Bomb, or battle damage assessment, often referred to as BDA, is the practice of assessing damage inflicted on a target by an air campaign. It is part of the larger discipline of combat assessment

Combat assessment

The objective of combat assessment is to identify recommendations for the course of military operations.The determination of the overall effectiveness of force employment during military operations...

 (CA). Assessment is performed using many techniques including footage from in-weapon cameras, from gun cameras, forces on the ground near the target, and follow-up visits to the target.

History of bomb damage assessment

Originally, BDA was required due to the disconnected nature of aerial bombardment during World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. It became necessary to send ground forces to an area to determine whether the damage was effective, or to overfly the target again. Either situation was difficult to accomplish safely. Starting with this conflict, specialized equipment has been used specifically for BDA type missions. Originally these were aircraft which were converted fighters or bombers, which were given a new RQ designation. In later conflicts, satellites became available, as well as high altitude surveillance planes such as the Lockheed U-2

Lockheed U-2

The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...

 and the Lockheed SR-71.

In more recent conflicts, special operations

Special operations

Special operations are military operations that are considered "special" .Special operations are typically performed independently or in conjunction with conventional military operations. The primary goal is to achieve a political or military objective where a conventional force requirement does...

 forces (SOF) have taken part in BDA, both through physical presence, and conducting overflies with equipment such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk

RQ-4 Global Hawk

The Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk is an unmanned aerial vehicle used by the United States Air Force and Navy as a surveillance aircraft....

 UAV

Unmanned aerial vehicle

An unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...

. http://www.jfcom.mil/about/experiments/mc02/concepts/af_conc.htm

Modern times

Modern BDA, however, is more complex than determining the status of the target. More esoteric questions are asked of the BDA, such as

• Was the mission successful?
• Was the correct target hit?
• Did the munition function correctly?
• Were the desired results achieved?
• Does the target, or other nearby target, merit additional strikes?
• Was the attack effective enough to merit a continued campaign?

Objectives of bomb damage analysis

The objectives of bomb damage analysis can be broken into four main categories.

Munitions Effectiveness Assessment (MEA)

The determination of the proper function of the bomb or weapon. MEA asks/answers the question of "Did the munition function properly/as designed?"

Physical Damage Assessment (PDA)

The estimate of the quantitative extent of physical damage (through munitions blast, fragmentation

Fragmentation (weaponry)

Fragmentation is the process by which the casing of an artillery shell, bomb, grenade, etc. is shattered by the detonating high explosive filling. The correct technical terminology for these casing pieces is fragments , although shards or splinters can be used for non-preformed fragments...

, and/or fire damage effects) to a target resulting from the application of military force. This assessment is based upon observed or interpreted damage. Collateral

Collateral damage

Collateral damage is damage to people or property that is unintended or incidental to the intended outcome. The phrase is prevalently used as an euphemism for civilian casualties of a military action.-Etymology:...

 and additional damage is also assessed in this process.

Functional Damage Assessment

The estimates of the effect of military force to degrade/destroy the functional or operational capability of the target to perform its intended mission. It includes the level of success of the force applied relative to the operational objective established against the target. This assessment is inferred based upon all source information and includes an estimation of the time required for recuperation or replacement of the target.

Target Systems Assessment

The broad assessment of the overall impact and effectiveness of the full spectrum of military force applied against the operation of an enemy target system or total combat effectiveness (including significant subdivisions of the system) relative to the operational objectives established.

The future of BDA

While the 1991 Gulf War

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

 is widely regarded as having the most effective and consistent BDA of any conflict to date. After the end of hostilities, the Battle Damage Assessment Working Group (BDAWG) was formed at the behest of MTIC, the Military Targeting Intelligence Committee. Largely, this group sought to create a standard lexicon of terminology for describing BDA, and to develop an outlook for the future of BDA.

Possible future techniques involve using laser

Laser

A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...

s or particle beam

Particle beam

A particle beam is a stream of charged or neutral particles which may be directed by magnets and focused by electrostatic lenses, although they may also be self-focusing ....

s in a manner similar to side scan sonar to map, in three dimensions, the condition of a target. Boeing

Boeing

The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...

has developed a system whereby a BDA "sensor" is towed a third of a kilometer behind the munition. This system is supposed to be capable of near real-time BDA by directly observing the munition's interaction with the target.