Generating Targets for the Air Force – The Complicated Task

Generating Targets for the Air Force – The Complicated Task

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By Arie Egozi

Many aerial platforms with very sharp-eyed sensors look at the war zone continuously. These platforms, a few hundred or thousand meters above the ground, stream the images to the ground processing stations and they have the task to turn these images into targets that too often are exposed for very, very short time.

The main challenges that the Israeli Air Force (IAF) is confronted with in what is dubbed low-intensity warfare focus on the short time a target can be hit without causing collateral damage.

This requires a very efficient “targets generator” that can supply “live” targets almost in real-time.

Many Israeli companies have been developing such generators based on the vast operational experience of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), mainly the IAF.

Some systems are based on a special software that operates a visual search engine that provides unmatched performance in the detection and profiling of targets from aerial/satellite images in real-time.

Experts say that the capability of this type of generators enables the rapid delivery of intelligence information to forces in the field, thus shortening the sensor-to-shooter loop.

The systems, according to the experts, provide unlimited target-object definition and profiling flexibility, including vehicles, specific vehicle types and infrastructure.

Another feature in some of these systems is a unique interactive user feedback mechanism that continuously improves the level of precision and enables adaptability to new user needs.

The software – which provides an intuitive user-friendly interface and investigation tools – can be used as a stand-alone solution or as an add-on to an existing Geographic Information System (GIS) imagery management system.

The number of technologies used to create clear targets for the armed forces has been growing and new versions are offered to the market.