Track Association and Fusion in Maritime Tactical Data System: A Review

Tactical Data System (TDS) is a software system used on ship/aircraft platforms for navigation and surveillance. In the maritime domain, modern TDS is connected to various sensors such as Radar, Automatic Identification System (AIS), and Tactical Data Link Processor (TDLP) where each sensor usually has its independent tracking system. The tracks of each tracker must be associated and fused so that valid and reliable information about situational awareness appears in TDS. Each of the data generated by trackers has different characteristics and problems, which prompted many researchers to formulate algorithms suitable for track associations. In this paper, we present the results of our preliminary research regarding the track association to be used in maritime TDS. The results of the analysis from this study will then be used in further research that is more specific about the proposed track association method.