Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2016 Electronic Warfare Receiver Resource Management and Optimization William Metz Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Operational Research Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Management and Technology This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by William Metz has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. David Gould, Committee Chairperson, Management Faculty Dr. Thomas Spencer, Committee Member, Management Faculty Dr. Nikunja Swain, University Reviewer, Management Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2016 Abstract Electronic Warfare Receiver Resource Management and Optimization by William Metz MA, University of Nebraska, Omaha, 2002 BS, United States Air Force Academy, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Applied Management and Decision Sciences Walden University May 2016 Abstract Optimization of electronic warfare (EW) receiver scan strategies is critical to improving the probability of surviving military missions in hostile environments. The problem is that the limited understanding of how dynamic variations in radar and EW receiver characteristics has influenced the response time to detect enemy threats. The dependent variable was the EW receiver response time and the 4 independent variables were EW receiver revisit interval, EW receiver dwell time, radar scan time, and radar illumination time. Previous researchers have not explained how dynamic variations of independent variables affected response time. The purpose of this experimental study was to develop a model to understand how dynamic variations of the independent variables influenced response time. Queuing theory provided the theoretical foundation for the study using Little’s formula to determine the ideal EW receiver revisit interval as it states the mathematical relationship among the variables. Findings from a simulation that produced 17,000 data points indicated that Little’s formula was valid for use in EW receivers. Findings also demonstrated that variation of the independent variables had a small but statistically significant effect on the average response time. The most significant finding was the sensitivity in the variance of response time given minor differences of the test conditions, which can lead to unexpectedly long response times. Military users and designers of EW systems benefit most from this study by optimizing system response time, thus improving survivability. Additionally, this research demonstrated a method that may improve EW product development times and reduce the cost to taxpayers through more efficient test and evaluation techniques. Electronic Warfare Receiver Scan Strategy Optimization by William Metz MA, University of Nebraska, Omaha, 2002 BS, United States Air Force Academy, 1997 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Applied Management and Decision Sciences Walden University May 2016 Dedication I would like to take this opportunity to extend my deepest gratitude to my wife, Nanette, for supporting me in this effort. It has been long road and one that I certainly would not have been able to finish without her unwavering love and support. Along those lines, I have to thank my children. There have been several times when we would have preferred to play, but instead did our homework. Finally, I have to acknowledge my parents. Sadly, they passed away 20 years ago; they instilled in me the value of education. That passion for education and knowledge inspired me to pursue education in every aspect of my life, and I try to pass that passion on to my children. Acknowledgments Completing doctoral studies is a life-changing event and one that requires an extensive amount of work and help. I have to acknowledge all of the help I have received along the way. I would first like to thank my first academic chair, Dr. Ernie Hughes, for working so hard with me. His enthusiasm encouraged me to work through the early frustrations. Fortunately, Ernie referred me to Dr. David Gould to continue guiding me in my education. Dave has been nothing less than spectacular in his guidance. He is truly a gifted mentor and scholar. I would not have made it to this point without him. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Spencer and Dr. Swain for all their help. Table of Contents List of Tables .......................................................................................................................v List of Figures .................................................................................................................... vi Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Background of the Study ...............................................................................................1 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................3 Purpose of the Study ......................................................................................................4 Research Question(s) and Hypotheses ...........................................................................5 Theoretical Foundation ..................................................................................................7 Nature of the Study ........................................................................................................8 Definitions....................................................................................................................10 Assumptions .................................................................................................................13 Periodic search strategies ...................................................................................... 13 Normally distributed variation of independent variables...................................... 14 The radar has a fixed frequency ............................................................................ 14 Radar performance characteristics are known a priori ......................................... 15 Radar field of view................................................................................................ 15 100% pulse processing .......................................................................................... 15 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................15 Limitations ...................................................................................................................18 Significance of the Study .............................................................................................19 i Significance to Theory .......................................................................................... 21 Significance to Practice......................................................................................... 22 Significance to Social Change .............................................................................. 23 Summary and Transition ..............................................................................................24 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................26 Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................27 Theoretical Foundation ................................................................................................30 Literature Review.........................................................................................................38 Radar Operations .................................................................................................. 38 Functions of a Receiver ........................................................................................ 60 Search and Search Theory .................................................................................... 61 Geolocation ........................................................................................................... 66 Measurement and Identification ........................................................................... 77 Discussion on Revisit Interval .............................................................................. 83 Discussion on EW Receiver Scan Plan and the Effects of Variation ................... 85 Summary and Conclusions ..........................................................................................92 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................96 Research Design and Rationale ...................................................................................97 Methodology ..............................................................................................................100