Award

One of the primary research objectives for multi-sensor data fusion within the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) is the development of novel techniques to enable robust target discrimination. While great strides have been made in recent years to advance capabilities through the use of features available from Forward Based Radars (i.e. AN/TPY-2) and emerging optical platforms (i.e. PTSS), these algorithms remain coupled to a priori assumptions regarding the lethality characteristics of targets. In a world in which threat characteristics are constantly evolving, it is imperative to develop a target discrimination solution which explicitly separates these internal assumptions the lethal hypothesis from the estimation of physical attributes. In response to this technology need, ExoAnalytic Solutions Inc. proposes ENSPIRE: Exploitation of Networked Sensor Phenomenology Involving Robust Estimation. ENSPIRE's overall objective is to develop robust long range discrimination technology, capable of performing against all current and future ballistic missiles and in any sensor architecture configuration.