Automatic Aircraft Collision Avoidance Algorithm Design for Fighter Aircraft
Abstract
The U.S. Department of Defense has identified midair mishaps as a leading cause of loss of life, lost combat capability, and financial cost in fighter/attack aircraft operations. In the past, losses from midair mishaps were mitigated through training and ineffective warning systems. Now, an Automatic Air Collision Avoidance System (Auto ACAS) has been identified as a technology that could significantly reduce midair accidents. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Lockheed Martin are developing Auto ACAS for fighter aircraft operating in an air combat training environment. In this environment, emphasis is placed on providing protection for aircraft performing air combat maneuvers while eliminating nuisance. Auto ACAS is not a pilot advisory system or a de-confliction system; rather, Auto ACAS performs an automatic, aggressive maneuver to avoid collisions with other aircraft and returns control to the pilot as soon as the collision is prevented. The system coordinates maneuver trajectories between aircraft, determines which combination of maneuvers provides the best separation, and initiates maneuvers when a collision is imminent. The maneuvers incorporate pilot preferences and rules of the road where applicable and possible. Most maneuvers last only two to three seconds and occur well within the reaction time of an alert pilot.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA582301
Entities
People
- Daniel Kidd
- Donald Swihart
- James Bier
- Jason Wadley
- Kerianne L. Hobbs
- Richard Lehmann
- Russell T Turner
Organizations
- Lockheed Martin Aeronautics