The Improved Firefinder Position Analysis System

PFC Brett Myles, radio operator, 1st Bat-
talion, 320th Field Artillery (1-320 FA), relays
coordinates for a counterfire mission in
Mahmahdiyah, Iraq, 25 April 2007. (Photo
by SPC Kelly K. McDowell, 2nd Brigade Combat Team,
101st Airborne Division)
some do not have a complete work-
ing knowledge of the program and its
capabilities.
The NTC coaches units to use FFPAS
as part of their military decision-making
process when planning potential Fire-
finder radar sites, so most units that
come to NTC before deploying to
theater do have a basic understanding
The Improved
of the program. FFPAS can be used to
evaluate radar positioning plans ensur-
ing NAIs and other indirect fire hotspots
Firefinder Position
(developed based on historical indirect
fire attacks) have a high probability of
being acquired by Firefinder radar if an
enemy fires from those areas.
Analysis System
Background. FFPAS has been used
by the Army since the spring of 1996
and, since that time, has undergone a
series of upgrades and enhancements
jointly funded by the Marine Corps and
the Army. FFPAS is a software tool that
The counterfire battle is not a separate battle, but one aspect of the overall com-
predicts the site-specific weapon loca-
bined arms fight. As such it must be properly integrated and synchronized with all
tion performance for Firefinder radars
elements of the maneuver commander’s battle plan. Successful counterfire operations
for a wide range of potential weapon
will complement all aspects of the combined arms battle.
placements and characteristics. The
Field Manual 3-09.12 Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs)
basic system-block diagram is shown
for Field Artillery Target Acquisition (TA)
in Figure 1.
Given a specific Firefinder radar posi-
By Christopher B. Fish and Chief
tion and operational setup and by using
Defeating indirect fire attacks in a
counterinsurgency (COIN) envi-
ronment is a complex and often
Warrant Officer Three Michael V.
the terrain-elevation database specific to
frustrating operation because these
Murray, FA
that site combined with detailed weapon
attacks can and will come from any
and radar models, FFPAS estimates the
direction at unpredictable times. In a
at sill-www.army.mil/famag/) have
probability of location (the percent of
COIN environment, the proper planning,
been upgraded due to a combination of
shots that will be tracked by the radar)
positioning and orientation of TA sensors
user-generated requests and preplanned
and location accuracy (how correct the
and observers watching over named areas
product improvements. These upgrades
radar’s computed firing location is) for
of interest (NAIs) and counter-mortar
include adding a capability for the AN/
any weapon firing. This performance
and -rocket patrols are a few of the TTPs
TPQ-36(v)7 and AN/TPQ-36(v)8 radars,
estimation is important whenever there
needed to identify and defeat enemy
adding a suite of new FFPAS tools and
is any significant variation in the region
indirect fire attacks.
modifying the software so it can run on
of interest’s terrain elevation because of
The Firefinder Positioning Analysis
laptop personal computers.
the restrictions imposed on the radar’s
System (FFPAS) is a powerful plan-
This article reexamines the basic
useable elevation coverage. FFPAS
ning tool that Q-36 and Q-37 Firefinder
principles of the FFPAS software and
predicts how the radar will perform in
radar sections, brigade and division TA
the newer features and their value to
these scenarios before the radar is posi-
personnel and fire supporters can use
the user.
tioned and in operation. The system is
to analyze the positioning of radars and
Deploying Without FFPAS. The
automated, easy to use and one of the
their coverage and to confirm or deny the
Military Occupational Specialty 13R FA
probability of acquiring enemy indirect
Firefinder Radar Operator Basic NCO
SSG Scott W. Huff, 2-77 FA, conducts a
fire attacks based on the positioning and
Course teaches FFPAS, but it is the user’s
screen angle plot with a Firefinder Position-
orientation radars.
responsibility to become proficient.
ing Analysis System to determine if the Q-36
The initial FFPAS units (see “Firefinder
At the National Training Center (NTC)
radar system can track enemy indirect fires
from a named area of interest as part of a
Position Analysis System” by Lee R.
at Fort Irwin, California, it has been
scenario conducted at the National Training
Moyer and Chief Warrant Officer Five
observed that some units and Firefinder
Center, Fort Irwin, California. (Photo by CW3
Joseph A. Stephens in the July-August
radar sections prepare to deploy without
Michael Murray)
1996 edition of Field Artillery online
FFPAS. Of the units that have FFPAS,
30 May-June 2008 •

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the radar performs well or should be
moved to another location that may
produce more favorable weapon loca-
Weapon
Weapon Radar
Firefinder Radar
Terrain Elevation
tion results.
