Page 104 - Australian Defence Magazine May 2022

104 SEAPOWER COMBAT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
MAY 2022 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
This console provides a clear presentation of the tactical and operational environment, mak- ing it suitable for naval platforms but also for other defence and commercial applications.
AN EYE TO THE FUTURE
So, what of the future? Next generation CMS will feature a much higher level of inbuilt in- telligence, which Saab says both simplifies and complicates the integration task.
Saab gives the example of a decoy system. In the past, the decoy fired rounds on command, with optimisation of deployment performed by the CMS.
Latest generation countermeasure systems take into account the type of threat, current tactical situation and location of high value units, performing their own threat processing, target prioritisation and launch optimisation.
The decoy expects the CMS to provide the necessary tactical data.
In the case of the Australian Nulka decoy system, the onboard US electronics package - which performs the decoying task - features its own proprietary algorithms, requiring a complex integration process to achieve the best result.
With future naval combat likely featuring hypersonic missiles and swarming drones, the CMS will face greater challenges.
One over-arching countermeasure will be stealth, minimising a ship’s visible and electro- magnetic signatures.
“Future warships will need to be very stealthy and the CMS will need to know precisely the probability of detection against every type of sensor under real-time environmental condi- tions,” Saab says.
“WITH FUTURE NAVAL COMBAT LIKELY FEATURING HYPERSONIC MISSILES AND SWARMING DRONES, THE CMS WILL FACE GREATER CHALLENGES”
“Saab has had success in inte- grating sensor performance mod- els which provide real-time data on the performance of both own- ship and hostile sensors in the current geographic location and environmental conditions.”
Next Generation CMS will also incorporate Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning applica- tions to assist the commander to assess the tactical situation then
For example, when multiple sensors detect an inbound potential threat, it is automatically identified as a hostile fighter with specific radar and weapons. The CMS au- tomatically initiates a response, ranging from electronic countermeasures to long-range engagement.
Saab says it’s currently developing an extension of this response capability to Force Level Coordination of force assets across all warfare domains. That include Force Plan- ning, Intelligence, Task Group C2 and Force Operations.
With more unmanned aerial and maritime systems enter- ing service, their integration into the CMS is a high priority. “Unmanned systems can dramatically extend the sensor and weapon footprint of a warship and offer great tactical
advantage in littoral operations,” Saab says.
“Increasing levels of autonomy through artificial intelli-
gence drive similar challenges for the CMS in fully under- standing the likely behaviour or response of any unmanned system to the tactical situation.” ■
ABOVE: 9LV has been through many iterations, evolving as technology has advanced
choose the appropriate course of action to manage what will be an ever increasing and complex operational environment. “The ship’s combat team can analyse tactical probabili- ties and optimise the ship’s course, speed, emission state and sensor settings for both individual assets and an entire
task group,” the company says.
“Removing the fog of conflict will also play a major role
in reducing the probability of detection. One example has been integrating intelligence data with track correlation functions.”
SAAB AUSTRALIA