More Effective Employment of Precision Guided Missiles (PGMs) with the Inclusion of Weather Data

The goal of this SBIR project is to increase the effectiveness of Precision Guided Missiles (PGMs) by integrating weather forecasts, aircraft-sensed weather conditions, and weather data from remote sources into the mission planning process. The benefits will be more precise targeting, better "Go/No Go" decisions, and more effective use of precision stand-off weapons. In Phase I, we will: determine the effects of various weather elements on missile and sensor performance; estimate the increases in effectiveness to be expected from the inclusion of more precise and timely weather data in the PGM mission planning process; identify the weather data that is or could be available and how to get it to the mission planners in time to be useful; and determine how to integrate current and predicted weather information most effectively into the planning process. This research includes an analysis of the modifications required to existing models to predict mission success based on weather factors, and to verify the benefits of weather-based mission planning. This research is the first step in a process to integrate weather data into the JSOW Mission Planning Module in the Tactical Aircraft Mission Planning System (TAMPS).