Another Strike of Litening for the MAGTF?

Abstract

The Marine Corps' F/A-18 Hornet is often referred to as the jack of all trades, master of none. The F/A-18 is capable of performing multiple missions, however, the most likely mission on today's battlefield is one that involves offensive air support (OAS). Every aircraft executing OAS employs a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) pod to assist in the targeting process and provide a precision strike capability. Targeting pods (also known as FLIRs) operate within the infrared light spectrum and allow aircrew to view the battlefield from significant altitudes beyond the human eye's range of vision. Although FLIR technology has made tremendous advances in the last decade, the Marine Corps' F/A-18 has not received the benefits of this increased technology. Therefore, a rapid integration of a 3rd generation FLIR pod for the F/A-18 Hornet is immediately necessary. The F/A-18 Hornet currently carries the AN/AAS-38 Nighthawk pod. Although this targeting pod has received upgrades over the past few years, it is still considered a 1st generation FLIR and lacks several of the capabilities inherent to 3rd generation FLIRs. Most 3rd generation FLIRs are equipped with a very high-resolution FLIR camera, as well as a charge-coupled television that uses a camera as an electrooptical sensor. These cameras have a tremendous zoom capability and allow the pilot to view an object from a significant distance without distortion. Additional capabilities might include a laser spot tracker and laser designator, IR marker, and data-link capability. A data-link allows a pilot to broadcast a real-time streaming video image to a ground station or hand held terminal carried by ground forces. The latest capability of these 3rd generation FLIRs is the ability to generate coordinates for GPS guided weapons. Most importantly, 3rd generation FLIRs provide aircrew and ground forces the ability to perform positive identification, which reduces the possibility of collateral damage and fratricide.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 20, 2004
Accession Number
ADA520469

Entities

People

  • M. R. Brubaker

Organizations

  • Marine Corps War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Data Links
  • Electro-Optical Sensors
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Guided Weapons
  • Identification
  • Identification Systems
  • Image Processing
  • Iraqi-War
  • Marine Corps
  • Optical Detectors
  • Satellite Guided Weapons
  • Space Systems
  • Urban Areas
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Space