Targeting Systems Characterization Facility

Abstract

For nearly five years, the Air Force Avionics Laboratory has operated the Targeting Systems Characterization Facility (TSCF) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. This has resulted in an extremely large amount of archived data describing the performance of an infrared sensor, the target and backgrounds observed by the sensor, and the environmental conditions occurring during the measurement periods. Since these data are stored in a digital computer in a rigid format, they can be efficiently and conveniently accessed. The TSCF data are available to the sensor community and have proven to be a valuable asset in the development and validation of the Research Grade Infrared Tactical Decision Aid, and in the investigation of environmental influences on infrared sensor performance. This paper describes the Targeting Systems Characterization Facility itself and demonstrates the usefulness of the data. Emphasis is placed on the measurement procedures and instrumentation used for the data collection. The preparation of this paper is sponsored by the Air Force Avionics Laboratory.