New criterion for aircraft susceptibility to infrared guided missiles

Abstract This paper assesses aircraft susceptibility from the first principles, with respect to the threat posed by passively guided infrared homing missiles; with an objective of gaining insight into the comprehensiveness of the relationship between aircraft susceptibility and aircraft infrared signature level. The conventional criterion of aircraft susceptibility assessment based on its lock-on envelop is found to be inadequate, and a new criterion termed here as the Lethal Envelop is presented. The proposed susceptibility assessment criterion is more relevant for coming generation of infrared-guided missiles, because of advancements in the infrared detection technology. A threshold infrared signature level is also proposed as benchmark to be satisfied by all infrared signature suppression systems; if aircraft susceptibility to infrared guided missiles is to be reduced. This analysis is vital for gauging the effectiveness of infrared signature suppression systems. A typical air-to-air combat situation is simulated, and the results that lead to aircraft susceptibility assessment are obtained from this model, which illustrates the comprehensiveness of the redefined aircraft susceptibility assessment approach.

[1]  Shripad P. Mahulikar,et al.  Aircraft Plume Infrared Signature in Nonafterburning Mode , 2005 .

[2]  Robert E. Ball,et al.  The fundamentals of aircraft combat survivability analysis and design , 1985 .

[3]  Dimitri N. Mavris,et al.  A Parametric Design Environment for Including Signatures Analysis in Conceptual Design , 2000 .

[4]  V. Volpe,et al.  BALANCING DESIGN FOR SURVIVABILITY , 1993 .

[5]  Shripad P. Mahulikar,et al.  Aircraft Powerplant and Plume Infrared Signature Modelling and Analysis , 2005 .

[6]  F. F. Sizov.  Infrared detectors: outlook and means , 2000 .

[7]  W. H. Barlow,et al.  Advanced Design Infra-Red Suppressors for Turboshaft Engines , 1977 .

[8]  William J. Begert.  Kosovo and Theater Air Mobility , 1999 .

[9]  Shripad P. Mahulikar,et al.  Effect of Atmospheric Transmission and Radiance on Aircraft Infrared Signatures , 2005 .

[10]  Shripad P. Mahulikar,et al.  Integrated review of stealth technology and its role in airpower , 2002, The Aeronautical Journal (1968).

[11]  Kwong-Kit Choi.  QWIP technology: advances and prospects , 2002, SPIE OPTO.

[12]  William A. Bell,et al.  Impact of advances in imaging infrared detectors on anti-aircraft missile performance , 1999, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[13]  Martin Walther,et al.  Multicolor and dual-band IR camera for missile warning and automatic target recognition , 2002, SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing.

[14]  Shripad P. Mahulikar,et al.  Skin-Temperature Prediction of Aircraft Rear Fuselage with Multimode Thermal Model , 2005 .

[15]  U. N. Gaitonde,et al.  Numerical studies of infrared signature levels of complete aircraft , 2001, The Aeronautical Journal (1968).