Effects of target's acceleration on alpha-beta tracking filters

This paper examines the effect of a target's acceleration on the Fire Control System (FCS) α-β tracking filters used on the AEGIS cruisers. A single inbound target model was used to test the response of the tracking filter to an accelerating target. This target would begin to approach the AEGIS cruiser from a variety of distances ranging from 40,00 yards to 200,000 yards. The target model would begin its approach starting with an initial velocity of 200 yards/sec. and after a preselected time, the target would undergo an acceleration for a tin1e duration of 5 seconds. The target's acceleration ranges from 1 g to 6g's. For target's acceleration of 1g or greater, the difference between the actual and filtered velocity increases linearly with increasing acceleration and is fairly independent of range and the noise present in the measurement data. For target's acceleration less than 1g, the difference between the actual and filtered velocity is a strong function of acceleration, noise and range.