Aerial Targets

The Aerial Targets Program, managed by the Air Force, focuses on ensuring the effectiveness and readiness of warfighter weapon systems against threats such as enemy fighters and cruise missiles. The program's primary objective is to develop and enhance Full-scale Aerial Targets (FSAT), Subscale Aerial Targets (SSAT), and Target Control Systems (TCS). These targets are crucial for validating the operational effectiveness of missile and weapon systems, as well as for conducting live fire survivability and lethality testing in compliance with Public Law Title 10, Section 2366.

A key goal of the program is to support the development and improvement of simulator capabilities, particularly for the QF-16 FSAT and BQM-167A SSAT. This includes updates to target control systems and specialized payload subsystems essential for missile scoring, electronic attack, infrared countermeasures, radar/IR signature augmentation, and chaff and flare dispensing. The program also aims to enhance threat emulation capabilities through analysis, development, and prototyping of evolving threat scenarios to prepare for emerging weapons development activities.

The program emphasizes modernizing the Target Control System (TCS) to address current capability gaps. This involves increasing simultaneous target command and control (C2), mitigating frequency encroachment issues, adding encryption features, and extending the C2 footprint with reduced infrastructure. Additionally, it seeks to improve operator situational awareness while expanding payload combinations and enabling autonomous terrain-following capabilities. These enhancements are vital for integrating future aerial targets into operational testing environments.

Furthermore, the Aerial Targets Program aligns with Open, Agile, and Digital acquisition principles to streamline subsystem hardware or software development. It integrates these systems into weapon portfolio studies by conducting trade studies, system engineering, test activities, and system modeling. By investing in analytical tools, information management systems, digital environments, and networks that support development efforts, the program aims to sustain its capabilities while leveraging Department of Defense enterprise IT solutions.