The Vertical Profile

The planner needs to be able to see the effects of the METOC conditions on the entire route. For this purpose, we supply a Vertical Profile diagram.

On the main menubar, click on Route->Vertical Profile to get the screen shown below.

The Vertical Profile shows the missile's relationship to the ground as it approaches the target (shown as a red triangle). The terrain drawn under the flight path is Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) provided by the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA). A lack of DTED for any section of the flight path results in a red line where the terrain would be. This ensures that sections of ocean or sea-level land will be distinct from sections containing no data.

The route is colored using the same stoplight scheme as before, and clicking the left mouse button on the route pops up the same menu we saw earlier. The picture below shows the result when we clicked on a red section of the route.

At this time, you can use the popup menu to modify the altitude of any waypoint on the route (by clicking on Move Point). You can also zoom in on any section of the route by selecting that area of the screen. You zoom in by clicking and holding down the left mouse button, dragging the mouse to create a box around the area of interest, and releasing the button. The pictures below show the zoom box we created around the target and the zoomed view at the target. To get back to the full view of the route, click on Full View. Soon, you will be able to add, delete, and edit waypoints for full control of the route in the Vertical Profile.

We are currently incorporating more METOC displays into this screen. For instance, we are adding the ability to toggle on/off overlays of parameters, allowing you to see exactly where winds are high, icing is probable, etc.

For more information contact James Eanes at our Hampton, Virginia Office.