SLD article on sensor fusion

Cockpit, radar, helmet-mounted display, and other avionics
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by SpudmanWP » 23 Mar 2011, 20:59

A good article with info on the level of sensor integration in the F-35.

The Joint Strike Fighter was designed so that the different elements could be mutually supportive of each other. For example, the advanced electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and Electronic Warfare (EW) suite didn’t have to do everything by themselves; the Electrical Optical Targeting System (EOTS) and Distributed Aperture System (DAS) didn’t have to independently answer every infrared (IR) requirement. These sensors were designed to work together as a combat system with system level capabilities. [...]

Full article: http://www.sldinfo.com/?p=16861


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by neptune » 24 Mar 2011, 02:23

SpudmanWP wrote:http://www.sldinfo.com/?p=16861

A good article with info on the level of sensor integration in the F-35.



Excellent article, "Take the AESA radar as an example. We commonly refer to it as an MFA, a multi-function array. It has, of course, many air-to-air modes, and many air-to-ground modes. But it also offers capabilities as a fully capable EW aperture. For EW, I mean electronic protection, electronic attack, and electronic support, the latter of which involves sensing or passive ops." :idea:

Many bloggers on this web site have failed to understand this "significant point" in the article; the F-35 can enter into combat without ever transmitting from its AESA radar. With the sensor fusion the JSF can maneuver to the "six" take a snap shot with a high mach speed, high g (inescapable) missile from point blank range and the enemy wingman never knows which way to turn. At best they may get a missile track before they explode. The AESA never transmitted and the opponent never knew the F-35 was even in the area. It "ain't" sporting, but there is no second place. :twisted:


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by stereospace » 24 Mar 2011, 02:26

Great article, thanks!

Best quote:
During my combat missions over Iraq, the enemy was constantly shooting at me from the ground. I spent 90 percent of my time staring outside, scanning the ground and horizon for SAMs and anti-aircraft artillery, and 10 percent doing the F-15 air-to-air radar mission. That’s about all I could process.

The F-35 is going to do that scanning and processing for you, so you can determine how to most effectively employ or position the aircraft and create the battlefield effects you’re looking for.

In Iraq, it sure would have been better to have the aircraft just tell me if and when someone was shooting at me, from where, and with what type of weapon. Better still would be to have fed the threat coordinates directly to my weapons or offboard to my wingman to enable the immediate return of fire, like the F-35 will be able to do.


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by spazsinbad » 24 Mar 2011, 02:33

neptune said: "It "ain't" sporting, but there is no second place." Exactly. Being sneaky - to win - is the way to go. And could add: "If you ain't already cheating - you are not trying." :twisted:


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by shingen » 24 Mar 2011, 03:15

Note that the radar was developed from the start to be used in EW.


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by jestarbuck » 18 Apr 2013, 07:09

I read an article once with a report from a pilot comparing the F-16 and F/A-18. He reported that while the Viper generally performed better,at least generally,he'd prefer going into combat in the Hornet. The deciding factor was the avionics and info display.
The F-35 sounds like this concept on steroids.


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by spazsinbad » 18 Apr 2013, 08:57

'jestarbuck' was this the article?

F-16 vs. F-18 - A Navy Test Pilot's Perspective By Lcdr John "Toonces" Tougas, Air Age Publishing Jun 2003
"...CONCLUSION
I am often asked, "Which one do you like the best?" The answer is easy, and I reply with this analogy: the F-16 Viper is like the Dodge Viper, and the F/A-18 Hornet is like a Lexus. If I want to cruise around town and experience pure acceleration performance, I would drive the Viper. If I want to cruise in total luxury on a long road trip with all the amenities and Gucci displays, I would drive a Lexus.

It's definitely more fun to fly the Viper, but the Hornet is the aircraft that I would want to take into combat. The primary deciding factors are the superior ergonomics in the Hornet's cockpit design, and its avionics controls and displays. The only jet that I've flown that is better is the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. Another major consideration is the Hornet's capability to take a surface-to-air missile (SAM) up one tailpipe and still make it home on the other engine, as was demonstrated in the 1991 Gulf War.

Speed is nice to have, and 1 wish the Hornet had more, but my confidence in the jet that I grew up in is high. However, the more exposure I get to the various Viper upgrades and different blocks, the more I appreciate its capabilities. The real bottom line is this: if I were a bad guy, I would hate to go up against either one."


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by spazsinbad » 18 Apr 2013, 09:19

This old article may be relevant with an odd claim at the end about 'no flares' for the F-35. An example quote of one of the sensors referenced is below.

2 Electronic Warfare | JSF EW capabilities – sensor fusion the key Frederick Haddock 2nd Apr 2012
"As is now common knowledge, the F-35 JSF is still fighting its critics on numerous fronts and in the process it has collected many supporters and many detractors across the world, with Australia represented in both camps. In mid-March, Lockheed Martin representatives were given a comprehensive grilling by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. As we write it would be difficult to decide whether the optimists or pessimists will be proven correct, but it is noteworthy to report that most recently in December, Japan has opted to join a growing list to buy the aircraft to replace its ageing fleet. This came after a comprehensive evaluation in a competition against the Super Hornet and the Eurofighter....

