Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) has been the principal mission of the AEGIS Combat System since its introduction to the fleet. TSC provides AAW system engineering support to the Navy for each AEGIS "baseline" configuration's lifecycle. This includes reviewing requirement specifications prior to major design reviews, providing recommendations and performance predictions, and supporting Fleet operations. We also evaluate the performance of new sensors and weapons which are integrated into the AEGIS Combat System, and provide technical support for the Navy in making integration decisions for these new combat system elements. The heart of our work involves developing high-fidelity computer models to study design issues and to make design recommendations. Our unique models of the AN/SPY-1 and AN/SPQ-9B radars have allowed us to predict radar performance accurately and to evaluate candidate design approaches. The Navy relies on TSC's radar and combat system expertise on a continuing basis.

The successful AEGIS Deceptive Electronic Attack Improvement Program (ADIP) has benefited from TSC's tracking and AN/SPY-1 Radar expertise in the areas of radar control algorithm design, radar computer code development data analysis, test and training support. ADIP's improved track continuity and search features were demonstrated repeatedly during at-sea test trials. The USS Cole will be the first AEGIS destroyer to be deployed with ADIP. Recently, efforts have begun to integrate ADIP technology into future baseline variants. TSC will be intimately involved in this effort not only in bringing the existing ADIP capability forward, but in improving the design further to take advantage of newer computer processor technology.

TSC recently assessed the relative advantage of incorporating the new AN/SPQ-9B horizon search radar into the AEGIS Combat System. The purpose of the AN/SPQ-9B Radar integration is to assist the multipurpose AN/SPY-1 Radar in horizon search operation, providing for robust ship defense by initiating AEGIS Weapon System engagements from AN/SPQ-9B cues. TSC was able to apply detailed models of the environment and both radars to produce quantitative predictions of system performance. We have also studied the performance of the AN/SPQ-9B tracking algorithms and performance of the AN/SPQ-9B under electronic attack.

A significant part of TSC's AAW Systems Engineering support involves assessing of performance and evaluation of test results of the AN/SPY-1D(V) Radar variant soon to be introduced to provide more effective operation in littoral environments. Models to predict AN/SPY-1 radar anomalous low elevation propagation, originally developed under SBIR funding, have been further developed and applied to address the littoral warfare environment. Additionally, TSC has produced a comprehensive model of the behavior of sea spike clutter and is completing an emulation of the AN/SPY-1D(V) Radar's signal processing chain capable of processing recorded test data. Both of these programs have been merged with TSC's emulation of the AN/SPY-1 Track Initiation Processor (TIP) in order to predict radar performance in both real and simulated clutter environments.