Simulating The Total System, Warts And All

The LHX helicopter, operated by one crewman in its scout-attack role, will demand an unprecedented degree of on-board system automation. Of necessity, this automation grants the aircraft decision-taking authority that has heretofore been the function of the crew. Simulation will be used extensively to validate automation and other concepts, but it must be carefully designed to recognize and reveal the problems inherent in the machine's new-found author­ity. This paper outlines a method for modelling the automatic target recognition and sensor fusion func­tions with sufficient fidelity to realistically evaluate the effects of false alarms, incorrect target classifications, and missed targets in the presence of targets and target-like clutter elements in man-in-the-loop mission simulations.