The Javelin Integrated Flight Simulation

The cornerstone of the all-digital simulation for the Javelin missile system is its accurately rendered high fidelity 8-12mum infrared imagery of targets, clutter, and countermeasure effects. The Javelin missile system is a medium range, manportable, shoulder-launched, fire-and-forget, anti-armor weapon system. Javelin has two major components: a reusable Command Launch Unit (CLU) and a missile sealed in a disposable launch tube assembly. The CLU incorporates an integrated day/night sight and provides target engagement capability in adverse weather and countermeasure environments. The Javelin missile incorporates an imaging infrared seeker with a fire-and-forget tracker that allows the gunner to fire the missile and immediately take cover. The on-board tracker guides the missile to the target until impact. The tracker and its ability to maintain lock on the target throughout flight emerged as the most critical aspect of the Javelin system. A cost-effective way to develop and test new tracker algorithms became a necessity. Additionally, an innovative way to determine system performance of a fire and forget imaging infrared system was needed. From these requirements came the development of the Javelin Integrated Flight Simulation (IFS). The Javelin IFS is a high fidelity all-digital simulation whose primary functions are tracker algorithm development, flight test predictions and reconstructions, and system performance assessment. The IFS contains six models: environment model, seeker model, tracker model, autopilot, six degrees-of-freedom (6-DOF) model, and gunner model. The most critical aspect of the IFS is feeding the tracker with as realistic imagery as possible. The seeker model working in conjunction with the environment model gives the IFS highly realistic and fully verified, validated, and accredited imagery of targets, terrain, and countermeasures.