Sensor to Analyst: Improved Decision-Making in Aerial ISR Through Training and Decision Support Tools

From sensors to analysts, modern day intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) requires concerted efforts from players in the aviation, aerospace, and intelligence domains to complete the Planning and Direction, Collection, Processing and Exploitation, Analysis and Produ and ction, Dissemination (PCPAD) cycle. While the pilots, analysts, and consumers of ISR products in the PCPAD cycle have very different tasks and duties, all of th must constantly adapt to new environments, new challenges, and new enemies. The uncertainty generated by the nature of these environments places considerable decision-making and workload demands on the various operators. Currently, government, industry, and the operational community are addressing cognitive challenges placed on operators at each stage of PCPAD through training, decision aiding, and automated tools. This paper will provide a macroscopic view of the PCPAD process and discuss the current challenges being addressed within each phase