The importance of aircraft performance and signature reduction upon combat survivability

Abstract

An investigation was conducted to estimate the relative impact the six susceptibility reduction concepts of threat warning, tactics, signature reduction, noise jammers and deceivers, expendables, and threat suppression have on aircraft survivability, with particular emphasis given to tactics with increased aircraft performance and signature reduction. An essential elements analysis (EEA) was conducted for three representative scenarios, with and without threat warning available, to identify the essential events and elements in each scenario critical to aircraft survivability. The six concepts were assessed as to their relative impact on the essential events and an estimate of the aircraft's susceptibility and survivability was made. The results of the EEAs are presented in tabular format. The general conclusion is made that both increased aircraft performance, with threat warning available, and signature reduction, with and without threat warning available, play important roles in increasing aircraft survivability through a reduction in an aircraft's susceptibility.