Benefiting from flying testbed experiences, the Eurofighter's ECR90 is beating targets

systems. The aim is to complement flight test-

ing of two X-32 concept demonstrators by
iroving the open systems avionics architecture
proposed for the JSF.
Lockheed Martin plans a similar demonstra-
ion jointly with Northrop Grumman, which is
. nodifying one of its B AC One-Elevens into the
Co-operative Avionics Test Bed (CATB) - nick-
named the "Catbird". The aircraft is already fit-
ted with a Northrop Grumman AESA radar,
md will be equipped progressively with electro-
optical/infrared sensors and other systems
ilanned for Lockheed Martin's JSF.
CATB flight tests will complement the work
of two X-3 5 concept demonstrator aircraft, as
veil as extensive ground-based simulations in
upport of Lockheed Martin's JSF bid.
Much of the avionics work under way during
the current concept demonstration phase
revolves around sensor fusion, which will be
even more important in the JSF than it is in the
F-22, as the pilot workload is inherently higher
in a single-seat strike aircraft.
The sensor fusion task is made even more
iemanding in the JSF by the customer's desire
to use the full spectrum of offboard data avail-
able, from threat information provided by sur-
i eillance aircraft to target imagery downloaded
directly from satellites. With the additional
i mboard data that will be available from the
J SF's advanced ASEAand EO/IR sensors, there
i s a danger of overloading the pilot.
As a result, piloted mission simulations being
; onducted by the JSF teams are focusing on sen-
sor fusion. "There have never been simulations
if this fidelity and maturity this early in a pro-
gramme," says Carl Huncharek, deputy direc-
tor for mission systems with Lockheed Martin's
JSF team." Simulation is a real engineering tool,
not just a show and tell."
Avionics work is aimed towards improving
the pilot's ability to find targets and avoid harm
without increasing workload, he says. Mission
simulations have demonstrated the capability of
the core onboard sensors. "Now it is time to
expand the aircraft's horizons," Huncharek
says, by bringing in offboard sensors.
The requirement calls for the JSF to be able to
perform its mission using only onboard sensors,
but the teams are keen to see whether offboard
data will provide more capability at no addi-
tional cost. "There are specific functions in the
radar and EO that dramatically improve the
capability to find and
identify targets," says
Huncharek. "So
we
meet or exceed the
requirements today,
but can we improve the
product without charg-
ing more money?"
Mission simulations
allow offboard sensor
features to be added
incrementally and eval-
uated by pilots "to see
which features buy their way on to the aircraft",
he says. "We are focusing on the totality of sen-
sor fusion - entity and image fusion at various
levels. Some functions have high payoff, some
do not."
Fusion of offboard and onboard information
is "totally transparent" to the pilot, Huncharek
says. "Where he is in the mission determines
"We are focusing on the
totality of sensor fusion -
entity and image fusion at
various levels. Some
Junctions have high payoff,
some not" - Carl
Huncharek
which information is fused. The system auto-
matically filters the information and decides
what is important."
Some potential export customers, lacking the
diversity of offboard data sources available to
US forces, have expressed concern that the
JSF's onboard capability might be compro-
mised. Not so, says Huncharek. "The core
capability provides significantly better accuracy
than available today. Any offboard information
is an additive feature."
According to Capt Simon Henley, JSF pro-
ject manager at the UK Ministry of Defence,
the "plug-and-play" avionics architecture
allows customers to "buy in" at different levels
of affordability and capability. "There will
always be a top-end 'dream', but customers will
be able to buy and operate the aircraft at a level
they can afford."
Sensor fusion is key to achieving a manageable
pilot workload in Europe's multi-role Typhoon.
The capability is being developed incremental-
ly, beginning with integration of the radar.
Later the infrared search and track (IRST) sen-
sor, defensive aids subsystem (DASS) and Link
16 datalink will be incorporated.
The ECR90 radar, developed by a Marconi/-
Fiar/Dasa/Indra team, is already flying in two
Eurofighter development aircraft and a One-
Eleven "hack" aircraft. Using the testbed has
cut the cost of developing the radar, says John
Roulston, technical director with Marconi
Electronic Systems' Avionics group.
"We use the hack where aircraft dynamics are
not an issue," he says. This includes demonstrat-
ing the radar's long-range detection and tracking
performance.
"If aircraft speed and dynamics are an issue,
then we use the Eurofighter," he says. This
includes testing close-in combat modes, where
aircraft motion is a major factor.
Marconi pioneered the flying testbed
approach during development of its Blue Vixen
radar for the British
Aerospace Sea Harrier
FA2. The ECR90 hack
has proved "very satisfac-
tory", says Roulston. "It's
helped get the bugs out
and given us good visibil-
ity." This includes flying
\TPs in the hack at last
year's Farnborough.
Flight testing of the
Fiar/Pilkington IRST will
begin in a Dassault Falcon
hack aircraft this year, ahead of flights in the
Eurofighter.
S ensor fusion flight testing will get under way
in 2001, by which time the Mar-
coni/Elettronica/ Enosa DASS will also be avail-
able, and the capability is to be ready by 2004,
when the first Eurofighters with full multirole
operational capability are to be delivered.
LIGHT INTERNATIONAL 9 - 15 June 1999 111