F-16 Fighting Falcon News

October 5, 2004 (by Lieven Dewitte) - CPU Technology announced that its prototype AN/APG-68 Modernized Programmable Signal Processor (MPSP), a form-, fit- and function-compatible Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) for F16 Block 30/40 aircraft, has completed Design Try Out (DTO) flight tests.
The MPSP program was awarded to CPU TECH by the United States Air Force with the goal of upgrading the Programmable Signal Processor incorporated into the original Northrop Grumman designed F-16 AN/APG-68 Radar system to improve reliability and reduce overall maintenance costs.

The Design Tryout (DTO) Flight Testing held at Edwards Air Force Base included air-to-air target tracking and missile operation as well as air-to-ground target tracking and bombing. An important milestone in the MPSP program, DTO flight test is the first opportunity for the MPSP to be functionally tested as an integrated unit while flying in an F-16 aircraft.

Prior to the DTO flight tests, the MPSP prototype systems underwent functional testing at Hill Air Force Base in both block 30 and block 40 configurations with additional development testing performed at Tyndall Air Force Base. Environmental Qualification Testing of the prototype has been completed at various laboratory facilities under contract to CPU TECH.

Pre-production MPSP units are scheduled for delivery to the Air Force in early 2005 with a release to formal flight test by mid-2005.

The CPU TECH Modernized Programmable Signal Processor for the AN/APG-68 has been engineered to eliminate 80 percent of the circuit card assemblies and approximately 40 percent of the system weight from the original unit. The newly redesigned system requires only five percent of the original system's power and will improve reliability by a factor of 10, offering a substantial potential cost savings to the US Air Force over the program life.