Automated Multi-Static Processing Of Off-Board Sensors

Use of multi-static active sonar fields provides necessary and complementary coverage to on-board organic sensors of surface combatants. Effective field management and performance requires an effective means for planning the collection of, managing, gathering, detecting, classifying, localizing, collating, associating, and displaying data from a large number of dissimilar sensors. With existing fleet tools and operating paradigms the increase in workload implies an increase in manning that is incompatible with fleet objective. An automated field management system must be developed to identify, categorize, and discriminate between contacts of interest and clutter, to prioritize contacts for operator evaluation. A CONOPS and work plan to accomplish this while leveraging existing AHA tools is presented and discussed in this proposal. Technical objectives are to develop concepts for, and demonstrate feasibility of a robust, COTS-based multi-static sensor & field management toolkit that takes advantage of the industry-recognized expertise of AHA in tactical decision aides, multi-sensor data fusion, battle space management, active and passive signal processing. AHA current experience in fielding applications to systems such as the SSQ-89/AV-15, the AV-15 IPS and the SPPFS-STDA, provide background knowledge in strategies for integration, test, and fielding that will be paramount in the long-term success of this research.