Detection of Common Warfighting Symbology (MIL-STD-2525) Air Symbols

The Common Warfighting Symbology Standard Bravo version MIL-STD-2525B is a contractual requirement for a number of Australian defence projects. To evaluate how well MIL-STD-2525B supports rapid and accurate detection of symbols in clutter the current study examined the speed and accuracy with which 23 participants could detect the presence of each MIL-STD-2525B air affiliation symbol when symbol overlap and icon presence were manipulated. Detection efficiency and accuracy were significantly lower for MIL-STD-2525B friend, assumed friend, suspect and hostile symbols than for neutral and unknown symbols. Symbol overlap significantly reduced detection efficiency and accuracy. Icon presence reduced detection efficiency only. The results indicate that it was difficult to detect important air symbols in MIL-STD-2525B. The study also examined detection of friend, assumed friend, suspect and hostile symbols from the updated version of the standard, MIL-STD-2525C. The MIL-STD-2525C representation of suspect affiliation improved detection efficiency for suspect and hostile symbols compared to MIL-STD-2525B but the representation of assumed friend affiliation produced poorer detection efficiency for assumed friend and friend symbols. Thus the change to the suspect symbol proposed in MIL-STD-2525C appeared to be effective, but further work is required to modify the assumed friend symbol within the scope of the standard to improve the detection performance of friend and assumed friend symbols.