FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 16, 2003
Lockheed Martin F-16 Tests Mid-Air Collision Prevention
System
Fort Worth, Texas Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has successfully
demonstrated an Automatic Air Collision Avoidance System (Auto
ACAS) on a U.S. Air Force F-16, marking the first time this
safety-enhancing technology was employed on a production
F-16.
One of the hazards of flying high-speed, agile aircraft is the
danger of a mid-air collision, especially during air combat
training and formation flying. Auto ACAS is designed to
automatically maneuver an aircraft hosting the system at the last
instant before a mid-air collision. It has long-term potential for
use with unmanned as well as piloted vehicles.
Five different pilots made a total of 287 test runs using Auto ACAS
during six F-16 flights originating from Fort Worth, June 5-13.
Simulated targets (representing other aircraft) were generated by a
ground station and data-linked to the aircraft, providing a means
to safely test the systems operation.
The Auto ACAS program is a cooperative effort between the United
States and Sweden, based on a developmental Ground Collision
Avoidance System that was successfully flown on a modified F-16 in
1998. The program is being jointly managed and funded by the U.S.
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and Forsvarets Materielverk of
the Swedish defense establishment.
Extensive ground simulation and failure mode testing preceded the
recent flight tests. A one-of-a-kind test bed, the
Variable-Stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft (VISTA)/F-16,
operated by the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards Air
Force Base, Calif., was used recently to test the data link, system
algorithms and single-ship testing against a ground station.
The flight testing on an F-16 at Fort Worth is another important
step in our building-block approach, said Steve Markman, Auto ACAS
flight test director at AFRL in Dayton, Ohio. Early in the program
we learned that the air-collision problem is much more complex that
ground collision. We are very safety conscious in this program, as
we will be flying two manned aircraft toward each other at high
closing speeds. We need to make sure each piece of the puzzle works
as intended before we get to the final stage of having two actual
aircraft in the air.
The last and most critical test series is planned for July at
Edwards, when two modified aircraft the VISTA/F-16 and another
Fighting Falcon will fly together using Auto ACAS.
The flight testing with one aircraft and a virtual target provided
a realistic environment of flight hardware and software, but with a
greater margin of safety compared to two aircraft, said Edward M.
Griffin, program manager for Combat Air Systems Integration and
Demonstration at Lockheed Martin. This combination is also more
efficient because we could conduct many more runs per mission with
the flying costs of only a single aircraft. We still need to have
the final demonstration session with two aircraft to gain the
confidence level needed to validate the concept.
This is how the Auto ACAS system works: The system continually
computes trajectories six seconds into the future and determines
the optimum escape maneuvers for participating aircraft. If the
pilot does not take sufficient action, the system automatically
executes the predetermined escape maneuver seconds prior to the
predicted collision. The system commands an aggressive maneuver
that is carried out by the aircrafts electronic flight control
system.
In a cooperative situation, involving two aircraft equipped with
Auto ACAS, data is passed between the aircraft via a data link, and
both aircraft will maneuver cooperatively. In a non-cooperative
situation, the host fighter must be aware of the other aircraft via
an onboard sensor, such as a radar set.
Auto ACAS is intended only to provide last-ditch collision
avoidance and not traffic de-confliction, as does the commercial
Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System that is operational in
many transports today.
The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards is conducting the
flight-test program, assisted by the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration at Edwards. The 46th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force
Base, Fla., will provide an F-16 for the final flight-test session
at Edwards.
Other industry participants include Saab, Boeing, Veridian
Engineering, Bihrle Applied Research, Raytheon and Smiths
Aerospace.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., a business area of Lockheed Martin
Corp., is a leader in the design, development, systems integration,
production and support of advanced military aircraft and related
technologies. Its customers include the military services of the
United States and allied countries throughout the world. Products
include the F-16, F/A-22, F-35 JSF, F-117, T-50, C-5, C-130,
C-130J, P-3, S-3 and U-2.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin Corp. employs about
125,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the
research, design, development, manufacture and integration of
advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation
reported 2002 sales of $26.6 billion.
http://www.lmtas.com/news/programnews/combat_air/f16/f16_03/f16pr030716a.html