Sensor Mission Training
for Operators, Analysts, and
Decision Makers
Dale SextonDale SextonDale SextonDale Sexton
Presagis USA
Mike Pafford
Camber Corporation
The Systems
• Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Systems
• The number of ISR systems is expanding rapidly
• A critical component of modern warfare
• Manned and unmanned systems
• Sensors span a wide range of capabilities
Sensors
• From the “fog of war” to “information overload”
• Sensor systems:
– Radar
– Electro-optical (EO)
– Infrared (IR)
– Signal analysis (SIGINT)
• Part of every new weapon system
• Specific ISR systems
• With networking every platform becomes an ISR system
Training for ISR
• Training has emerged as a critical area
• High demand for data supplied by these systems
– End users want system on station around the clock
– Long mission times
– Large numbers of new systems being deployed
• Supporting crew members required
• Demand for service, long missions, and new system entering operation mean huge demand for training
The “Actors”
Operator
Sensor
Environment
Analyst
Decision Makers
Train Everyone!
• A comprehensive training capability should includes provisions for training of:
– flight crew
– systems operators
– sensor operators
– image analysts
– decision makers – command staff
• Without comprehensive training you may not realize the full benefit of these incredible new tools.
ISR Systems
• Typical sensor is generally an EO/IR camera system or a Radar.
• The sensor is the heart of the ISR system
• The sensor simulation should be the heart of the ISR training system.
• A high fidelity simulation of the tactical environment allows training to be extended beyond button pushing
System Architecture
Operator Workstation
Sensor
EnvironmentMission
Computer
AnalystWorkstation
Simulated Equipment Real Equipment
ImageStorage
Requirements
• Comprehensive Training System
• Flexibility in the face of evolving tactical situations
• Accurate Radar Simulation (SAR and MTI)– Physics based modeling
– High Fidelity Terrain model
• Interface to Operator / Image Analyst workstations.
• World Representative Tactical Environment
Cost
• Development of high fidelity training systems can be very expensive
• Comprehensive Training System developed from scratch can cost from $20M to $50M (€15M to €40M)
• Radar Simulations software is 500,000 to 800,000 Source Lines of Code (SLOC)
• Tactical Environment simulation can be over 1M Source Lines of Code.
• Tactical situation displays can be over 100,000 Source Lines of Code
Alternative Approach
• Today’s aircraft system make extensive use of COTS equipment and interfaces.
• PC based image storage, display and analysis systems.
• Ethernet interfaces
– Radar system control
– Imagery transfer from Radar System to storage
– Imagery distribution to display and analysis stations
• When PCs are used on the aircraft there is often a preference for Simulation Systems to share the same computer platforms.
COTS Software Products
• Reduces risk.
• Reduces development costs.
• Minimizes development schedule.
• Early capability demonstrations.
• Supports a cyclic development process.
• Tap into existing expertise/knowledge base.
A Recent Program
• ISR Manned Aircraft
• Flight Crew trainer, Rear Cockpit trainer, Ground Station trainer(s)
• System Operation, Image analysis, and command staff components
• This is comprehensive training…
• We provided the tactical environment and sensor simulation.
Flight Crew Trainer
Rear Crew Trainer
Mission Computer
Ground StationTrainer
Sensor Simulation and Tactical Environment
Image ProcessingAnd Storage
Operator / Image AnalystWorkstation
CommunicationSimulation
COTS Products Used
• Presagis STAGE™
– The complete tactical environment.
– The Tactical Situation Display (TSD) for the Instructor Operator Station (IOS)
• Camber’s Radar Toolkit®
– Radar simulation
• SAR Radar imagery
• Moving Target Indication (MTI) Detections.
• Terrain databases were generated from source data using Presagis TerraVista™.
Radar Simulator and Tactical
Environment
EXEC
Host
STAGESituational Awareness
Display(based on STAGE)
Radar Toolkit
Tactical Environment
IOS Console
100 BaseT
100 BaseTTCP/IP Ethernet
Connections
API MEMSharedMemory
Advantages
• The use of aircraft systems and software in the training system is more cost effective when those systems are Personal Computers.
• When the aircraft systems use COTS interfaces (Ethernet) it is easy to replicate the architecture of the aircraft in the training system.
• Mission Computer, Radar Operator, Image Analyst workstations can be reused.
• Simulations of sensors are used to stimulate the aircraft systems through same interfaces as onboard aircraft.
• Early development of simulations will serve in a Systems Integration Lab (SIL) environment to support aircraft system development.
Future Application
• ISR platforms
– UAV
– Manned Aircraft
• Ground Station Trainers
• Command and Control Training
– Instructions to Semi-automated Forces
– Validation of decisions based on imagery
– Decisions based on analysis
• Border protection systems and training