Falcon ONE's OFP

datafuser SG

Back in 2002 ST Aero promoted its Falcon ONE upgrade package which features a mission computer developed in-house and an Operational Flight Program written in C++.

http://www.staero.aero/www/newsevents_newsarticle.asp?newsid=OTAwMDAwMDAzMw&arc=bm8

The Falcon ONE flight instrument is driven by a Mission Computer (MC), which runs a flight-worthy Operational Flight Program (OFP).

(snip)

The OFP software is written in C++, the latest software language. The MC, developed by ST Aerospace, has a revolutionary open architecture that utilises a VME-based Power PC processor system.

However, Lockheed Martin's press release in 1999 and AdaIC Newsletter in 1996 say US and European F-16s use the Modular Mission Computer (MMC) which runs an OFP written in Ada 83.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/wms/findPage.do?dsp=fec&ci=15810&rsbci=0&fti=112&ti=0&sc=400

http://archive.adaic.com/news/Newsletter/1996/fall/11.htm

Modular Mission Computer (MMC) -- Lockheed Martin Corp./Texas Instruments

The existing F-16 MMC Operational Flight Program (OFP), written in Ada 83, will be reused to investigate Ada 95 tool sets and several aspects of the Ada 95 language. The MMC OFP implements the mission-control functions of the F-16, including navigation, electronic instrument presentation, and weapon delivery. The distributed and real-time features of Ada 95 will be of particular interest in this project. Demonstrations will be performed in an F-16 avionics simulation environment.

So here's the question - who developed the Falcon ONE's OFP? Was it ST Aero or Lockheed Martin?

Thanks in advance,
Sunho

touchstone_2000 SG

Yes strange, considering the fact preferred/recommended langauge used by the US is ADA. Not C++

datafuser SG

Do you know whether RSAF F-16s have Lockheed Martin's MMC running Ada 83 OFP or ST Aero's MC running C++ OFP?

According to the August 2003 issue of Journal of Electronic Defense, the F-16E/F Block 60 uses an Advanced Mission Computer (AMC) running C++ software.

The Block 60 avionics are coordinated by an Advanced Mission Computer (AMC) and a fiber-optic network, using COTS technology, supplied by Lockheed Martin's Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems unit (Eagan, MN). The AMC was a late improvement to the Block 60, replacing the Ada-language-based MMC. Advantages include less reliance on unique components and the fact that it is much easier to hire programmers to work in C++ than in Ada.

Cheers,
Sunho