...Individual sensors | APG-81 AESA radar
This 5th Generation multi-role all solid state Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) provides the main air-air and air-ground sensor and weapon engagement capability of the F-35. It is a frequency agile, scanning radar that provides an exceptional range of capabilities including Air-Air multiple target detection and fire control (cloned from the F-22 APG -77 radar ), air-to- ground modes, including and ground tracking (SAR and ISAR) high resolution mapping, multiple ground moving target detection and track.

On 22 June 2010 the Project Office said: “The radar met and exceeded its performance objectives successfully tracking long-range targets as part of the first mission systems test flights of the F-35 Lightning II BF-4 (Development) aircraft”

The radar also provides electronic warfare functions (RWR and RF Jammer) and the RF elements of the Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) - that is an ultra high bandwidth data link. This provides communications between own force assets to allow development and sharing of situational awareness data and networked force operations.

The radar is a successor to the F-22's AN/APG-77 and includes selected features of it. Conversely, the APG-77v1, the current radar for the F-22A, uses APG-81 hardware and software features for its advanced air-to-ground capabilities that were a more recent addition to that aircraft.
From the EW perspective the APG-81 provides the following capabilities:

• A steerable, precisely focussed, jamming signal that can be transmitted to any point in space within the radar’s field of regard (FOR). The duration of the jamming signal is selectable and it is frequency agile.

• Detecting and locating in-band RF radiations from a remote source that is contained within the radar’s FOR to provide an EW RWR capability.

Similarly, AESA radars are inherently jam resistant as these types are able to change operating frequency with every pulse, and spread the frequencies across a wide band even in a single pulse. Although jammers are available that generate broadband white noise covering the entire operating frequency of a radar, AESAs can be selected to operate on a receive-only basis to locate the jamming transmission....

...Conclusions.
On paper the EW suite appears to be a good match for the overall performance of the aircraft. Sensor fusion and data sharing within the IAS and offboard to another asset is smart and undoubtedly will reduce the pilot’s workload and improve the effectiveness of the aircraft’s combat capability. The architecture of the EW suite lends itself to evolution, weight permitting. Notably, it appears that the aircraft does not have a decoy capability, such as a towed RF/EO decoy (FOTID) or flares."
[QUE?]
http://www.asiapacificdefencereporter.c ... ic-Warfare


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by KamenRiderBlade » 18 Apr 2013, 09:58

I thought the F-35 had Flares / Chaff on it's underside?


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by spazsinbad » 18 Apr 2013, 12:40

Exactly. So searching the forum for CHAFF....

F-35 Electronic Warfare Suite: More Than Self-Protection April 1, 2006 Ron Sherman (Perhaps an April Fool Day Joke?)
http://www.aviationtoday.com/av/militar ... n_845.html
"...The self-protection system includes a response manager and RF/IR countermeasures. Two countermeasure dispensers are located in the aft area of the aircraft, carrying IR flares and chaff. The IR flares are relatively small, allowing more to be carried than was possible in predecessor aircraft. The EW system claims a 440-hour mean time between failures. An onboard diagnostics and fault isolation system, which automatically downlinks data to maintainers, allows line replaceable modules to be ready when the aircraft returns to base. This should simplify logistics and increase combat sortie rates...."

http://www.f-16.net/index.php?name=PNph ... aff#231668
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Less is More in the World of DAS Armada International April 2006 Doug Richardson
"...BAE Systems is also responsible for the information & electronic warfare suite of the F-35, and delivered the first example in August 2004. This is thought to be a highly integrated suite combining radar warning, missile warning, radar and infrared jamming capabilities and expendable decoys. The radar-warning facilities are thought to include longrange emitter detection and bearing determination...."

http://www.scribd.com/doc/113069734/Ric ... sue-2-2006 (PDF 1.7Mb)


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by munny » 18 Apr 2013, 14:32

Oop there it is!

Image


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by f-22lm » 23 May 2013, 23:11



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by popcorn » 26 May 2013, 03:56

Some nice graphics from SLD on SF as being implemented on the F-35 vs. what came before.. even more awesome considering that everyone will be on the same page, contributing to and sharing access to a COP.

http://www.sldinfo.com/whitepapers/the- ... on-engine/
Attachments
sf3.PNG
sf2.PNG
sf1.PNG


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by spazsinbad » 26 May 2013, 04:16

Attached PDF made from the 2Mb PPTX (probably better than PDF) file found here: http://www.sldinfo.com/whitepapers/the- ... on-engine/
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combatsystemsfusionengine-120421073455-phpapp02pptx.pdf
(2.39 MiB) Downloaded 2378 times


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by blindpilot » 26 May 2013, 05:23

Ok my only question is, can I link up my iPAD on my lap in a BAE Hawk LIFT, and share the wealth, and join the fray?
Is there an app for that?
I guess to the latter probably not :(
but to the first, on sharing the wealth with others (not F35) ...Sensor fusion really is a a whole new world in ways I suspect they haven't even scratched the surface yet.

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