Lessons Learned from Executing an ADS Air-to-Air Missile Test in Near Real Time

The Live Fly Phase LFP of the Systems Integration Test SIT was executed by the Joint Advanced Distributed Simulation JADS Joint Test Force JTF and the 46th Test Wing at Eglin AFB, FL during 1997. The purpose of the SIT is to evaluate the utility of using advanced distributed simulations ADS to support cost-effective testing of an integrated missile weaponlaunch aircraft system in an operationally realistic scenario. The SIT missions simulate a single shooter aircraft launching an air-to-air missile against a single target aircraft. In the LFP, the shooter and target were represented by live aircraft and the missile by a simulator. ADS techniques were used to link two live F-16 fighter aircraft flying over the Eglin Gulf Test Range to the AMRAAM AIM-120 hardware-in-the-loop HWIL simulation facility at Eglin. In order to successfully integrate these assets for a near real-time test, the JADS team learned several lessons during the risk reduction and test execution phases. The lessons highlighted here concern test control aspects, computer processing, and telemetry issues. Control of a distributed test dealt with tactical aircraft control, scenario and data collection decisions, collocation of critical project personnel, and voice communications. Computer processing lessons dealt with simulated GPS data, pre-processing live GPS data from several aircraft pods, creation of an aircraft to HWIL-missile interface, and contingency planning for real-time malfunctions. Telemetry issues concerned aircraft and terrain shielding, and an implementation to handle random sensor dropouts. These lessons would be applicable for other projects when coupling live and virtual assets for evaluation of fire control radars or precision guided munitions. Many lessons on control and processing also apply to simulation tests which link distributed facilities.