Reconnaissance Operations Research Articles

Micro-Doppler-based target detection and feature extraction in indoor and outdoor environments

Abstract In many cases, a target or a structure on a target may have micro-motions, such as vibrations or rotations. Micro-motions of structures on a target may introduce frequency modulation on the returned radar signal and generate sidebands on the Doppler frequency shift of the target's body. The modulation due to micro-motion is called the micro-Doppler (m-D) phenomenon. In this paper, we present an effective quadratic time–frequency S-method-based approach in conjunction with the Viterbi algorithm to extract m-D features. For target recognition applications, mainly those in military surveillance and reconnaissance operations, m-D features have to be extracted quickly so that they can be used for real-time target identification. The S-method is computationally simple, requiring only slight modifications to the existing Fourier transform-based algorithm. The effectiveness of the S-method in extracting m-D features is demonstrated through the application to indoor and outdoor experimental data sets such as rotating fan and human gait. The Viterbi algorithm for the instantaneous frequency estimation is used to enhance the weak human m-D features in relatively high noise environments. As such, this paper contributes additional experimental m-D data and analysis, which should help in developing a better picture of the human gait m-D research and its applications to indoor and outdoor imaging and automatic gait recognition systems.

Real-time motion compensation, image formation and image enhancement of moving targets in ISAR and SAR using S-method-based approach

The commonly used technique for inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR)/synthetic aperture radar signal analysis is a two-dimensional Fourier transform (FT), which results in an image of the target's reflectivity mapped onto a range and cross-range plane. However, in cases where the line-of-sight projections of the target's point velocities change or there is uncompensated movement within the coherent integration time, the FT produces blurred images. For target recognition applications, mainly those in military surveillance and reconnaissance operations, a blurred ISAR image has to be refocused quickly so that it can be used for real-time target identification. Two standard techniques used for improvement of blurred ISAR images are motion compensation and the use of quadratic time–frequency representations. Both are computationally intensive. The authors present an effective quadratic time–frequency representation, the S-method. This approach performs better than the Fourier transform method by drastically improving images of fast manoeuvring targets and by increasing the SNR in both low and high noise environments. These advantages are a result of the S-method's ability to automatically compensate for quadratic and all even higher-order phase terms. Thus, targets with constant acceleration will undergo full motion compensation and their point scatterers will each be localised. It should be noted that the source of the quadratic term can come not only from acceleration, but also from non-uniform rotational motion and the cosine term in wide-angle imaging. The method is also computationally simple, requiring only slight modifications to the existing FT-based algorithm. The effectiveness of the S-method is demonstrated through application to simulated and experimental data sets.

The Finnish Forward Surgical Team Experience During EUFOR Operation RD Congo in 2006.

The army Forward Surgical Team (FST) is a mobile surgical asset designed to provide life- and limbsaving combat surgery in remote and austere terrains. Operation EUFOR RDC in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in 2006 was the first one planned and conducted solely by the European Union Forces (EUFOR). The first two European FSTs reported in the present article were established by the Finnish Defence Forces.The Finnish FSTs were deployed for 4 months in Kinshasa. Three different deployment scenarios were trained; the equipments loaded on two trucks and carried by two C-130 aircrafts, the equipments loaded on two aircraft pallets (no trucks) and carried by one C-130 aircraft, and the equipments loaded on and carried by two CH-53 helicopters. The FSTs were deployed in three tactical and four reconnaissance operations. Due to the peacekeeping nature of the Operation, the surgical medical workload was light. The total number of patients treated by FSTs was 12,5 of them being due to trauma and 7 to medical condition. All trauma cases were of noncombat origin, and only one of them was severe.The European FST concept should be developed for future missions regarding the experiences gained during the reported deployment, the main goals being the mobility and the lightness of the unit. This kind of special trauma surgical asset, designed for remote theatres, will possibly be useful also in other emergency operations taking place in non-conventional circumstances; a concept of FST could easily be deployed in short notice to various accidental and natural disasters.

Network-Centric Systems for Military Operations in Urban Terrain: The Role of UAVs

Military systems are the motivational driver for much of the technology development conducted at applied research laboratories around the world. As the needs of the world's militaries change, so does the focus of this research and development. In this paper, we discuss how the fundamental characteristics of military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) impose requirements and constraints on sensing and reconnaissance. We highlight the importance of a new class of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for network-centric military urban operations. We review some of the UAVs that have been developed in recent years, and that are under development, with particular attention to their endurance, portability, performance, payload, and communication capabilities. Selected university testbeds are also briefly noted. Over the last few years there has been considerable research focused on how these small UAVs, both individually and collectively, can operate autonomously in urban environments and help capture and communicate needed information. We discuss some of this research; specific topics covered include guidance and control for autonomous operation, multi-UAV coordination and route optimization, and ad-hoc networking with UAV nodes. A new concept of operations is described that relies on coordination and control of a heterogeneous suite of small UAVs for surveillance and reconnaissance operations in urban terrain

