Abstract
This chapter addresses the concepts, methods, apparatus, and tools that were used to establish the operational requirements and system architecture for an advanced mission performance aid (the Smart Cockpit) that targets aerial combat operations. An advanced set of design tools were developed and made available in order for any number of design teams to begin the much needed work in this important area. As the complexity of our modern avionic systems increase, the meaningful definition of operational requirements and corresponding crew station informational representations (display features) early in the design cycle is becoming increasingly important. Topics to be examined include mission decomposition, critical task analysis, information requirements, function allocation, and crew station display features. This material is intended for managers, engineers, human factor professionals, and test and evaluation flight crews facing the important yet challenging task of improving mission performance in an increasingly complex environment.
TopCritical Mission Concerns
In current and future aid battles, pilots are likely to encounter sophisticated, numerically superior threat systems, and thus may encounter high task loading—high risk situations complicated further with serious information overload. The modern tactical environment will consist of:
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More weapons choices
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Increasing number of weapons guidance choices
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A proliferation of onboard sensors
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Battle zone network demands
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Expansion of the operational environment
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Communication requirements.