Trajectory
Cross-Section
Characteristics
Characteristics
Models
Database
Area-to-Point Analysis. “Area-to-
point” and “point-to-area” analyses also
can be conducted. In one example of a
Firefinder Radar Position Analysis
terrain plot for an area-to-area analysis,
low resolution is used for the firing area
Propability of Location and Location
in the upper right, high resolution is used
Accuracy Estimates
FFPAS Graphical Outputs
for the impact area in the lower left, and
64 separate rocket firings are evaluated.
This example resulted in 53 separate
Figure 1: Firefinder Position Analysis System (FFPAS) Block Diagram
rocket firings that produced condition
“green” or “good,” three that produced
most comprehensive siting and training
yellow or red) is provided indicating if
condition “yellow” or “fair” and eight
tools available for these purposes. The
the radar is providing good, fair or poor
that were considered non-specified (con-
software is more portable now that it
performance, respectively, relative to the
dition “white”). These results indicate
can be installed on laptops. (See Figure
system requirements. A sample screen
that the radar coverage of the specified
2 for FFPAS benefits.)
angle plot in Figure 3 on Page 32 shows
firing area would be acceptable with
Technology Service Corporation in
a combined Artillery exercise in a chal-
some room for improvement. So, the
Trumbull, Connecticut, began devel-
lenging environment with significant
operator would be advised to optimize
oping the product for the US Army in
variation in terrain elevation.
the radar siting or relocate the radar to
1995. FFPAS is used by the US Army
After the product grew to provide
achieve the desired results, which is for
and Marine Corps and as a training aid
“hostile mode” capability for all Fire-
all of the indicators to be green, mean-
at the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill,
finder radars, the following additional
ing 64 out of 64 shots would meet the
Oklahoma. FFPAS also supports US
capabilities or tools were added.
performance requirements.
troops at military bases worldwide, in-
Area-to-Area Analysis. The “area-to-
Multiple-Weapon Analysis. The
cluding South Korea, Bosnia, Germany,
area analysis” capability allows the user
“multiple-weapon analysis” capability
Afghanistan and Iraq.
to enter and evaluate four-sided convex
greatly expands on the single-weapon
FFPAS Tools. The single most im-
quadrilaterals when specific firing and
analysis capability, whereby multiple
portant output of the FFPAS tool is the
impact locations are not known or when
simultaneous and independent weap-
“screen angle plot,” which shows the
the firing and impact locations are known
ons-fire and volley-fire analyses can be
terrain-height profile, the radar-search
to be in extended areas. The areas are
conducted. For multiple weapons, the
fence, the target trajectory and the prob-
first evaluated with low, medium or
user can enter as many as five different
ability of location and location accuracy
high resolution. Then the user gets the
weapons of any type with distinct fir-
performance. A condition color (green,
composite information to determine if
ing and impact points. FFPAS analyses
provide probability of location and
location accuracy estimates for all the
weapons based on the order the weap-
Determines suitability of any
• selected site.
Optimizes siting of the Fir
•
e-
finder radars.
Optimizes performance of the
• Firefinder radars.
Pr
• ovides rapid assessment of
alternative radar sites.
Pr
• ovides analyses that is more
comprehensive than manual
analyses.
Pr
• ovides insight into operational
problems in the field.
Builds user experience and
• confidence in radar site selec-
tion.
Pr
• ovides the user confidence in
successfully accomplishing the
mission.
Is compatible with other radar
• systems.
Figure 2: Benefits of Using FFPAS
May-June 2008
31

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Figure 3: FFPAS Screen Angle Plot
ons go through the search, verification
and perform simultaneous performance
friendly-fire setup procedure in FF-
and tracking processes. The increase in
analyses for the entire network of radars.
PAS emulates the procedure used in
search-scan time that occurs as radar
This capability shows the overall radar
actual system operation and provides
resources are allocated to the track-
coverage in a large area of operations
the same error and warning messages
ing function specifically is taken into
and quantifies the relative location per-
if an improper friendly-fire exercise
account. This capability gives a user
formance of multiple radars against a
is being conducted. In addition, the
confidence that the radar can perform
given set of threat trajectories.
analysis takes into account any varia-
adequately when there are multiple,
High-Fidelity Radar. The FFPAS Ver-
tion in system parameters from the
simultaneous threats to the troops.
sion 4.3 software contains high-fidelity
hostile mode.
Volley-Fire Analysis. For “volley-fire
radar models for all the Firefinder radars.
