Air force threat simulator validation

摘要

The quality of decisions derived from threat simulator-based training or testing is directly related to how well the simulator portrays its "real-world" environment. For simulators that include hostile weapons effects, the key issue is how well the simulator mimics the threat system. The increase in simulator activity following the demonstration of the importance of electronic warfare during the Vietnam and Israeli conflicts prompted the Air Force to task the National Air Intelligence Center (NAIC) to develop a plan for threat simulator validation (SIMVAL). The SIMVAL process consists of incremental validation or verification at several stages of simulator development and use, from initial specifications to intelligence updates during the simulator's operating ifetime. Validation and verification reports are produced for a wide variety of simulator types including hardware, digital models, and hybrid systems. Validation at each stage consists of a comparison between the simulator and the threat at the parametric and total system performance levels. With knowledge of differences between simulator and threat characteristics and/or performance known, tests of electronic countermeasures (ECM) or electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) can be planned and performed, aircrew training enhanced, and meaningful results obtained. As it is less expensive to design and build a simulator correctly the first time than to re-design or rebuild it due to a changing threat definition, the SIMVAL office's involvement in simulator development at the earliest stages can save considerable time and money for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the electronic warfare (EW) community.