THE FIRE CONTROL PROBLEM

desperate attempt to break the radar lock, the pilot uses evasive maneuvering. It’s too late though. As the missile approaches its lethal “kill radius,” the proximity fuze on the missile’s warhead detonates the missile’s explosive charge, sending fragments out in every direction, destroying or neutralizing the target (figure 2-24). This information is confirmed by your ship’s sensors. The radar continues to track that target as it falls into the sea and the ESM equipment goes silent. THE FIRE CONTROL PROBLEM The above scenario is not something out of a war novel, but rather an example of a possible engagement between a hostile force (the enemy attack aircraft) and a Naval Weapons System (the ship). This scenario illustrates the concept of the “detect-to-engage” sequence, which is an integral part of the modern Fire Control Problem. Although the scenario was one of a surface ship against an air target, every weapon system performs the same functions: target detection, resolution or localization, classification, tracking, weapon selection, and ultimately neutralization. In warfare, these functions are performed by submarines, aircraft, tanks, and even Marine infantrymen. The target may be either stationary or mobile; it may travel in space, through the air, on the ground or surface of the sea, or even beneath the sea (figure 2-25). It may be m a n n e d o r u n m a n n e d , g u i d e d o r u n g u i d e d , maneuverable or in a fixed trajectory. It may travel at speeds that range from a few knots to several times the speed of sound. The term weapons system is a generalization encompassing a broad spectrum of components and subsystems. These components range from simple devices operated manually by a single person to complex devices operated by computers. To accomplish one specific function, a complex array of subsystems may be interconnected by computers and data communication links. This interconnecting allows the array to perform several f u n c t i o n s o r t o e n g a g e n u m e r o u s t a r g e t s simultaneously. Although each subsystem may be specifically designed to solve a particular part of the fire control problem, having these components operate in concert that allows the whole system to achieve its ultimate goal — the neutralization of the target. COMPONENTS All modern naval weapons systems, regardless of the medium they operate in or the type of weapon they use, consist of the basic components that allow the system to detect, track and engage the target. Sensor components must be designed for the environments in which the weapon system and the target operate. These components must also be capable of coping with widely varying target characteristics, including target range, bearing, speed, heading, size and aspect. Detecting the Target There are three phases involved in target detection by a weapons system. The first phase is surveillance and detection, the purpose of which is to search a predetermined area for a target and detect its presence. This may be accomplished actively, by sending energy out into the medium and waiting for the reflected energy to return, as in radar, or passively, by receiving energy being emitted by the target, as by ESM in our scenario. The second phase is to measure or localize the target’s position more accurately and by a series of such measurements estimate its behavior or motion relative to ownship. This is done by repeatedly determining the target’s range, bearing, and depth or elevation. Finally, the target must be classified; that is, its behavior must be interpreted to estimate its type, number, size and most importantly identity. The capabilities of weapon system sensors are measured by 2-18 Figure 2-24. —Successful engagement of a missile.