Terrain Navigation for Underwater Vehicles Using the Correlator Method

In many autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) applications of long duration, there is a need to accurately determine the AUV's position in an effective way, in terms of both cost and energy consumption. Such situations may occur in reconnaissance operations, mine counter measure operations, and when an AUV is sampling the characteristics of the environment along a track. Since underwater maps are rare, there also is a need for navigational methods that can accommodate very infrequent sampling in terms of time and space. This work describes a new method to solve the above problem by using a multibeam sonar for three-dimensional sampling of the bottom topography and a linear Kalman filter in a nearly optimal way. The proposed method is very accurate, robust, and computationally efficient compared to other methods that are used for terrain navigation. This method is also suitable for continuous navigation.

2A1-2F-B3 屋外環境下で用いる自律移動システムに関する研究 : 第 21 報半球視野を持つ偵察・監視用ビジョンセンサの開発

全周囲撮像装置(ODV)によりドーナツ画像を連続パノラマ展開し, 姿勢・移動速度取得により画像の重ね合わせを行い, 連続パノラマ画像による環境地図生成装置の開発を行う。

Physiological and Cognitive Performance of Soldiers Conducting Routine Patrol and Reconnaissance Operations in the Tropics

The physiological and cognitive performance of acclimatized soldiers undertaking routine patrol and reconnaissance activities in the tropics was investigated. Data were obtained during a patrol and a reconnaissance exercise followed by a short assault. Ambient conditions were characterized by temperatures of 30 to 33 degrees C, low humidity (52-59%), and moderate to high solar radiation. Maximum metabolic rates during patrol were high, although the equipment carried was modest and the terrain was not severe. Rectal temperatures peaked at 38.2 and 38.4 degrees C for patrol and assault activities, respectively; peak heart rates were 160 beats min-1 for each activity. Sweat rates of approximately 9 and 14 g kg-1 body weight h-1 were recorded for patrol and assault activities, respectively. The soldiers maintained adequate hydration levels and displayed no evidence of deterioration in cognitive performance. The data show that routine operational activities in tropical conditions induced physiological strain in acclimatized soldiers. However, this strain was not maintained at hazardous levels for lengthy periods.

Mesoscale circulation features of the great barrier reef region inferred from NOAA satellite imagery

The commissioning of a NOAA satellite receiving station at Townsville in North Queensland in 1988 greatly expanded the A VHRR coverage of the northeast Australian region to include the entire Great Barrier Reef system and marginal seas. Selected imagery from this and a southern station installed previously at Aspendale, Victoria provide a valuable new perspective on oceanographic phenomena occurring in this ecologically significant region. This perspective could not be attained using conventional ship-board and in situ oceanographic sampling techniques. A rich spectrum of mesoscale oceanographic features is revealed in the analyzed imagery, and various features such as western boundary current meanders, frontal shear waves, eddies, and jets are described. The temporal and spatial variability of these features appears strongly linked to that of the larger-scale Coral Sea current circulation. Several of the features identified are unique to the region; others resemble features observed in other western boundary current systems, but are significantly modified by the complex regional topography, and by the presence of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Evidence has been found for a number of processes which have significant implications for the origin and maintenance of GBR ecosystems, including shelf edge exchange processes, stratified slope water intrusions onto the shelf, and boundary layer mixing around reefs. Such processes provide a mechanism for injection of cool nutrient-rich waters into the reef matrix. The imagery provides a clear picture of a well-organized, but spatially complex, frontal system existing in the southern Coral Sea, which is associated with enhanced commercial and recreational fishing activity in the region. The AVHRR imagery has thus proven to be a valuable tool for spatial mapping of oceanographic features throughout the GBR region, for hypothesis formation in dynamical and modeling studies, and for ship-board reconnaissance operations.

AIRBORNE DETECTION, IMAGING AND TELEMETRY OF OIL AND OTHER SPECTRAL FEATURES ON THE OCEAN SURFACE

ABSTRACT A transition is underway in imaging technology for airborne surveillance and reconnaissance operations. Large independent sensor systems carried in dedicated airframes, are being replaced by more economical, compact, and integrated multisensor arrays with a common processor that are portable enough to fit into a variety of small aircraft. Development of such a system was stimulated by a perceived need to enhance marine oil spill response and cleanup, and to better mitigate the environmental and economic impact of such incidents. The newest of these systems incorporates an aerial platform, a suite of advanced commercial sensors, a six degrees of freedom global positioning system (GPS), advanced database technology to manage spatial data, and image analysis capabilities. The operational goal of this development is to furnish valuable reconnaissance information in real time to ground users. Such a capability could advance oil spill response and other applications where rapid acquisition, integration, and communication of complex data is essential to decision-making. The ability to conduct day, night, and adverse weather surveillance operations is restricted in current systems and is another benefit this system is designed to provide. The innovation in the system especially lies in the development of a common processor and image fusion system which integrates, georeferences, and geocorrects multisensor data and transmits it in real time. A graphic interface was designed to provide maps or other projections as a spatial reference system on which to plot data from a surveillance mission. New imaging numerical methods allow processing of composite images, multi-image mosaics, change detection, and other data manipulation, and were tested in field trials of the system.