Weapons Definition. The “new weap-
analysis,” the user can define a battery
The search, verification, tracking and
ons definition tool” allows the user to
of three to six weapons of the same type
location models in FFPAS follow—as
model and evaluate threats that might
with a spatial separation in the firing unit
closely as possible—actual radar-system
be different from standard US weapons.
and a time spread in the weapon firings.
operation. The precise beam-by-beam
This could be valuable in other areas of
FFPAS determines the probability of
emulation approach of the software
conflict.
location and location accuracy for the
allows for an accurate and realistic
Stored within FFPAS are models for US
fire unit as a whole.
simulation of the radar functions as the
mortars and artillery based on data sup-
Networked-Radar Coverage. “Net-
hostile or friendly weapon is launched,
plied by the US government. However,
worked-radar coverage” is one of
detected in a search beam, verified and
if a user knew that an enemy’s higher-
the newest capabilities of the FFPAS
then tracked.
drag artillery shell, for example, did not
software, with which the FFPAS user
Friendly-Fire Mode. The “friendly-
achieve the stated range, then the user
can specify the locations and setup pa-
fire mode” analysis performs similarly
could reconstruct the altered trajectory
rameters of as many as seven different
to the hostile mode in that it provides
with the entry of the proper parameters
Firefinder radars (in any combination)
weapon location performance. The
such as range or velocity. Additionally,
32 May-June 2008 •

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if intelligence sources could provide
of alternate sites is one of the primary
Christopher B. Fish is a Senior Scientist at
radar cross-section data for this weapon,
functions of FFPAS.
Technology Service Corporation, involved
that information could be entered into
An online help and tutorial capability
in all aspects of the Firefinder Positioning
FFPAS by inserting a file. The rocket
was added to help train the user. Online
Analysis System (FFPAS) software design,
capability also has been expanded and
help provides the user with the appropri-
development and implementation. He
now allows for the entry of parameters,
ate information from the FFPAS Opera-
performed FFPAS operator training at Fort
such as burn time and burnout velocity
tor’s Manual, and tutorial examples of
Sill, Oklahoma, and Camp Stanley, South
Korea. Previously for the corporation, he
among others.
the various modes and features allow the
helped on the AN/TPQ-36(v)8 Firefinder
Performance Assessment. The “per-
user to see how a basic weapon analysis
support contract, supported the Radar Sit-
formance assessment” capability helps
is performed for each of the many capa-
ing System development and participated
users by identifying the possible reasons
bilities FFPAS has.
in radar evaluation and software simulation
for poor weapon-location performance
Despite FFPAS already being a valu-
efforts on joint surveillance, target attack
and identifies possible remedies. Among
able and versatile tool, another series of
radar system (JSTARS) support contract.
the many reasons for poor performance
improvements is in the works as the de-
He has an MS in Electrical Engineering
are excessive weapon angular rates as
veloper and government work together to
from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
seen by the radar, excessive elevation
enhance its utility for military personnel
through the Hartford Graduate Center,
variation of the search fence in chal-
in the field. Topics currently under dis-
Connecticut.
lenging terrain, excessive range rates
cussion include a map-overlay capability,
Chief Warrant Officer Three Michael V.
determined during verification, the
performance prediction in the presence
Murray, Field Artillery (FA), is the Senior
formation of an inadequate track history
of rain, a database editor that will allow
Radar and Targeting Observer/Controller
and the failure of specific in-track and
the inclusion of cultural features such
(Wolf 36) at the National Training Center at
end-of-track discriminates. Possible
as buildings, and the addition of the
Fort Irwin, California. He served as the Joint
remedies for all radars include the
lightweight countermortar radar.
Fires and Effects Targeting Officer for the
adjustment of the mask angle setting
FFPAS Version 4.3 was released in
Southern European Task Force (SETAF) for
or modification of the azimuth sector.
January 2007. For more information
the Combined Joint Task Force- (CJTF)-76
For the AN/TPQ-36 radar, additional
about FFPAS, contact Chief Warrant
during Operation Enduring Freedom VI.
remedies include the modification of
Officer Four Eric Adair, Assistant Prod-
He also served as a Q-36 Radar Section
Leader for 1st Battalion, 10th Field Artil-
the amount of video integration or
uct Manager Radars, at eric.adair@
lery, and as the Brigade Targeting Officer
frequency-code usage. In some cases,
us.army.mil, or Christopher Fish of
during Operation Iraqi Freedom, all in the
radar site reselection may be the only
Technology Service Corporation at
3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, at Fort
viable remedy. The rapid evaluation
ffpas@tsc.com.
Benning, Georgia.
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