Air-to-ground weapon aiming - a synopsis and a look to the future

A review of air-to-ground weapon aiming is given, with emphasis placed on t he use of the head-up display (HUD), the main cockpit instrument used for a ccurate weapon aiming over the last 35 years. Nevertheless, the HUD is only of use for the aiming of forward-firing weapons. More advanced weapons hav e an off-axis capability and their aiming is greatly facilitated by the use of a helmet-mounted sight (HMS) or helmet-mounted display (HMD). The surfa ce-to-air threat and the rules of engagement, particularly in operations ot her than war, place high demands on the aircrew and the weapon aiming syste m, both to stand off from the target and to have a high degree of confidenc e that it is the target. The requirement to perform an accurate in-flight t ransfer alignment of the weapon places further demands upon the aircrew. Ti mely and accurate target data, digitally received, plus an on-board targeti ng system which can automatically search for and recognise a target, are of great utility in the final stages prior to weapon release. The Defence Eva luation and Research Agency is performing research in these areas.