Overview of the sensors directorate

NASA Tech Briefs, Mar 2001

The Sensors Directorate performs comprehensive research and development of advanced sensors for air and space reconnaissance, surveillance, precision engagement, and electronic warfare applications.

AFRL's Sensors Directorate, Wright-Patterson AFB OH

The Sensors Directorate's vision is to provide a full range of affordable air and space sensors networked to the warfighter that assure a complete and timely picture of the battlespace, precision engagement of threats, and survivability of friendly forces. Pursuit of this vision is foremost as engineers and scientists face the challenges of the 21st century. Their goal is to give the warfighter the best technology available to detect, identify, and defeat any threat encountered during future engagements. More than 700 scientists, engineers, and support personnel working in modern research facilities located at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Rome, New York; and Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts are meeting this challenge.

A new addition to the Wright-Patterson AFB sensors research complex launches a major effort to implement the laboratory's Collaborative Enterprise Environment (CEE), which will provide the framework for new technology developments for the 21st century warfighter. The addition will provide approximately 62,000 sq ft of floor space for automatic target recognition, sensor fusion, and a collaborative engineering environment that supports technology development and weapon system demonstrations.

The Sensors and Information Directorates are partnering to apply CEE to simulation-based acquisition in a laboratory environment for the development and demonstration of information and sensor technologies. The new addition will include a floor dedicated to the Information Directorate's science and simulation collaboration. As the hub of an AFRL framework, it will tie together other major Air Force assets including the Aeronautical Systems Center's Simulation and Analysis Facility, high performance computers in the Major Shared Resource Center, and the Electronic System Center's Command and Control Unified Battlespace Environment.

The CEE concept, a major cultural change in the research and development process, involves applying state-of-the-art simulation and information technology to current business practices. CEE enables partnerships among the laboratories, industry, and the warfighter to accelerate the development and transition of leading edge technology to operational weapons systems.

The Sensors Directorate is pursuing several projects to meet the challenges of the 21st century warfighter, including Sensor Craft, Targets Under Trees (TUT), and Infrared Countermeasures for Large Aircraft. Sensor Craft is the visionary airborne component of a fully integrated air and space intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. Blending a wide spectrum of emerging technologies, Sensor Craft is an unmanned air vehicle equipped with multiple advanced sensing devices integrated into the airframe (see related article on page 10). The directorate is examining this innovafive concept in collaboration with a multitude of partners. Considered an AFRL multi-director-ate shared vision, the Sensor Craft combines critical emerging flight vehicle, propulsion, sensor, and information technologies into a highly responsive platform concept that provides revolutionary ISR capabilities to the war-fighter.

While Sensor Craft is part of a far-term solution for an integrated air and space ISR capability, evaluation of currently available technologies is under way to solve the near-term problem of targets hidden by camouflage or foliage. Under a study directed by the Air Force Chief of Staff, the directorate, along with other partners, is examining TUT sensor technology, which can be moved quickly from the laboratory to provide the Air Force with an improved capability to find, identif, and engage deployed mobile targets.

The directorate is assessing several technologies for the TUT program that include hyperspectral imaging, active laser sensing, unattended ground sensors, and foliage penetration radar (FOPEN). While still examining a wide assortment of subsystem options and concepts of operation, a FOPEN radar system will be a central component of the eventual recommendation. An advance FOPEN radar system is currently under development as a joint Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Air Force, and Army Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) program.

One major threat facing the Air Force is small infrared (IR) missiles. The Sensors Directorate, in cooperation with the Directed Energy Directorate, is researching laser solutions to protect military aircraft from shoulder-mounted IR guided missiles. The latest generations of guided missiles have longer ranges, better guidance, higher seeker sensitivity, and resist countermeasures. Along with their effectiveness, they are relatively low cost.

The Sensors Directorate is working to transition advanced technology for a directed laser jammer to defeat the IR missile threat. The Laser Infrared Flyout Experiment ATD supports countermeasure technology transition into large transport aircraft. The program is developing advanced technology that addresses all countermeasure requirements, which includes critical missile launch warning and the advanced countermeasures capability called Closed-Loop Infrared Countermeasures. This technology counters the enemy missile by providing a deceptive jamming effect on the guidance.