VISUAL DETECTION OF i,TEHICULAR TARGETS FROM ATTACK AIRCRAFT

Attack aircraft on Interdiction or deep support missions are faced with the problem of detecting their targets by visual means. Much has..,-. been written about the gener.al theory of computing detection probabilities associated with visual detec~Ion.c..nc some experiments have been per-formed to get estimates of the detection probabilities for small tactical targets observed from the a:!.r o Applying the theory to a special case involving the detection of a stationary tank by a relatively hi~h speed aircraft, a lateral range cur·~~~e of detection probabilities is computed in this paper. This is cor.1pared. with (I} lateral range curves from an experi-ment conducted by the Un:versit:,r of Mich:!.gan in the field and over a terrain simulator and (2} latera! range curves constructed from data taken in an operational experiment conducted with USNPGS personnel in con-junction with a CDEC tactical exercise 0 The detection probabilities and maximum sighting ranges observed in the operational experirr~ent are significantly below those predicted b