Forum: General F-16 forum

Has anyone heard of USAF Long Term Viper? I think its an F-16 upgrade program out of US ACC

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Yeah Long Term Viper is the all encompassing name for F-16 upgrade program for the next 10-15 years. It includes potential things like AESA, structural life upgrades, and other hardware/software mods. It'll be mainly Block 50s with some 40s. Expect it to start around 2015 with the preliminary work starting now. Everything is still subject to politics & money . . .

Thanx VprWzl, great information. I heard that NG and Raytheon have/are developing AESA systems. Do you know what they are called and who else might be developing systems for the program?

RACR & SABR are the only systems I have heard about. I don't know if more companies will throw their products into the mix when the contract is opened for bidding. I'm sure you'll hear all about it on this site.

Thanx!

Here's a link to Raytheon & Northrop Grummans competing strategies on AESA radar for the F-16 http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/20 ... -aesa.html
And here's F-16.net's take on it see http://www.f-16.net/news_article2965.html and http://www.f-16.net/news_article2748.html

Thanks FlightDreamz!

Sorry to keep asking questions, I saw this in regards to the LTV, "Federated Processing for Off-Board Sensors". I tried to do an internet search and I have no idea what this means. Is this in regards to AESA?

Probably not since AESA is not offboard, but I don't know what it could be talking about.

The way things keep going, the F-16 will be in service WAY longer than the Phantom. AESA radars are a good start for the upgrade. I hope the cockpit gets some significant upgrades as well. Would pilots benefit from installation of an IRST sensor? What about conformal fuel tanks?

Quote:

jrad
"Federated Processing for Off-Board Sensors". I tried to do an internet search and I have no idea what this means."

I have to admit I'm confused by that as well. My guess it either means something like a Sniper Targeting pod http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/ ... index.html or maybe data networking? Shrug

But I'm just guessing, I probably have better luck if I was familiar with the original article you're referring to.

jrad wrote:

Sorry to keep asking questions, I saw this in regards to the LTV, "Federated Processing for Off-Board Sensors". I tried to do an internet search and I have no idea what this means. Is this in regards to AESA?

What's LTV supposed to mean? Or did you confuse the sequencing? Maybe it should read LVT (Low Volume Terminal) or in other words the MIDS/LINK16. Federated could be replaced by distributed and what it means is that there are different processors to process the data received via the datalink. Or it could mean that the offboard data is just separately processed from the onboard data. Just my thoughts.

Perhaps, some clues can be found within this document:

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q ... 4CeEIBXD9Q

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/federated

characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity; "presented a united front"

"Federated" is the opposite of "fusion" when it comes to sensors.

Federated is "old school" where each sensor was it's own screen, where sensor fusion has all the info one one screen.

Ok, this is bothering me not knowing exactly what they meant:

"Federated Processing for Off-Board Sensors"

5.4 Off-Board Assets
The JAST program goal is exploring the use of off-board assets to reduce the cost and enhance the performance of next-generation strike aircraft. In the broadest context, off-board asset exploitation/utilization is herein defined to include all assets, sources of information or sensors, and strike-supporting functions that are or could be “off-board” to ownship airframe-based avionics. These off-board assets, therefore, range from the more traditional existing and potential in-theater spaceborne, airborne, and surface passive assets to in-theater active
assets, and to sensors/avionics within actual weapons attached to and launched by ownship or pods attached to ownship. Given that these assets could be used effectively and reliably, this broad definition has significant impacts on the required types and capabilities of ownship avionics. Off-board asset exploitation/utilization can
enhance situational awareness, especially beyond ownship sensor range, improve target and threat identification, provide information on time-critical targets, perform defensive functions for ownship, supporting flight mission replanning or modify air combat mission via updates, reduce or eliminate radiated emissions, and allow for launch of stand-off air-to-surface and air-to-air weapons beyond visual range.

[Great explanation about the differences between Federated and IMA]

http://www.nasscom.in/Nasscom/templates ... x?id=55495

Forum: General F-16 forum

Long Term Viper - Upgrade program