Probability of Aircraft Tactical Hazards IV (PATH IV) Next Generation of Navy Model for Safe Escape
Abstract
PATH IV is the latest product in the evolution of the Navy's PATH (Probability of Aircraft Tactical Hazards) series of safe escape models. PATH IV introduces a fully 3-dimensional model to describe the interaction between the aircraft and the warhead fragment cloud and uses fourth-order Runge-Kutta numerical integration to compute the trajectories of these fragments. Using a fully 3-dimensional model contributes to an increased accuracy in the description of the fragment cloud via 3-dimensional fragment cells. The model also simulates the physical situation in a more natural, intuitive manner than a 2-dimensional model can provide. To minimize execution time on older, slower computers, the previous versions of the Navy's safe escape models principally used ballistic functions to compute the fragment trajectory data and thus approximated the actual position data for fragments. As weapon release altitudes have increased with increasing aircraft capability, the accuracy of these ballistic functions has degraded and has become unacceptable for high-altitude releases. Since current computers allow more flexibility in execution time, the use of numerical integration is now possible and removes this accuracy problem and at the same time allows the Navy to add capabilities that were not possible with the older ballistic functions. The three previous versions of the Navy safe escape models were all coded in the FORTRAN programming language that minimized the range of problems for which these models could be used. The object-oriented design of PATH IV has allowed a more generalized design and increased its range of use. By providing the more general concepts of an object at risk' and a detonating object,' PATH IV allows for a broader range of possible scenarios and the inclusion of collateral damage and force protection computations. Safe escape studies involving more than one aircraft are also supported in PATH IV.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA388298
Entities
People
- Christopher J. Lehman
Organizations
- Naval Air Warfare Center