AMSTE precision fire control tracking overview

The DARPA Affordable Moving Surface Target Engagement (AMSTE) program is a research effort to develop a system concept to track and engage a moving surface target with a single unitary warhead. Engaging a moving surface target requires precision tracking to a degree that has not been demonstrated in previous work. Tracking moving surface targets is especially difficult because of the targets ability to maneuver in unpredictable ways, such as coming to a stop, and the potential for a large number of nearby confusing targets. Because of the importance of tracking to the overall AMSTE system, a significant portion of the program is dedicated to developing advanced tracking algorithms. This paper will briefly describe the current state of the art of surface target trackers developed under the DARPA Moving Target Exploitation (MTE) program. It then identifies the inadequacies in association and bias removal that must be overcome to obtain the high fidelity tracks required for weapon targeting. The improved tracking techniques discussed include the use of data from multiple Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) sensors to improve location accuracy, bias removal techniques, advanced multiple hypothesis trackers, variable state interacting multiple models using higher order motion models, feature aided tracking and terrain analysis.