Aided and unaided operator performance with synthetic aperture radar imagery

The present study examined automatic target cueing (ATC) and target localization performance using realistic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery presented in either an unaided or aided format. After viewing each SAR patch map, participants identified the location of the target, a transporter-erector-launcher (TEL), and rated their confidence in that decision. Overall, ATC cueing enhanced operators' confidence in their decision making but did not alter their localization accuracy, perceptual sensitivity (d'), or speed relative to the unaided condition. Further analysis revealed, however, that a critical determinant of operator performance and confidence was the "reliability" of the ATC. If all of the ATC's cues were false alarms, performance was worse than if no aiding had been provided at all. On the other hand, performance was most effective when the majority of the cues were centered over man-made vehicles.