Dynamic mission planning allows rapid response

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HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. (AFPN) --  Technology is helping put today's warfighters at the right fight at the right time with the flexibility to change target identification or redirect aircraft in flight.

Rapidly maturing satellite technology supports dynamic planning for fast-changing battlefield environments, and Electronic Systems Center experts here said they are taking full advantage of this on the new Joint Mission Planning System.

Currently, mission planners have to re-enter mission information manually in each system, as it is passed from one system to another. But automated machine-to-machine transfers are on the near-term horizon, and this will be one of the main benefits derived from JMPS, said Don Goodale of the Air Force mission planning system program office.

"During the execution of a mission, plans can be updated in near real-time speeds and aircraft redirected in flight," said Col. Bill Nelson, the office’s director.

During Operation Enduring Freedom, air component commanders even altered unmanned aerial vehicle missions such as Global Hawk.

"They were able to retask it during the execution of a preplanned mission to go off on a vector and collect imagery on a set of new reconnaissance targets," Mr. Goodale said. "The images were forwarded to a ground station and then to operational units who confirmed the targets and directed their airborne resources accordingly."

Navy and Air Force experts are working together on they system, as both prepare to field it on various aircraft, starting primarily with their respective fighter fleets. Program officials said Navy experts are moving out on the F/A-18 now, with operational testing already under way. Air Force experts will begin operational testing on the F-15 Eagle this summer and deliver it in late spring 2005.

However, having one common system does not mean every aircraft will have exactly the same planning components, Colonel Nelson said.

This is an important concept because mission planning today is a lot more than plotting longitude and latitude, Mr. Goodale said. Detailed mission plans also include threat data, weather information, weapons characteristics and more.

With all that information to factor in, and considering the varied missions and characteristics of each aircraft, it is not feasible to take a "one-size-fits-all" approach, he said. Still, commonality is essential for interoperability and efficiency, and the system provides the best of both worlds.

Colonel Nelson said ESC officials plan to release JMPS in increments, adding new functionality every 12 to 18 months. Each increment will move the system closer to a completely Web-enabled system that transfers data automatically from machine to machine.

"Since data flows are automatic and synchronized, mission planners and decision makers don't have to worry about getting the information they need," Colonel Nelson said of the initiative. "Instead, they can use the information to focus on the art of war." (Courtesy of Air Force Materiel Command News Service)