NATIONAL IMAGERY INTERPRETATION RATING SYSTEM AND THE PROBABILITIES OF DETECTION, RECOGNITION, AND IDENTIFICATION

A large number of electro-optical (EO) and IR sensors are used on mili tary platforms such as ground vehicles, low-altitude air vehicles, hig h-altitude air vehicles, and satellite systems, Ground vehicle and low -altitude air vehicle (rotary and fixed-wing aircraft) sensors typical ly use the probabilities of discrimination (detection, recognition, an d identification) as design requirements and system performance indica tors. High-altitude air vehicles and satellite sensors have traditiona lly used national imagery interpretation rating system (NIIRS) perform ance measures for guidance in design and measures of system performanc e, Data from the high-altitude air vehicle and satellite sensors are n ow being made available to the warfighter for many applications includ ing surveillance and targeting. National imagery offices are being mer ged and restructured to support the warfighters and connectivities to high-altitude air vehicle sensors more effectively, It is becoming mor e apparent that the gap between the NIIRS approach and the probabiliti es of discrimination approach must be addressed, Users, engineers, and analysts must have a comparative basis for assessing the image qualit y between the two classes of sensors. The two approaches are described and compared. (C) 1997 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engin eers.