveform generation/detection, terminal control and signaling conditioning hardware, according to Airman Idol.

"The SCAMP is controlled from a small hand-held keyboard device," Airman Idol said. "In its most simplistic application, the operator merely selects connectivity parameters from a menu of mission presets that were previously programmed."

The SCAMP terminal was intended to be set up or torn down in 15 minutes 90 percent of the time. The terminal is required to transmit and receive voice and data messages legibly with a 90 percent call completion rate on a first attempt basis in a wartime mode of operations.

SCAMP draws on the unique capabilities of the MILSTAR system and enables our forces to maintain information superiority during conflict and enhance full-dimensional protection by using anti-jam and low-probability of intercept technologies.