A Digital Map Set for the Night Attack Aircraft

There has been much interest recently in applying cartographic digital data bases to advanced avionics systems as a solution to specific problems associated with night attack aircraft missions. The tremendous computer horsepower required to accomplish this task in real-time in an airborne environment is well documented. Hardware implementation of complex algorithms traditionally has produced custom devices which accomplish a specific function on a specific data structure. Historically, this has resulted in powerful but inflexible systems incapable of adapting to the changing requirements of military missions. In an age of evolving technology, these pitfalls must be avoided by incorporating expected changes into the design of digital map systems. If they are made to accommodate a variety of cartographic data bases and allow for programmable manipulation of those bases, this new class of digital map sets can be reconfigured at the software level to meet the changing requirements of aircraft missions. This paper addresses current design concepts for such a map system on a Night Attack aircraft. The focus is on issues concerning the development and handling of existing map data products to meet current system requirements. This system, called the Digital Map Set (DMS), is being designed to accomplish the classical manipulations of Defense Mapping Agency Digital Land Mass System data. Additionally, aeronautical charts, aerial reconnaissance photos, flight plan data, and other two-dimensional bit mapped graphics also are accommodated. Mission requirements relating to the cartographic data bases shall be discussed along with ground support station and airborne system design issues.