Military analysts now have a tool that brings together unprecedented modeling and simulation features to help them better choose, or build weapons to overpower future threats. Such features allow military researchers to analyze, for example, how a grenade, artillery round or any other weapon performs against moving targets in complex battlefield scenarios, which is one of the biggest challenges the military faces today.

With this information, Army leaders can identify future technology investments early on, whether that is modifications to existing weapons or replacing them altogether. The Smart Weapon End-to-End Performance Model, or SWEEPM, developed by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, is a set of files and software that cover all impacts associated with firing a round and anything that affects the delivery of that round.

With SWEEPM, researchers can model the overall effectiveness of all types of munitions throughout the entire target engagement, from target detection through damage estimation with a modular Monte Carlo simulation. Users can look at a conceptual or actual guided artillery round, its guidance system and its performance, for example. Ballistic engineers provide information on how the round would be used in an attack, against a tank or truck for instance, and insight on the current inventory of the round. Other variables such as material composition of the round, muzzle velocity, how soldiers aim and fire weapon systems, weather, stationary or moving targets are incorporated as part of a total system analysis that once encoded, helps researchers determine effectiveness scenarios, or situations that indicate the amount of damage the round causes.

SWEEPM currently employs two trajectory models: a basic, fast-running 3DoF model used primarily in the development of SWEEPM; and a more complex, modified point mass model which includes a GPS navigation model and control forces for terminal guidance. Other submodels that can be easily changed out or modified include a target motion model, scout and rangefinder models, damage estimation models, and a recently added in-flight autonomous targeting model.

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