AGI software provides a 3-D environment for unmanned aircraft systems that extends from GPS satellites in geo-synchronous orbit to below the surface of the Earth. With a technically accurate globe as a baseline, mission designers can enhance their display by incorporating:

• high-resolution imagery and terrain elevation data;
• maps and navigation charts;
• contour lines and color-coded DTED;
• defined areas of interest;
• database driven state borders, political borders, and city locations;
• custom target coordinates and ranges of known threats;
• and runways from DAFIF data.

With this framework complete, the needed platforms and mission routes can be designed. AGI software provides the flexibility to implement platforms ranging from high-altitude airships providing near-space wide area surveillance to vertical take-off and landing vehicles in a sentry role.

The route of the UAV can be rapidly modeled in a 3-D display through simple waypoint placement and implementation of customizable pre-programmed maneuvers that extend beyond takeoffs and landings to include terrain following and circular, race track, and figure 8 holding patterns. These maneuvers are executed through default UAV performance characteristics that can be modified with customized data to improve the fidelity of the flight plan. Once the platform specific route is defined, AGI software allows mission designers to model UAV sensor behavior for:

• radar;
• imagery;
• electronic support measures;
• and measurements and signatures.

These sensors can be targeted, follow defined motion, and interact analytically with both the 3-D environment and dynamic entities. In addition to the sensor payload, the UAV communications package can be customized with a range of complexity from simple transmitters and receivers to intricate antenna patterns. These antennas can be used to model command and control communications with the ground segment to multi-hop satellite communications.

To further supplement mission design, AGI software architecture contains extensibility options that allows for easy integration with other legacy systems and externally designed algorithms to:

• dynamically re-route flight paths based on line of sight to unpredictable targets;
• coordinate target track hand-offs between ISR platforms;
• engage tracks on moving targets based on prioritized threat lists;
• calculate geometry data for use in autonomous formation flying;
• and adapt flight trajectories to progressively improve target geo-location.

With the basic components in place, AGI software can be used to analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of a mission. Through basic intervisibility analysis, complex constraint analysis, and optimization trade studies, mission designers can:

• compute weather impact on line of sight and RF communications;
• examine the effect of lighting conditions on collection opportunities;
• simulate sensor bore sight fields of view;
• identify collection sensor coverage area;
• select possible deployment sites based on UAV ranges;
• study required flight paths and loiter time requirements;
• predict available navigation accuracy for both the platform and precision guided munitions;
• and optimize sensor coverage for target searches.