Weapon Engagement Zone Maximum Launch Range Estimation Using a Deep Neural Network

TL;DR

This paper presents a deep neural network approach to estimate the maximum launch range of weapons within the Weapon Engagement Zone, improving prediction accuracy and efficiency over previous methods.

Contribution

It introduces a non-discretized DNN model for WEZ estimation using fewer simulations, enabling faster training and comprehensive directional predictions.

Findings

Achieved a 0.99 coefficient of determination in predictions.

Utilized 50,000 simulated launches for training.

Implemented a non-discretized model considering all WEZ directions.

Abstract

This work investigates the use of a Deep Neural Network (DNN) to perform an estimation of the Weapon Engagement Zone (WEZ) maximum launch range. The WEZ allows the pilot to identify an airspace in which the available missile has a more significant probability of successfully engaging a particular target, i.e., a hypothetical area surrounding an aircraft in which an adversary is vulnerable to a shot. We propose an approach to determine the WEZ of a given missile using 50,000 simulated launches in variate conditions. These simulations are used to train a DNN that can predict the WEZ when the aircraft finds itself on different firing conditions, with a coefficient of determination of 0.99. It provides another procedure concerning preceding research since it employs a non-discretized model, i.e., it considers all directions of the WEZ at once, which has not been done previously. Additionally, the proposed method uses an experimental design that allows for fewer simulation runs, providing faster model training.