Flight test and target acquisition modeling

John M. Grigaliunas, U.S. Air Force, Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC)

Abstract

In the unconventional battlefields such as Afghanistan and Iraq a weapons officer must have high-confidence they have positively identified a target before firing upon it to lower the threat of collateral damage which requires improved sensors. For fighter and bomber aircraft, the ability to recognize and identify targets accurately at long ranges is critical. The probability of recognition and identification at different ranges is one of the benchmark tests for quantifying electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensor performance.

This paper will present a method of developing and confirming the model of an EO/IR sensor’s probability to recognize and identify ground targets. This paper will propose a method of modeling sensor systems through the use of the targeting task performance metric and confirming the model with statistical confidence through flight test. The paper will show how this model-then-test approach will help determine how future sensor design considerations will impact given performance specifications.