Aircraft Target Display for Dynamic Weapon Release
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air-to-surface weapon delivery systems are restrictive due to pre-planned flight conditions, limiting aircraft flexibility and increasing pilot workload in dynamic battlefield scenarios, where precise and timely targeting information must be effectively communicated to pilots.
Innovation Solution
A method for displaying target engageability information using a head-up display (HUD) that calculates and visually represents the weapon launch acceptable region and maximum lateral offset, allowing pilots to assess real-time engagement capabilities through intuitive symbols, enabling flexible decision-making.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If pre-planned flight conditions are used for weapon delivery, then weapon release point can be pre-determined, but aircraft freedom to alter flight path is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically calculates the weapon release position based on current flight conditions, aircraft position, motion, and weapon characteristics. This allows the release point to adapt in real-time as the aircraft alters its flight path, eliminating the need for pre-planned fixed release points while maintaining accurate weapon delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors current flight conditions and uses this feedback to update the weapon release position calculation. This closed-loop approach enables the aircraft to deviate from pre-planned paths while the system adjusts the release point accordingly, maintaining engagement capability despite flight path changes.
2Loss of information
If complex target engageability data is displayed to the pilot, then complete targeting information is provided, but pilot workload increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the most critical targeting information needed for pilot decision-making and displays it in a simplified format. Rather than presenting all complex engageability data, the system identifies and highlights key parameters such as release position, timing, and engagement probability, reducing cognitive load while preserving essential information.
Solution Approach 2:
The complex target engageability data is segmented into distinct, manageable information elements that can be processed separately. The display presents information in organized sections or layers, allowing the pilot to focus on one aspect of targeting at a time rather than overwhelming them with all data simultaneously.
3Measurement precision
If real-time weapon release position calculation is implemented, then accurate target engagement is achieved, but computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and stores ballistic and airflow characteristics of weapons before flight. During actual weapon delivery, these pre-computed data are rapidly applied to current flight conditions using efficient algorithms, reducing real-time computational requirements while maintaining high precision in release position determination.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of displaying target engageability information to a pilot of an aircraft in flight comprising calculating according to instantaneous aircraft position and motion relative to at least one target to be engaged and to characteristics of a weapon, earliest and latest weapon release points between which the weapon is presently capable of engaging a target of interest and generating display symbols indicating a weapon launch acceptable region and the instantaneous position of the aircraft relative thereto. A system for displaying the information and a target engageability display symbology are also described.