EW TEST AND EVALUATION - ASSURING SURVIVABILITY AND OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS Dr. Mike Pywell - EW Technologist & Project/Engineering Manager – Typhoon EW Rig Support Equipment Mitch Midgley-Davies – Technical Lead - Typhoon Avionics Sensors Future Capability (Radar/EW) Electromagnetic Engineering Department BAE SYSTEMS, Military Air & Information © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 1 Introduction Contents • Survival – man-made and unintentional threats • EW importance to survivability, mission success and affordability • Description of EW systems • Challenges facing the EW Test and Evaluation community • EW T&E process and capabilities • Description of significant developments to date • Moving EW T&E from flight towards modelling and simulation Security statement: Unclassified © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 2 Survival - Unintentional Threats • Lightning Strike • High intensity radiated fields (HiRF) • Electro-static discharge Bruce Fisher’s F-106B Typhoon undergoing full-threat Delta Dart was struck 714 lightning strike testing in BAE times during lightning Lightning strikes near taxying C-130 SYSTEMS EW Test Facility Hercules in Iraq research missions USAF Photo: Senior Airman James Croxon NASA Report SP-2003-4529 © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 3 Survival - Man-made Threats © Reproduced with the kind permission of Jane’s Information Group © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 4 Typical Missile Engagement Ranges vs. Missile Volume SA-21 SA-20 SA-10 SA-12 • Patriot SA-11, SA-17 SA-6 SA-3 SA-15 SA-19 SA-8 SA-16 SA-13 Roland SA-9 •SA-18 SA-14 • Rapier • Javelin SA-7 (USAF Photo by Airman 1st Class Jonathan Snyder) © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 5 Survivability and EW • EW is a vital element of survivability • Key capability of military aircraft • Assists survival to fulfil primary goal – mission success • Importance of ‘zero’ or ‘near zero’ attrition Photo: LCpl. Andrew Williams, US Marine Corps © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 6 Survivability components and terminology • Complex relationship between individual components • Applicable to land, sea and air platforms • Optimal survivability require balanced approach • Objective is best survivability needed to affordably achieve mission success / DEFENCE Source: Pywell, M., 2013. Development and management of high-fidelity test technology for comprehensive performance evaluation of electronic warfare systems in multi-threat environments. PhD. University of Central Lancashire, UK. © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 7 Survivability - The EW contribution DEFINITION: ‘Military action that exploits electromagnetic energy to provide situational awareness and achieve offensive and defensive effects.’* *North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Glossary of Terms and Definitions (English and French). AAP-06(2013) Available at http://nsa.nato.int/nsa/nsdd/listpromulg.html © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 8 EW Suite – functional block diagram © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 9 Typical Modern Defensive Aids System - Typhoon 6 5 1 2 4 1 3 1 3 1) Laser Warner 2) Avionics bay 3) Missile Warner 1 4 4) Flare dispenser 5) Chaff dispenser 6) ESM/ECM port pod 7) ESM/ECM starboard pod 5 8 8) RF towed decoy 7 © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 10 Modern EW Equipment Fit (Photos © SELEX-ES 2008-2013) © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 11 EW T&E Contribution to Challenging Solutions From ‘Improved Test Capabilities for Cost-effective Performance Evaluation of Airborne Electronic Warfare Systems’ (J. Royal Aeronautical Society, Sep-10), by these authors Challenge A S I E U Affordability Survivability Optimisation, Development and Sustainment of EW T&E Facilities Industrial Environmental Bolster chamber and laboratory test capability robustness UAS (UAV/UCAV) • To trap more problems prior to flight, saving T&E cost/time by reducing number of fly-fix-fly iterations required • To better support R&D, evaluation of prototype technical solutions and EW Technology Demonstrator Programmes • By generating more operationally realistic and measurable RF/IR/EO threat environments in laboratory/chambers Network EW T&E, Synthetic Environment (SE) and Modelling & Simulation (M&S) facilities – Benefits: • System requirements capture and optimisation, system development risk minimisation, training, tactics development Ensure long lead capabilities available in time. Anticipate: • Urgent Operational Requirements, upgrades and future EW fits • Upcoming ‘digital from back of sensor’ systems Rapid Development, Insertion & Acceptance of EW Systems Improvements Support increased EW acceptance process use of SE and M&S – provide facilities for robust validation of EW models EW Sensor placement optimisation via modelling and sub-/full-scale testing in anechoic chamber, to prevent, reduce, resolve problems with EW sensors/effectors, data links, communication systems and other RF sensors Laboratory/chamber R&D to understand mismatches between flight and ground test results Generate capability to perform mission rehearsal/optimisation in anechoic chamber’s secure RF environment Reduced Cost and Environmental Impact of EW T&E and Facilities Less flight testing and ground engine running = reduced fuel cost and carbon footprint More energy-efficient ground test facilities e.g. RF threat simulators Reduced RF environmental pollution: Radio/Radar/EW, EM Compatibility (EMC), lightning strike tests in chamber Codes Strong Contributor Medium Contributor Minor Contributor or Not Applicable © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 12 EW T&E Process From: Welch & Pywell NATO RTO AGARDograph 300 Vol.28, EW Test and Evaluation (Dec 2012). http://ftp.rta.nato.int/public//PubFullText/RTO/AG/RTO-AG-300-V28///$$AG-300-V28-ALL.pdf © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 13 EW T&E Capabilities • Required to support system design, development and customer acceptance • Modelling and Simulation (M&S) • Sub-System and Avionics Integration Laboratories (SIL) • Hardware In The Loop (HITL) • Measurement Facilities (MF) © UK Crown copyright 2006 • Installed System Test Facilities (ISTF) • Open Air Ranges (OAR) © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 14 Modelling and Simulation M&S is: • Representation of reality via use of models and simulations • Used throughout the platform systems’ life cycle Testing EW systems can be considered a ‘simulation’ of their operational use © BAE Systems 2013 M&S examples used in EW T&E include: • Antenna pattern modelling • Full emitter scenario modelling within RF threat simulator Synthetic Environments – rising importance to EW T&E process © Northrop Grumman Amherst Systems 2006 © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 15 Systems Integration Laboratory Scenarios Emitter Library From ‘Testing Tomorrow’s EW System Today’: P.W. Richard, BAE SYSTEMS North America © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 16 Measurement Facilities Various Types of MF’s used for T&E of EW Systems: • Cover testing of: • Un-installed EW components, e.g. antennas • Platform-installed EW systems • Main types shown on this and next slides: • Radar Cross Section • Infra-Red Signatures EMC Tests on Open Air Test Site • Antenna performance © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 17 Radar Cross Section Measurement RCS Range: • 2–18 GHz ground plane range • Full polarisation – H, V and Cross • Absolute RCS data, 1D and 2D imagery • Component and full scale targets up to 35 tonnes and 15m • On 7m tall, 12 tonne Az/El low-RCS positioner Mobile RCS Measurements: • 2–40 GHz instrumentation radar system • Test articles from component to whole body targets of up to 12 m • Measure target in early and mid-life cycle, production stage and in service © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 18 Infra-Red Signature Measurement Key measurement capabilities: • Engine/plume measurements • Hotspot investigations and black body calibration • Thermal Imaging Cameras: • Medium Wave IR (3-5 μm) • Long Wave IR (8-12 μm) • Spectro-radiometer (1.25 – 14.8 μm) • Temperature range -20ºC to +1500ºC • Ground-to-Ground/-Air and Air-to-Air & -Ground © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 19 Antenna Pattern Measurement • Essential to know antenna pattern and gain • Data gathered from facilities shown Antenna Pattern Measurement • Data used to: • Support design verification • Validate Modelling & Simulation • Programme RF threat simulators © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 20 INSTALLED SYSTEM TEST FACILITIES Installed Systems Test Facilities • Large anechoic chambers • Limited examples world-wide, this is UK example • Recently upgraded: • 11 Channel CEESIM • Signal Measurement System • Infrastructure & Amplifiers RFEG ECM RMS © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 21 INSTALLED SYSTEM TEST FACILITIES Open Air Ranges www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/gallery.htm © BAE Systems 2013. All rights reserved. DEAL 5868 22 INSTALLED SYSTEM TEST FACILITIES Significant Threat Simulator Developments to Date (1) Emitter modelling - • Fully Complex Emitters and Environment Realism • RF source improvements • RF pulse shaping • Optimal Use of RF Resources • Modelling of jammers and newer radar features • Pulse Modulator Components • Emitter antenna pattern modelling © Northrop Grumman Amherst Systems 2011 Pywell, M. ‘Developments in RF Simulator Technology – Approaching the Affordable Fidelity Limit’. The Aeronautical