Aircrew aid to assess jam effectiveness

• US 7,427,947 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GBL Systems, the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Original Assignee: the united states of america as represented by the secretary of the navy
• Inventors: Burkholder, Scott, Dark, James, Buscemi, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory; Bernarr E
• Application Number:
  US11/820,033
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 342 13- 20, 342/89, 342/90, 342/165, 342173-175, 342/195, 342/176, 342/180, 342/181, 455/1, 455/39, 455 6711- 677, 455/130, 455/269, 455/272, 455/278.1, 89/11.1
• US Class Current: 342/173
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/021 Auxiliary means for detecting or identifying radar signals or the like, e.g. radar jamming signals
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/04 Display arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/38 Jamming means, e.g. producing false echoes
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 2203/22 for communication related to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/45 characterized by including monitoring of the target or target signal, e.g. in reactive jammers or follower jammers for example by means of an alternation of jamming phases and monitoring phases, called "look-through mode"
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 3/94 related to allowing or preventing testing or assessing

Abstract

The invention generally relates to the field of computer software particularly to an improved method of providing aircrew decision aids for use in determining the optimum placement of an Electronic Attack (EA) aircraft. The core of the invention is a software program that will dynamically provide the EA flight crew situational awareness regarding a threat emitter'"'"'s coverage relative to the position of the EA aircraft and to the position of protected entities (PE). The software program generates information to provide visual cues representing a Jam Acceptability Region (JAR) contour and a Jam Assessment Strobe (JAS) for display via designated aircraft cockpit processors and devices. The JAR and JAS will aid the EA aircrew in assessing the effectiveness of a given jamming approach.

Claims

1. A method of assessing the effectiveness of jamming provided by an electronic warfare platform, said method comprising:

determining a radar coverage volume for a threat emitter system detected by said electronic warfare platform using an electronic warfare system residing within said electronic warfare platform wherein said radar coverage volume defines a maximum threat range and a boundary for a scan volume;

invoking a jam assessment software program using as an input a set of characteristics particular to a waveform radiated by said threat emitter system to first calculate an in alignment range corresponding to a main beam coverage volume for said threat emitter system in the presence of jamming by said electronic warfare platform, to second calculate a side lobe range corresponding to a side lobe coverage volume for said threat emitter system in the presence of jamming by said electronic warfare platform and to third calculate an out of alignment range corresponding to an out of alignment coverage volume for said threat emitter system in the presence of jamming by said electronic warfare platform where said algorithm uses results from said first, said second and said third calculation to generate a jam acceptability region;

comparing said radar coverage volume to a position of a protected entity for determining if said position of said protected entity lies within said radar coverage volume;

generating a user display within said electronic warfare system depicting an effectiveness cue corresponding to results from the comparison of said radar volume to the position of said protected entity, and results from invoking said jam assessment software program where said effectiveness cue is used to assess an impact upon the capability of said threat emitter system to detect said protected entity.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said jam assessment software program includes a jammer and tactics optimization equation.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said set of characteristics reside in a plurality of fields within an electronic library.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said user display is further comprised of a set of segmented and color coded jam assessment strobes wherein said color code corresponds to said electronic warfare platform effectiveness in preventing detection of said protected entity and said segment length corresponds to a diminished range for a jammed threat emitter system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said electronic warfare system detects a plurality of threat emitter systems for use in determining a plurality of said jam acceptability regions using as inputs a set of characteristics particular to waveforms radiated by said threat emitter systems.

6. A method of assimilating information associated with a plurality of detected threat emitter systems and assessing the effectiveness of jamming provided by an electronic warfare system, said method comprising:

detecting a threat emitter waveform emanating from said threat emitter system using said electronic warfare system;

determining a radar coverage volume for said threat emitter waveform using said electronic warfare system wherein said radar coverage volume defines a maximum threat range for said threat emitter waveform and a boundary for a scan volume of said threat emitter waveform;

comparing said radar coverage volume to a position of a protected entity for determining if said position of said protected entity lies within said radar coverage volume;

determining a relative bearing between said threat emitter system, said electronic warfare platform and said protected entity using a location for said threat emitter system, a location for said electronic warfare system and said position of said protected entity;

executing a jam assessment software program having as input a set of characteristics particular to said threat emitter waveform detected by said electronic warfare platform, said relative bearing and said radar coverage volume where said jam assessment software program is executed by said electronic warfare system;

