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UNCLASSIFIED, PUBLIC RELEASE
THE VALUE OF AIRBORNE MANNED TARGETS FOR DIRECTED ENERGY TESTING
Dr Roc White, USAF (Ret), Teknicare, Inc.
Dr Steve Watson, USAF (Ret), Teknicare, Inc.
Like any new weapon system involving advanced technology, testing is key to the success of directed energy (DE) weapon systems. DE weapons systems present several unique challenges including extremely high precision targeting, near instantaneous effects at a distance, challenging atmospheric effects, and highly specialized instrumentation. Evaluating the overall effectiveness of these complex systems requires careful management of the many factors. Traditional evolution of DE systems has been to begin with extensive lab testing, transitioning to controlled field tests at short ranges, then to longer range tests with representative target conditions before proceeding to lethal demonstrations. As the tests scenarios grow in complexity (closer to real engagements), the instrumentation becomes more challenging. More often today due to funding limits and schedule pressures, programs use an aggressive approach transitioning directly from short range ground range tests to lethal demonstrations. While this can in some cases shorten the test period, it brings significant technical and program risk to overall success. This aggressive approach results in very limited data to characterize the system, a high rate of failures, and overall increased costs. Perhaps the most critical data to evaluate a DE weapon system is the precise collection of acquisition, tracking and pointing (ATP) data against instrumented targets under representative conditions. Past experience has demonstrated the ability to obtain excellent beam spot characterization, jitter and power in the bucket results using manned airborne targets. The Airborne Laser Program (ABL) Program, in addition to other DE flight test programs, found the aerial manned target key to respective successes. Even kinetic weapons have used targets towed by a manned aircraft to test weapon system accuracy. The manned targets provided greater flexibility, ability to perform repeated engagements with real time assessments, and overall significant gains in cost effectiveness. This paper will discuss past flight tests, and potential future flight tests, incorporating manned target aircraft. Although this abstract is unclassified, the presentation is export controlled with limited distribution.
UNCLASSIFIED, PUBLIC RELEASE
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