Of DAS, EOTS etc..

[armedupdate]

Does DAS have zoom in capability? I read here it does.

As of October, the Distributed Aperture System has accumulated more than 245 flight hours on various platforms. At the Paris Air Show in June, Northrop Grumman showed imagery from an IR sensor with a 24-degree field of view. DAS sensors can be zoomed electronically within their field of view to let the F-35 pilot take a closer look at a selected target.

https://vimeo.com/124614167

But in this video it seems the DAS is only a WVR sensor judging by the pilot's words.
https://vimeo.com/124614167

[Dragon029]

Electronic zoom = digital zoom; there won't be any optical zoom via DOS.

[popcorn]

I don't see any contradiction in having zoom capability and being a WVR sensor.

[spazsinbad]

Keep One Eye Out
01 Dec 2011 Frank Colucci

"...DAS sensors can be zoomed electronically within their field of view to let the F-35 pilot take a closer look at a selected target...."

Source: http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/militar ... 75101.html

[quicksilver]

I"ve never heard discussion of a 'DAS zoom' capability. While technically such a system can do that, I dont think it's a feature of the F-35 (regardless of what someone reported 5 years ago).

[playloud]

As I understand it, if you had an optical zoom, you would lower your field of view and lose your 360 spherical coverage.

Maybe a digital zoom (if the pilot wants to blow up an image of a plane behind him). Anything in front of the F-35 can get a good zoom shot from the EOTS.

[SpudmanWP]

With the EODAS "digital zoom" the pilot can "zoom" into an area that is not covered by EOTS while at the same time the F-35 is still seeing everything in 360.

Digital zoom for EODAS pixelates rather quickly though.

[krorvik]

Digital zoom for EODAS pixelates rather quickly though.

Yup, that's in the nature of digital information - it has a very finite resolution

[popcorn]

Death beam..LOL


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/01 ... t_used_uk/

[nutshell]

The comments are among the best ever.

ALIS servers going offline -> F35 dropping like flies.



p.s.: yeah f*ck you server redundancy and back up units!

[popcorn]

The comments are among the best ever.

ALIS servers going offline -> F35 dropping like flies.



p.s.: yeah f*ck you server redundancy and back up units!

Of course..they saw it in Independence Day

[spazsinbad]

I guess this claim should be investigated - so far this is the first report I have seen - perhaps more is on the UK MoD website - if true, however papers these days? I'm guessing this is a laser blinding issue? But that is all it is - an ill/uninformed guess. OK found so called report. Read below for more - with an explanation from UK MoD - Oz newspapers are sh*t for shore.

The F-35 Strike Fighter has been declared ‘combat capable’. But is it?
03 Aug 2016 Jamie Seidel

"...CATCH IN THE FINE-PRINT?
The United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence was earlier this week startled by a new rule that may have serious implications for Australia’s own force of 72 strike fighters.

They’re not allowed to use the combat jet’s electro-optical target designation system.

Without it, they can’t drop bombs or fire missiles.

This is the advanced network of lasers, infra-red sensors and computer systems that ‘paint’ a target with a laser to guide weapons with pinpoint accuracy.

The F-35’s owner’s manual apparently came with an unexpected limitation: The targeting system is only allowed to be used inside the United States — for security reasons.

Among the restrictions are a ban on anyone being within 9km of the aircraft when the system is in use, and nobody with a set of binoculars within 33km. [OR THEY WILL BE BLINDED BY THE LIGHT?]

“If these restrictions stand, then training in the UK will be almost impossible,” a Ministry of Defence meeting was told.

The same would apply to Australia. Live combat practice would be restricted to simulators. And functionality, performance and reliability assessments under Australian conditions would be curtailed...."

Source: http://www.news.com.au/technology/gadge ... 949651507b

F-35 targeting system laser will be 'almost impossible' to use in UK
It's a new system undergoing trials, give it time, groans MoD press office
01 Aug 2016 Gareth Corfield

"US restrictions on the F-35 fighter jet's targeting system will make it “almost impossible” for training to be carried out in the UK, the Ministry of Defence fears – but its press office insists the constraints are normal.

The F-35's electro-optical targeting system (EOTS) includes a target designator laser and a laser rangefinder.

According to the Defence Ranges Safety Committee, the F-35 has only been cleared to use the designator laser “in the US under very tight controls”.

These include a ban on any optic devices being within 33km of the aircraft when the designator is switched on, and no observers being allowed within 9km of an F-35 operating its designator laser.

“If these restrictions stand, then training in the UK will be almost impossible,” an MoD civil servant wrote. The MoD's F-35 project team are said to be “in discussion” with the US to have the restrictions “reviewed”.

An RAF officer told El Reg that the restrictions are normal on new equipment in its trials phase and will probably be eased as the F-35 trials programme continues. Similar laser EOTS systems are fitted to the Typhoon and Tornado, aircraft with many years of RAF service between them.

Training areas where the EOTS could be safely used in spite of the restrictions include RAF Spadeadam in Cumbria, Otterburn Training Area, and existing designated air combat areas off the coasts of Scotland and Wales.

Two years ago a US F-35B used its EOTS to drop a 500lb laser-guided bomb on a tank on a US bombing range.

The EOTS clearly works as intended, but whether an overly risk-averse approach by the Americans or another, undisclosed factor led to the severe restrictions being noted in May this year remains to be seen.

Manufactured by Italian firm Selex ES, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Finmeccanica (which recently, and completely incomprehensibly, [bah humbug - how dare they] rebranded itself as “Leonardo”), the F-35's lasers allow the aircraft's pilot to carry out precision ranging and targeting functions, according to a Selex press release. 165 of the lasers were built in Edinburgh by Selex, while 200 complete EOTS systems had reportedly been delivered to the F-35 assembly plant by February this year.

Lockheed Martin builds the complete EOTS unit, which combines forward-looking infra-red sensors, the laser targeting and designator systems, as well as offering target tracking and high-resolution imaging functions. The F-35 itself is Link 16 compatible, meaning it can send and receive data from other top-end NATO military equipment such as other fighting aircraft, warships and ground command centres."

Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/01 ... t_used_uk/

[hornetfinn]

EOTS uses eye-safe laser like all modern targeting pods these days do. I doubt these restrictions are a problem for combat at all. Leonardo brochures state that "We are currently under contract to develop the next generation of laser technology within the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter electro-optic targeting system". Maybe these restrictions are to avoid intelligence about the system operation going to wrong hands?

[quicksilver]

ALL laser systems (LANTIRN, SNIPER, LITENING, ATFLIR etc) are subject to the same policy restrictions.

[spazsinbad]

Lots of jargon/acronyms in this 'laser' PDF from UK I do not understand however it is referenced for F-35 EOTS by ALERT5:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/s ... l_2016.pdf (9.7Mb)