The era of Smart Radar - ATL2 as a testbed for AirMaster S' AI functions
© Anthony Pecchi - Thales
The Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) is nearing its area of interest over the Baltic Sea, where scattered floes and white caps indicate agitated conditions. The radar operator is focused on optimising the search using smart radar features to track potential targets amidst overwhelming data. However, this demands intense multitasking. The operator considers that automating the radar functionality selection could significantly enhance efficiency in their search efforts.
How does a legacy patrol aircraft unlock next-gen radar intelligence?
Of Men and Technology
The breadth and range of missions that navies are called upon to carry out today is continuously increasing, and with it the number of systems designed to provide decision support.
MPAs are no exception to this trend. In fact, the Marine nationale’s modernised Atlantique 2 (ATL2 STD 6) – accepted in Full Operational Capability (FOC) in November 2022 – is the perfect example of MPAs’ transformation into bona fide Swiss army knives. Today operating in harsh desert conditions, tomorrow flying over complex maritime environments, a wide range of operationally proven smart systems now assist ATL2 operators in small target detection in all circumstances and domains.
The AirMaster S, for example, which is the latest generation of SEARCHMASTER featuring AI capabilities, provides ATL2 STD 6 crew with a wide range of new functionalities across land and sea.
"Similarly, it can be rather challenging for a dedicated crew operating the AirMaster S over several hours to leverage the radar’s full range of capabilities designed to help detect even the smallest targets in the most complex maritime environments,” explains Nicolas Léger, Radar Expert at Thales. The amount of information provided would simply be too much to handle.
That is why Thales, together with the DGA (Direction Générale de l'Armement) and the French Navy, has been using the ATL2 STD 6 as a unique tool to test the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the next generation of AirMaster S radars.
Of Context and Calculcations
“Have I got this straight, Jonesy? A $40 million computer tells you you're chasing an earthquake, but you don't believe it, and you come up with this on your own? Including all the navigation maps?” This famous quote from the movie “The Hunt for Red October” illustrates perfectly what man-machine teaming should look like. Including when using a smart radar onboard an MPA.
For Thales, the introduction of AI in radars such as the AirMaster S is not about replacing human intelligence. AI’s inability to contextualise information renders it incapable of judgement. Its key benefit is its ability to gather, process and analyse large quantities of data in very short timeframes to present radar operators with a much clearer picture. Like Jonesy in the movie, an ATL2 operator would then be free to focus on contextualising the information before deciding whether to act on it or not.
The introduction of AI in the AirMaster S can also assist radar operators by auto-adapting and interleaving radar detection, tracking and identification functions according to each operational environment and tactical scenario.
Of Collaboration and Development
“AI is an automatisation of the cognitive process", Léger points out. To enable smart operations, the AI within the radar must be trained with a constant flow of data representing multiple scenarios – threats, environments, obstacles, etc. “This is what Thales is doing with the Marine nationale: all the information collected by the AirMaster S during trials with the ATL2 is used to continue improving our algorithms, so that the radar remains up-to-date with threats and challenges,” says Léger.
Collaborating closely with its French client, Thales is also making sure that AI is not being used for the sake of digital innovation alone. Each new use-case is being tested in the context of real customer requirements, so that the final solution will truly act as a game changer for end-users. As such, while currently the Marine nationale has identified maritime operations as the key priority for integrating AI, Thales and its client are also envisaging AI integration for land operations.
© Anthony Pecchi - Thales
Where previous ATL2 radar operators could track approximately ten or so targets simultaneously, today’s AirMaster S can track up to 1,000 targets simultaneously.
Nicolas Léger - Radar Expert at Thales
Through such functions, AI ensures that AirMaster S’ functionalities are used across the board and to their full potential, thus considerably enhancing detection and, consequently, mission success. Thanks to our tests with the AirMaster S onboard the ATL2, and our constant collaboration with our client, we have developed a method of design thinking that gives us confidence in the added value of AI for MPA operations.