Mine Countermeasure Support Platform Conversion Ship Design

U.S. Navy experience gained from the mine countermeasures (MCM) operations against the mines planted by Iraq during Operation Desert Storm highlighted the need for a centralized platform for support of MCM operations. This centralized Mine Countermeasures Support (MCS) platform would meet two critical needs: it would enable the employment of integrated MCM forces and it would allow the MCM Group Commander to be deployed with those MCM forces. Full integration of all MCM forces by the MCM Commander is the key to effective MCM operations. The MCM forces comprised Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM), Surface Mine Countermeasures (SMCM) and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mine Countermeasures (EODMCM). The strengths of each must be captured and coordinated by the MCM Commander. AMCM assets are capable of rapidly deploying to conduct reconnaissance, precursor and clearance MCM operations. SMCM assets are more capable of sustained large area mine clearance and possess an organic ability to neutralize located mines. EODMCM assets are specialized EOD detachments that are also capable of rapidly deploying to support AMCM and SMCM minehunting and mechanical sweeping operations by identifying, neutralizing or countercharging, recovering, exploiting and disposing of sea mines. USS Inchon (LPH-12) has been selected by the U.S. Navy as the most cost-effective platform to provide a near-term solution which will meet the requirements discussed above. After a brief discussion of MCM operations, other candidate MCS platforms studied, and the far-term (new construction) MCS(X), the remainder of the paper will focus on the conversion of the LPH-12 to operate as the centralized platform for MCM operations

The First Three Months of War: A Journalist's Reminiscences of Korea

On a sultry July day early in the afternoon, three U.S. Army jeeps drove up to the crest of a hill, overlooking a small cluster of houses in South Korea. Along each side of the road there was a column of infantrymen marching ahead, not too cautiously. The first jeep contained the company commander, the battalion S-2 (intelligence officer), and staff officer from the regiment; the third vehicle, with some headquarters personnel, had its machine gun mounted. The second jeep was full of newspaper correspondents. Carl Mydans from Life, Keyes Beech from the Chicago Daily News, Roy McCartney from Australian Associated Press/Reuters, Tom Lambert from the Associated Press, and myself, then the Tokyo bureau chief of Time and Life magazines. There was almost a feeling of expectation among us the troops heading toward what looked like a reconnaissance oper ation in the valley below. The officers, fresh from service in Europe, thought that it would not take very long to secure the village we were looking down on. But there was an odd quiet to things; and the correspondents did not like the look of it. All five of us had been through World War II in the Pacific. Beech and Lambert had been combat correspondents; McCartney was an Australian infantry officer. As a U.S. Navy lieu tenant in intelligence, had served myself through the island hopping battles in the Pacific. asked the company commander to stop and suggested that he wait a while; perhaps he might send a small patrol ahead to explore the terrain. The North Koreans, it seemed to us, were given to ambushes and this was a very good place for one. The company commander and his superiors listened to us, but politely turned down our offer. We are just going right on ahead boys, he said, I don't see much trouble around here. You're wel come to follow us. The more we looked down at that all-too-still

USAF Aerial Weather Reconnaissance Using the Lockheed WC-130 Aircraft

Air Force weather reconnaissance forces fly a wide variety of missions for many different military and civilian agencies. The workhorse of the weather reconnaissance fleet is the Lockheed WC-130 “Hercules,” operated by three weather reconnaissance squadrons. A discussion of the organization of Air Force weather reconnaissance forces is presented along with brief remarks concerning the aircraft and its meteorological instrumentation. The tropical cyclone reconnaissance, tactical support, and East Coast winter storms missions are discussed as being representative of typical weather reconnaissance operations. The effectiveness of Air Force weather reconnaissance is considered along with remarks concerning the accuracy of data acquired on typical operations. Efforts to develop improved meteorological systems over nearly a decade have resulted in concept development for an Improved Weather Reconnaissance System (IWRS), whose general characteristics are briefly considered.

The Structure and Productivity of Brazilian Agriculture

SINCE February 1, 1963, the authors of this paper have been engaged in a collaborative study of the causes of low productivity in Brazilian agriculture. This is the first of what we hope will be several reports on the results of this study. The difficulty of our assignment may be better appreciated when one recalls that Brazil is larger in area than the continental United States. Hence, what two professional workers can cover of Brazil within a limited period of time defies application of standard statistical sampling procedures. Instead, we were forced to limit ourselves to a series of case studies of 99 agricultural establishments located in seven important farming areas of Brazil. Hence, our conclusions must be considered tentative and our survey a reconnaissance operation for later research in greater depth. With all its statistical limitations, how-