Dynamic guidance for close-in maneuvering air combat

• US 20060142903A1
• Filed: 06/11/2003
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nir Padan
• Original Assignee: Nir Padan
• Inventors: Padan, Nir
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,765 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 7/007 Preparatory measures taken before the launching of the guided missiles
• CPC Class Codes: F41G 9/002 for guiding a craft to a correct firing position for bombing control F41G9/02
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/045 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. determination of anti-collision manoeuvers radar or analogous systems specially adapted for anti-collision between aircraft G01S13/933

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method for optimizing the conduct of a close-in air combat are disclosed. A computing device is operative in the analysis of a close-in air combat situation. The computing device stores and utilizes one or more aerial aircraft-specific, weapon systems-specific and close-in air combat-situation-specific information. The computing device is operative in the analysis of the current air combat situation (12) and in the generation of a flight control recommendation (40). Consequently, the recommendation is converted into an indication having visual or audio format to be communicated to the operating crew of the aerial vehicle. The recommendation could further to be converted into specific flight control/energy commands and to be introduced directly to the control systems of the aircraft.

Claims

1. A system for optimizing the performance of an operating crew of at least one aerial vehicle during at least one close-in air combat by providing in real-time automatic situation assessment and by generating dynamically at least one indication and by communicating the at least one indication as guidance to the operating crew of the at least one aerial vehicle, the system comprising the elements of an assessment information database implemented on at least one computer;

and an assessment and guidance software application implemented on the at least one computer.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the assessment information database comprises the elements of:

an aircraft characteristics file comprising the aircraft flight envelope, the aircraft maneuver-energy graphs, models and limitations, and the aircraft weapon system characteristics;

a set of formulas for optimal relative maneuvering file; and

an external information file.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprises the elements of at last one computer installed on the at least one aerial vehicle or on at least one ground station to receive, store, process and forward data specific for the optimization of the conduct of the at least one aerial engagement.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one off-board computer installed in at least one ground station to provide additional data specific for the optimization of the conduct of the at least one close-in combat engagement.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one sensor device installed on the at least one aerial vehicle to dynamically monitor the physical variables associated with the participant elements of the at least one close-in air combat.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at last one sensor device installed in the at least one ground station to monitor physical variables associated with the participant elements of the at least one close-in air combat.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising at least one data communication network linking the at least one aerial vehicle and the at least one ground station to allow for the transmission or reception of the information associated with the at least one close-in air combat.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the assessment and guidance application comprises the elements of:

an application control module to initiate, to activate, to control and to execute the application;

a database interface module to allow for access the database and to obtain the requested records from the database;

a parameters processor module to handle the operational parameters of the system;

an information-marshalling module to organize the information received from various sources;

a situation analyzer and mapping module to analyze the at least one current situation concerning the at least one aerial engagement; and

a response assessment and response selector module to generate at least one response associated with the at least one current situation and the at least one potential situation.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the assessment and guidance application further comprises any one of the elements of:

a future situations projector and mapping module to create at least one potential future situation and associating the at least one future situation with the at least one current situation;

a post-combat debriefing module;

a guidance generator module to convert the at leas tone selected response to t least one guidance instruction;

a guidance display module to communicate the at least one guidance instruction to the operating crew;

an aircraft status and system status monitor;

a learning and adaptation module;

a history generator and history replay module;

an air combat formulas or algorithms or a set of rules module or algorithm;

a testing/maintenance/initialization module; and

a user interface module.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the computer further comprises the elements of:

a communication device to link the at least one computer to remote information sources via the at least one data communication network;

a processor device to execute the required sequence of software instructions embedded in the assessment and guidance application;

a digital signal processor device to process digitally formatted information from the at leas tone sensor device and from the at least one data communication network; and

a data bus device to provide at least one data delivery channel among the diverse devices installed in the at least one on-board device.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a sound synthesizing device to generate audio instructions to be communicated to the operating crew of the least one aerial vehicle.

12. The system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the assessment and guidance application further comprises any one of the elements of:

an operating system to supervise and control the execution of the programs installed in the at least one computer;

a data link handler component to initiate transmission of outgoing information and to receive incoming information from the at least one data communication network;

an input/output handler component to supervise and control the peripheral devices linked to the at least one computer;

a database handler component to initiate access to the assessment information.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the sensor device is an instrument providing an indication as to the parameters of flight.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the sensor device is a global positioning system device.

15. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one aerial vehicle is a manned combat aircraft.

16. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the at least one aerial vehicle is an unmanned combat aerial vehicle.

17. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the operating crew is a fighter pilot.

18. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the operating crew is a remotely located operator.

19. The system of claim 3 wherein the computer is an onboard computer located within the aerial vehicle.

20. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprises the element of a visual display device to communicate the at least one instruction to the operating crew in a visual manner.

21. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprises the element of an audio output device to communicate the at least one instruction to the operating crew in an aerial manner.

22. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprises the element of a manual input device to communicate control information from the operating crew to the system.

23. The system as claimed in claim 1 where the at least one close-in air combat is a within visual range air combat.

24. In a virtual aerial combat environment a system for optimizing the performance of an operator of at least one virtual aerial vehicle during at least one virtual aerial engagement by providing automatic situation assessment and by generating dynamically at least one maneuver or energy instruction and by communicating the at least one maneuver or energy instruction as maneuver or energy guidance to the operator of the at least one virtual aerial vehicle, the system comprising the elements of:

an assessment information database installed within at least one air-combat simulating software environment associated with the at least one virtual aerial vehicle; and

an assessment and guidance software application installed within at least one air combat simulation software environment associated with at least one virtual aerial vehicle.

25. The system as claimed in claim 24 wherein the virtual air combat environment is a flight simulator.

26. The system as claimed in claim 24 wherein the virtual air combat environment is a computer game.

27. A method for optimizing the performance of an operating crew of at least one aerial vehicle during at least one close-in air combat by providing in real-time automatic situation assessment data and by generating dynamically at least one instruction and by communicating the at least one instruction as guidance to the operating crew of the at least one aerial vehicle, the method comprising the steps of:

for each one of at least two aerial vehicles;

obtaining air combat engagement and energy information required for the analysis of the air combat situation;

obtaining aircraft characteristics information required for the analysis of the air combat situation;

obtaining aircraft weapon system characteristics information; and

obtaining remotely sensor-specific information;

analyzing the situation between the at least two aerial vehicles and mapping the analyzed situation in relation to the previously analyzed situations between the at least two aerial vehicles;

generating at least one future potential air combat situation based on the at least one mapped air combat situation;

determining at least one optimal state of the at least one aerial vehicle based on the at least one optimal air combat situation between the at least two aerial vehicles;

generating at least one recommendation based on the at least one optimal future potential air combat situation between the at least two aerial vehicles.

28. The method as claimed in claim 27 further comprises the steps of:

transforming the at least one recommendation into at least one guidance indicator;

displaying the at, least one guidance indicator to the operating crew of the at last one aerial vehicle to enable the application of the associated commands to the controls of the aerial vehicle.

29. The method as claimed in claim 27 further comprises transforming the at least one recommendation into at least one direct input commands to be automatically applied to the suitable controls of the at last one-aerial vehicle.

30. An apparatus for optimizing the performance of an operating crew of at least one aerial vehicle during at least one close-in air combat by providing in real-time automatic situation assessment, the apparatus comprising:

a device for;

obtaining air combat engagement and energy information required for the analysis of the air combat situation;

obtaining aircraft characteristics information required for the analysis of analysis of the air combat situation;

obtaining aircraft weapon system characteristics information; and

obtaining remotely sensor-specific information;

an analysis device for;

analyzing the situation between the at least two aerial vehicles and mapping the analyzed situation in relation to the previously analyzed situations between at least two aerial vehicles;

generating at least one future potential air combat situation based on the at least one mapped air combat situation;

based on the analysis determine at least one optimal state of the at least one aerial vehicle based on the at least one optimal air combat situation between the at least two aerial vehicles; and

generating at least one recommendation based on the at least one optimal future potential air combat situation between the at least two aerial vehicles.

31. The apparatus as claimed in claim 30 further comprises:

a transforming device for transforming the at least one recommendation into at least one guidance indicator;

a display device for displaying the at least one guidance indicator to the operating crew of the at last one aerial vehicle to enable the application of the associated commands to the controls of the aerial vehicle.

32. The apparatus as claimed in claim 30 further comprises a transforming device for transforming the at least one recommendation into at least one direct input commands to be automatically applied to the suitable controls of the at last one aerial vehicle.