MIL X UNAUTH UNCOORD PENETRATION OF CTR AIRSPACE.

Narrative

MIL X; T-34 ENRTE TO NSE -- BAD MLU V18 JAN VIII GCU NSE LEVEL AT 9000 FT. ACFT PASSED OVER MLU VORTAC EBOUND. RADAR ANTENNA IS ABOUT 1 1/2 MI E OF VORTAC. ACFT'S DATA TAG WENT INTO COAST STATUS AS ACFT PASSED OVER RADAR ANTENNA. WHILE ACFT CONTINUED EBOUND; THE TARGET DID NOT REACQUIRE; AND THE DATA TAG DROPPED OFF SCOPE INTO COAST/SUSPEND LIST (TAB). I NOTED THAT THE TAG HAD DROPPED; BUT DUE TO OTHER TFC PRIORITIES WAS NOT ABLE TO IMMEDIATELY RESTART THE TRACK. A COUPLE OF MINS LATER I ASKED ACFT TO RPT HIS DME FROM MONROE. PLT'S RESPONSE INDICATED THE ACFT WAS STILL WELL WITHIN MY AIRSPACE; BUT I WAS NOT RECEIVING A BEACON TARGET. AFTER HANDLING SOME OTHER TFC; I ADVISED THE ACFT THAT I WAS NO LONGER RECEIVING HIS XPONDER. THE PLT REPLIED THAT I SHOULD BE GETTING IT NOW. AS HE COMPLETED HIS XMISSION; I OBSERVED A BEACON TARGET APPEAR ABOUT 30 MI E OF MONROE; IN IMMEDIATE PROX TO THE AIRSPACE BOUNDARY BTWN MLU APCH AND ZME JACKSON SECTOR. I ATTEMPTED TO CALL JACKSON SECTOR TWICE; BUT THEY WOULDN'T ANSWER THE LINE. I THEN ISSUED THE ACFT A 180 DEG TURN (HDG 270) TO KEEP HIM WITHIN MY AIRSPACE. AT THIS TIME; THE BEACON TARGET WAS ABOUT 3 MI OUTSIDE MY AIRSPACE. I ALSO INITIATED PROCS TO REACQUIRE THE TARGET. ABOUT 1/2 MIN AFTER ISSUING THE TURN TO THE ACFT; JACKSON CTLR CALLED; REQUESTING VERIFICATION OF THE BEACON TARGET (TAG HAD NOT YET REACQUIRED). I VERIFIED THAT IT WAS THE ACFT; AND THE JACKSON CTLR APPROVED THE ACFT BACK ON COURSE AT 9000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; I WAS ABLE TO REACQUIRE THE TAG AND INITIATE AN AUTOMATED HDOF. THE ULTIMATE CAUSE WAS ALLOWING MYSELF TO FOCUS ON OTHER ACFT TO THE POINT THAT I ALLOWED THIS ACFT TO DROP OUT; THUS MAKING IT EASIER TO FORGET HIM. THE PROB WAS AIDED BY EQUIP PROBS -- OUR FACILITY HAS HAD A PERSISTENT PROB WITH OUR BEACON/INTERROGATOR SYS NOT TRACKING ACFT XPONDERS; OR ALLOWING THEM TO DROP OUT. ANOTHER CTLR HAD A SIMILAR INCIDENT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO; AND I HAD COACHED MY TRAINEE ON THE EXACT SAME PROB JUST A COUPLE OF HRS PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE. SOLUTION -- ALTHOUGH OUR AIRWAYS FACILITIES TECHNICIANS CLAIM THAT THE SYS IS WITHIN TOLERANCES; ALL OF THE CTLRS IN THIS FACILITY AGREE THAT OUR BEACON INTERROGATOR SYS IS NOT UP TO SNUFF. MGMNT IS AWARE OF THIS; AND HAS HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MGMNT AT AIRWAYS FACILITIES. WE ARE SCHEDULED TO RECEIVE A 'NEW' SYS IN ABOUT A YR; ONCE IT'S DELIVERED FROM WHATEVER FACILITY IS USING IT NOW.