Multi-Sensor Ascent Phase Track Correlation

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) plans to develop, evaluate, and benchmark algorithms to improve the tracking performance of multistatic multi-target tracking systems for Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD). The proposed algorithm improvements include developing advanced missile dynamics models to improve Interacting Multiple Model (IMM) tracking by improving accuracy and reduce track acquisition time for individual targets, while minimizing increase in computational complexity. These models will be incorporated into a joint Interacting Multiple Models-Multiple Hypothesis Tracking (IMM-MHT) system to perform multiple target tracking in a distributed sensor network. The baseline architecture includes full scene tracking at the level of individual receivers, with a centralized system such as the Global Engagement Manager (GEM) correlating tracks between sensor nodes. This architecture eliminates single points of failure within the sensor network, and allows an arbitrary configuration of transmitters and receivers to contribute to scene analysis and target tracking. In addition, this architecture supports pipelined data processing between sensors and a central tracker, and parallel processing of multiple tracking filters at both the receiver node and central tracker. PSI’s approach focuses on minimizing the time required to establish accurate track and perform early intercept by optimizing the trade space between search and track.