A cognitive classification of pilot performance in air combat

Much of the air-to-air combat conducted in modern fighter aircraft occurs while the enemy is beyond visual range. This beyond-visual-range combat places heavy cognitive demands on the fighter pilot. The authors have developed a behavioral taxonomy that focuses on the cognitive aspects of this task. This taxonomy is specific to F-15C air-to-air combat and is based on mission and cognitive task analyses of the defensive counter-air mission flown by these crews. The authors conducted extensive interviews with F-15C fighter pilots to identify the critical activities, decisions, and information requirements of this mission. They then classified pilot behaviors according to two models of human information processing, supervisory control and multiple resources theory. The resulting taxonomy provides a foundation for developing measures to assess the training effectiveness of manned air combat simulations