Feature-aided Globally Optimized Sensor Fusion for BMD

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to develop, evaluate, and test new elements of a sensor fusion architecture for Command, Control, and Battle Management and Communications (C2BMC) for Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD). PSI proposes an innovative architecture designed to leverage sensor diversity and multimodal feature extraction to provide Enhanced C2BMC functionality in search, track, discrimination, and kill assessment (KA) functionality. The key challenges addressed by the approach include data fusion, feature extraction, mitigation of pointing error and platform bias, management of the co-registration and co-association of disparate (ABIR/OPIR/radar) sensors, and addressing practical communications limits. The proposed objectives of the Phase I effort include the development of optimized cueing for stressing multitarget engagements (emphasizing the development and coordination of the new roles of ABIR and OPIR sensors in ascent phase track acquisition), and the development and simulated demonstration of a joint IR/radar feature-aided tracking system (for enhanced situational awareness during stressing multitarget engagements, and to enable earlier engagements with high successful kill probability). Both Engage on Airborne Infrared and Engage on STSS are initiatives targeted for enhancement using the proposed work, as is the PTSS program.