Improving the Accuracy of Target Coordinate Estimation in an Automated Acoustic System through Temporal Characteristics Analysis

Abstract

The aim of the paper is developing an algorithm to enhance targeting accuracy by establishing a functional relationship between the bearing-angle error and the width of the time-decryption window, thereby improving the precision with which automated acoustic systems determine target coordinates

Relevance. Artillery acoustic reconnaissance (AAR) is a key component of counter-battery operations, as it enables covert, round-the-clock detection and high-precision localization of enemy firing positions by capturing and processing acoustic signals from gunfire and explosions. However, the practical effectiveness of conventional sound-ranging systems is significantly limited by the nonlinear influence of spatiotemporal gradients in meteorological fields (temperature and wind) and by errors in topogeodetic support. These factors cause considerable systematic and random shifts in the phase and time characteristics of signals, which in turn degrade the accuracy of spatial target localization.

Research methods. This paper develops a generalized mathematical model of the acoustic direction-finding process, in which the vertical-layered atmospheric profiles are described as piecewise-constant sub-models of a stratified medium, with rational approximations of temperature gradients and horizontal wind components. To enhance signal decoding robustness in environments with background noise, adaptive time windows with variable apodization are introduced, synchronized with the spectral evolution of the muzzle blast impulse. Based on this model, analytical expressions are derived for correcting phase and time shifts, which are integrated into a modified target localization algorithm for the standard AAR system AZK-7.

The results.  Numerical experiments conducted for typical scenarios of unstable atmospheric stratification (inversion, isothermy, and super-adiabatic gradients) demonstrate a reduction in the root mean square error of coordinate estimation. The proposed approach does not require hardware upgrades and can be implemented within the software of existing sound-ranging systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine by updating the data processing and ballistic computation modules. It is expected that this will increase the probability of neutralizing enemy batteries with the first counter-battery salvo by 10–15%, reduce the average response time of fire units by 30–40%, and lower ammunition expenditure in the forward zone.

Conclusion. A relationship between the temporal decoding window value and the error in determining the directional angle of the target, based on measurements from one of the base points, has been identified, and an algorithm for determining and accounting for this error magnitude has been developed. Prospects for further research include automated consideration of actual terrain relief using digital elevation models and the potential integration of unmanned aerial systems equipped with radio-acoustic sounding tools for real-time meteorological data updates.