Air Combat Data Pool Network for Reliable Missile Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air combat systems face challenges in reliably guiding missiles to fast and agile targets that evade detection, as current data connections within and between air combat units are limited in communication speed and information density, compromising security for legacy systems.
Innovation Solution
A data pool network is integrated with the system network, forming a two-tier communication system where additional data units are connected to a data core, allowing for enhanced target guidance by sharing supplementary information without compromising security, and enabling legacy systems to be retrofitted with minimal modification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a linear data connection system is used within air combat units, then communication security is maintained, but information density and communication speed are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The data connection system is segmented into two distinct networks: the system network for secure operational communication and the data pool network for additional information sharing. This segmentation allows each network to serve its specific purpose optimally without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
Coupling units act as intermediaries between data units and the data core. These coupling units enable data units to access additional information from the data pool network while maintaining the security architecture of the system network.
2Reliability
If additional data connections are added to provide more target information, then target guidance reliability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The data pool network merges multiple data sources into a centralized data core, allowing data units to access consolidated target information from multiple supporting units without creating separate connection paths for each source.
Solution Approach 2:
The data core serves as a universal interface that aggregates and manages data from various supporting units (radar, satellites, other air combat units). Data units can access this universal data pool without needing individual connections to each supporting unit.
3Loss of information
If legacy systems are retrofitted with enhanced data connections, then information sharing capability is improved, but compatibility and ease of retrofitting are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The data pool network is extracted as an add-on layer that can be integrated with existing system networks without modifying the core legacy systems. The coupling units interface with existing data units through their current connections while providing access to additional information.
4Measurement precision
If data is transmitted from supporting units to missiles via data links, then target tracking capability is improved, but communication reliability is reduced due to potential link failures
Solution Approach 1:
The data pool network pre-aggregates target information from multiple supporting units before the missile needs it. This preliminary data collection and consolidation ensures that when the missile requests target data, the information is already available and verified, reducing dependency on real-time data link reliability.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for operating an air combat system (2), in which a plurality of data units (16, 16a-f) are interconnected via a system network (20) in an operational air combat unit (4, 4a-d). To improve the reliability of the target guidance of a guided missile (4a), it is proposed that a plurality of coupling units (30, 30a-g) of a data pool network (26a-d) additional to the system network (20) each connect at least one data unit (16, 16a-f) to a data core (28) of the data pool network (26a-d).