The Time-Critical Targeting Model

This research project will develop a model that describes how we acquire, designate and engage a time-critical target. Very rarely do U.S. Air Force aircraft operate independently. F-15Cs integrate with E-3 AWACS for counter air while F-16CJs and RC-135s coordinate for suppression of enemy air defense. Shooters and sensors continuously interact to put weapons on target. Developments in modern warfare place a premium on the timeliness and accuracy of this interaction. And yet current operational and tactical integration of sensors and shooters is extremely haphazard; successful integration and target engagement is primarily due to random innovation. Sensor-to-shooter relationships require more analysis and a documented systematic approach to optimize current and future operations. In this thesis, I analyze the targeting data sent from sensor to sensor and from sensor to shooter.