Generalized TOM Handover Algorithm

The success of the Missile Defense concept centers on the ability of the interceptor to correctly identify and hit the designated RV within the midcourse threat complex. Crucial in making the threat identification is the utilization of the Ground BasedRadar tracking and classification information, which is provided in the TOM (Target Object Map). Because of the radar's relatively poor angular resolution, projection of the radar object's position and uncertainty ellipsoids into the interceptor's focalplane can provide a confusing situation when compared to what the interceptor is observing. In addition, the radar sees objects (e.g. radar balloons) not seen by the interceptor's IR sensor and vice versa. Hence the unambiguous threat designation isoften not possible using metric information alone.PRA did some initial analysis on the LSI program to show the improvements possible when some radiometric and classification information were included in the handover. The radiometric information is the characteristic of the object's time signal whichshould be highly correlated between the radar and IR sensor since they are a result of the object's dynamics.The proposed SBIR is to develop an association algorithm that utilizes metric, radiometric and individual sensor classification information and is computationally feasible for implementation on the interceptor. The approach will be demonstrated against asingle C3 scenario. The benefit of this algorithm development is a much higher probability of the interceptor correctly identifying and designating the RV threat amongst the midcourse cloud of objects. Thus the mission success probability can be increaseddramatically.Commercially, the algorithms may have potential as a software module for set association with disparate pieces of evidence, fused from different sources (e.g. matching star catalogs).