generating a user display within said electronic warfare system depicting an effectiveness cue corresponding to results from the comparison of said radar volume to the position of said protected entity, and results from invoking said jam assessment software program where said effectiveness cue is used to assess an impact upon the capability of said threat emitter system to detect said protected entity.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said jam assessment software program includes a jammer technique optimization power equation to first calculate an in alignment range corresponding to a main beam coverage volume for said threat emitter waveform in the presence of jamming by said electronic warfare platform, to secondly calculate a side lobe range corresponding to a side lobe coverage volume for said threat emitter waveform in the presence of jamming by said electronic warfare platform and to thirdly calculate an out of alignment range corresponding to an out of alignment coverage volume for said threat emitter waveform in the presence of jamming by said electronic warfare platform where said algorithm uses results from said first, said second and said third calculation to generate a jam acceptability region.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said jam assessment software program determines an overlap region for a plurality of said jam acceptability regions by identifying points in common between said plurality of jam acceptability regions and grouping said points in common into a set of points that define said overlap region.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said user display is further comprised of a set of segmented and color coded jam assessment strobes wherein said color code corresponds to said electronic warfare platform effectiveness in preventing detection of said protected entity and said segment length corresponds to a diminished range for a jammed threat emitter system.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein said user displays are three dimensional.

11. A computerized method of assimilating information associated with a plurality of detected threat emitter systems and assessing the effectiveness of jamming provided by an electronic warfare system, said method comprising:

detecting a threat emitter waveform emanating from said threat emitter system using said electronic warfare system;

reading a first plurality of fields containing information describing operational characteristics corresponding to each threat emitter system expected to be encountered in a theater of operation where said first plurality of fields resides within an electronic library;

reading a second plurality of fields containing information describing a set of locations corresponding to each threat emitter system expected to be encountered in a theater of operation where said second plurality of fields resides within said electronic library;

determining a coverage volume for said threat emitter waveform wherein said coverage volume defines a maximum detection range for said threat emitter waveform, a boundary for a scan volume for said threat emitter waveform using said information from said first and said second plurality of fields read from said electronic library;

reading a third plurality of fields containing information describing operating characteristics of said electronic warfare system residing in said electronic library;

receiving a first set of navigational information describing a position and course of said electronic warfare system;

receiving a second set of navigational information describing a position and course of a protected entity;

comparing said coverage volume to said position of said protected entity for determining if said position of said protected entity lies within said coverage volume;

determining a relative bearing between said threat emitter system, said electronic warfare system and said protected entity using said location of said threat emitter system, said first set of navigational information and said second set of navigational information;

setting a first conditional marker indicating that said relative bearing is in alignment when said protected entity location and said location of said electronic warfare system are in a main beam coverage volume of said threat emitter waveform;

setting a second conditional marker indicating that said relative bearing is in side lobe alignment when said protected entity location and said location of said electronic warfare system are in a side lobe coverage volume of said threat emitter waveform;

setting a third conditional marker indicating that said relative bearing is out of alignment when said protected entity location and said location of said electronic warfare system are outside of said main lobe coverage volume and outside of said side lobe of said threat emitter waveform;

invoking a reactive assignment algorithm using the information contained in said first, said second and said third conditional markers to select a first jamming waveform to prevent detection of said protected entity by said threat emitter system when said detected threat emitter waveform is unexpected;

invoking a preemptive assignment algorithm using the information contained in said first, said second and said third conditional markers to select a second jamming waveform to prevent detection of said protected entity by said threat emitter system when said detected threat emitter waveform is expected; and

generating a user display within said electronic warfare system depicting the effectiveness of said first jamming waveform and said second jamming waveform employed to prevent detection of said protected entity.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said reactive assignment algorithm invokes a jammer technique optimization power equation to first calculate an in alignment range corresponding to a main beam coverage volume in the presence of jamming by said electronic warfare platform, to secondly calculate a side lobe range corresponding to a side lobe coverage volume in the presence of jamming by said electronic warfare platform and to thirdly calculate an out of alignment range corresponding to an out of alignment coverage volume in the presence of jamming by said electronic warfare platform where said algorithm uses results from said first, said second and said third calculation to generate a jam acceptability region.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein a first overlap region for a first plurality of jam acceptability regions are determined by identifying points in common between said first plurality of jam acceptability regions and grouping said points in common into a set of points that define said first overlap region.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said preemptive assignment algorithm invokes a jammer technique optimization power equation to first calculate an in alignment range corresponding to a main beam coverage volume in the presence of jamming by said electronic warfare platform, to secondly calculate a side lobe range corresponding to a side lobe coverage volume in the presence of jamming by said electronic warfare platform and to thirdly calculate an out of alignment range corresponding to an out of alignment coverage volume in the presence of jamming by said electronic warfare platform where said algorithm uses results from said first, said second and said third calculation to generate a jam acceptability region.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein a second overlap region for a second plurality of jam acceptability regions are determined by identifying points in common between said second plurality of jam acceptability regions and grouping said points in common into a set of points that define said second overlap region.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said user display is further comprised of a set of segmented and color coded jam assessment strobes wherein said color code corresponds to said electronic warfare platform effectiveness in preventing detection of said protected entity and said segment length corresponds to a diminished range for a jammed threat emitter system.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said user displays are two dimensional.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said user displays are three dimensional.