Comanche Sensor Fusion: The Objective Force Discriminant: Leveraging the Best of Pre- and Post-Declaration Information

Advanced sensors and communication systems have been incorporated into the Comanche Helicopter to allow it to execute its armed reconnaissance, scout and light attack missions for the Army's Objective Force. The integration of information from onboard and offboard sensors in an efficient and practical manner is critical to situational understanding, reconnaissance and security to the force. Northrop Grumman's Target Acquisition System Software (TASS) team is providing pre- and post-declaration fusion algorithms and software that perform this function. Pre-declaration fusion combines "raw" information from the radar and infra-red sensors. This combined information is processed by a sophisticated pattern recognition algorithm that provides for a higher target detection rate with fewer false alarms than by algorithms which treat the sensors' data independently. Post-declaration fusion assimilates information from on- and off-board information sources. The TASS algorithms correlate target information from these various sources, filter redundant reports and project their positions over time. This allows the Comanche crew to concentrate on their mission with minimal time spent interpreting massive amounts of data. Both of these techniques have been used on various fighter aircraft and satellites, but Comanche will be the first platform to incorporate fusion using a high-range resolution (HRR) dual-polarimetric radar with a second-generation infrared sensor and with lower-cost/lighter-weight electronics and processors.