Optimum Identification Criteria for Air-to-Air Engagements
Abstract
The difficulties of identification (ID) of aircraft in combat are well known and documented. This paper explains ID problems and the various technical solutions being considered or implemented by the USAF and NATO forces, and discusses the strengths and weaknesses of each. It then advances a method to mathematically combine the results of multiple ID systems in a suite for improved surety of ID. Finally, the paper models a generic four-system ID suite to examine the effects of increasing ID surety as a decision criterion for firing air-to-air missiles. The model simulates losses to enemy forces and to fratricide as a function of the ID surety required. The results show that there is a breakpoint beyond which attempts to eliminate fratricide by requiring greater ID surety result in greatly increased losses to enemy forces. In addition, the data shows that overall losses are most sensitive to false reporting of friendly forces as enemy. The author recommends further simulation with a force-on-force simulation model to better capture the incidence of the reporting errors which are known to exist with current ID systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA217528
Entities
People
- James E. Neu
Organizations
- Air War College