Integrating vector overlay information into naval digital map systems

The US Navy's aviation platforms rely on cockpit moving-map displays to provide an accurate geospatial representation of a mission area to the warfighter to enhance situational awareness and improve mission effectiveness. Older digital map systems would simply display digitized, paper aeronautical charts to pilots and navigators. Navy systems now utilize the Tactical Aircraft Moving Map Capability (TAMMAC) as the common digital mapping system (DMS) for naval fixed wing aircraft. TAMMAC provides the enhanced capability to support digital terrain elevation data and imagery, in addition to digitized aeronautical charts. As technology has progressed, a newer model of TAMMAC provides advanced capabilities, including the ability to support vector overlay features integrated with other avionic functions in the DMS. Scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) have experience processing and compiling DMS data, as well as applying human factors principles to improve display design and facilitate pilots' and mission planners' comprehension of complex geospatial data. The goal is to help close the gap in enabling the extended capability of mission-specific vector overlays and to study its use to improve aircrew performance. This paper discusses prototype software developed by NRL that leverages several existing mission support software tools to select and prepare test datasets. The paper also evaluates test results from using these datasets within the DMS and proposes future work motivated by our findings.