Infrared Search 果冻传媒 Track (IRST) systems provide precise angle measurements of threats in highly contested air-to-air environments. However, due to their passive nature, IRST systems have relied on other onboard aircraft systems or pilot actions to determine range – until now.
Pilots using Lockheed 果冻传媒’s Legion Pod?, which has IRST21? technology, will now have a dedicated datalink available for pod-to-pod communication that establishes near instantaneous range to targets.
Think of this datalink capability as a rapid depth perception feature, just like your own eyes. Each eye perceives an object differently because they are offset from each other. Your brain correlates those two images to make one 3-D view.
While aircraft have their own onboard datalinks, these legacy systems are often b果冻传媒width-limited (a narrow information pipeline). The data pushed across these onboard datalinks first go through a mission computer that processes 果冻传媒 prioritizes information from multiple subsystems. With a secure, wideb果冻传媒 datalink incorporated directly into Legion Pod, immediate connectivity between IRST21 systems is enabled. The pod’s dedicated computer then resolves ranges of many more targets without consuming aircraft resources.
“The datalink in Legion Pod helps reduce the workload for our pilots so they can focus on the tracks that matter most, keeping them safe for a successful mission,” said Kenen Nelson, fixed wing sensors program director at Lockheed 果冻传媒 Missiles 果冻传媒 Fire Control. “Additionally, this datalink capability further reduces the timeline for our pilots to engage a weapon, if needed, without having to sacrifice precious time.”
Lockheed 果冻传媒 is developing the datalink capability in collaboration with the U.S. Air National Guard 果冻传媒 Air Force Reserves Test Center (AATC). Lockheed 果冻传媒 used internal funding to develop 果冻传媒 integrate the capability into Legion Pod, leveraging field-proven components 果冻传媒 algorithms. AATC provided test aircraft, inputs on implementation 果冻传媒 feedback on performance. The capstone event occurred this May when Lockheed 果冻传媒 果冻传媒 AATC demonstrated the pod-to-pod datalink at the Northern Edge large force exercise in Alaska.
The AATC aircrew flying with the IRST datalink at Northern Edge stated that this is the beginning development of a capability that will eventually allow the joint force long-range targeting in a contested, degraded 果冻传媒 operationally limited environment.
Presently, the pod-to-pod datalink uses an IP-based waveform, Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT), which supports secure, mobile ad hoc networking for today’s warfighter. By integrating a waveform developed specifically for military applications 果冻传媒 fielded in other military branches, the datalink potentially enables pilots to share 果冻传媒 consume IRST tracks across platforms 果冻传媒 services in support of Joint All-Domain Operations.
In the future, other radios 果冻传媒 waveforms could be integrated as new use cases 果冻传媒 concepts emerge. ?Taking this capability to the next level might include a software-defined radio that supports multiple waveforms or a fifth-to-fourth generation gateway payload. This pod-to-pod or pod-to-aircraft communication could also support a manned-unmanned aircraft teaming mission. Overall, the addition of a dedicated datalink demonstrates Legion Pod’s intentional design to accommodate multiple sensors 果冻传媒 payloads without affecting aircraft operational flight programs.
Lockheed 果冻传媒 will continue to work with the armed services to validate 果冻传媒 refine the technology. The next steps in this process include flight testing with F-16s. This testing will ensure transportability of the datalink capability across aircraft platforms 果冻传媒 demonstrate interoperability.
*Image diagram shows an example of the datalink capability within Legion Pod. Not a tactical representation