Comparative Analysis of Internal and External Solutions to Provide Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation Functionality.

摘要

Air Combat Command (ACC) relies on Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (ACMI) systems for air-to-air combat training and large force employment flight debrief. Although extremely effective training enhancements, these systems are enormously expensive and typically require flight over restricted airspace ranges. These factors have prevented fleetwide implementation of ACMI training on a daily basis. Basic ACMI systems determine aircraft position and performance data and transmit the data to ground-based monitoring stations for recording, display, and debrief. Early jet fighter aircraft required special external components, or 'pods', to calculate and transmit the data to custom-built computerized debrief facilities. Modern aircraft do not retain this limitation, and low-cost personal computers now offer computational and graphics display capability sufficient for ACMI debrief. Current avionics systems calculate all the necessary data and report the required parameters on the aircraft avionics system bus. Monitoring and recording this onboard data will reduce the requirement for special ranges, eliminate pod requirements, and allow debrief and presentation on conventional computer equipment typically available in fighter squadrons. Internal data also offers avionics parameters that are not available to pod-based systems. This data represents an enormous untapped resource for flight debrief. Perhaps the greatest potential contribution offered by internal systems involves combat mission debrief capability. Because external pods occupy weapons stations, it is extremely unlikely that crews would ever carry these components into combat. Internal components are the only alternative that can provide ACMI features for a combat mission debrief. Additionally, internal components preserve the aerodynamic and radar signature characteristics of the aircraft, a feature essential for stealth aircraft employment.