PASSIVE NON-COOPERATIVE TARGET RECOGNITION

THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THE PROJECT IS A DEFINITIVE ALLOCATION OF PNCTR IN THE COMBAT IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE (PHASE I), FOLLOWED BY EXPERIMENTAL INTEGRATION OF ONE OR MORE TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATIONS (PHASE II) FOR SUBSEQUENT FLIGHT TEST EVALUATION OF EXPANDED RULES OENGAGEMENT. IN PHASE I WE WILL REVIEW THE ROLES AND MISSIONS OF NAVAL AIR TO PERMIT AN ACCURATE APPLICATION OF PNCTR FOR VARIOUS PLATFORMS TO PROVIDE TYPE CLASSIFICATION BEYOND VISUAL RANGE (BVR). WE WILL IDENTIFY AND EXAMINE AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGIES, ASSESS THEIR DEGREE OF APPLICABILITY TO A GIVEN PLATFORM/MISSION, ESTIMATE THE RISKS AND THE TIME PERIOD FOR INITIAL OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY (IOC). TECHNOLOGIES IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME INCLUDE RF-ESM, E-O IMAGERY, E-O WAVEFORM ANALYSIS, ENHANCED E-O VISUAL IMAGERY, PASSIVE USE OF FIRE CONTROL RADAR, NON-EM/NON-IMAGING SENSORS, OFF-BOARD (DATA LINKED) ASSETS PLUS SPECULATION ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (EXPERT SYSTEM) TECHNOLOGY FOR DATA FUSION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. TRADE STUDIES WILL RESOLVE ONE OR MORE SPECIFIC DETECTION/ IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES AND RECOMMEND A DEMONSTRATION/FLIGHT TEST PROGRAM TO EVALUATE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS TO THE SEVERAL AIR PLATFORMS IN BOTH THE AIR-TO-AIR AND AIR-TO-SURFACE MODE OF FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM OPERATION. RESOURCE MATERIAL WILL INCLUDE CLASSIFIED REPORTS FROM CISCON AND ERASE PROCEEDINGS AND FIELD EXPERIENCE OF THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AT EGLIN AFB DURING THE RECENT ARMY SPONSORED NIFFTE '86 EXERCISE AGAINST FLIGHTS OF FIXED AND ROTARY WING AIRCRAFT (RADIATING AND NON-RADIATING).