Technology Update
Enhancing the Tornado
 The Tornado is undergoing several upgrades and enhancements designed to ensure its long-term operational role in the German Air Force and Navy, the Royal Air Force, and the Italian Air Force. |
A tri-national program with shared responsibilities between EADS Military Aircraft, BAE Systems and Alenia Aerospazio, the Tornado combat aircraft program has produced aircraft for the German Air Force (GAF), the German Navy (GNY), the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Italian Air Force (IAF). Since its successful participation in NATO's Combined Air Operations over the former Yugoslavia in 1995, lessons learned have been identified and serve as an important basis for the Tornado modular capability enhancement programs. The main objective of these programs is to improve weapon system performance and accuracy, while enhancing the aircraft's ability to operate in a multinational environment.
The capability enhancement programs are designed to support and intensify the long-term operational role of the GAF and GNY Tornado combat aircraft with respect to standoff and precision munitions delivery capability, survivability, and the processing and transfer of command, control, and reconnaissance data. To keep up with these increasing requirements over the next two decades, all remaining GAF and GNY Tornado combat aircraft will undergo a software upgrade called ASSTA 2 (Avionics System Software Tornado in Ada). Sponsored by the Italian and German customer, ASSTA 2 comprises two major parts: the display system upgrade to improve human-machine interface and the Tornado Defensive Aids Subsystem (TDASS) to enhance survivability against modern air defense systems.
In addition to software upgrades, EADS Military Aircraft established the Avionics Demonstrator Tornado (ADT) to facilitate the development and integration of new avionics in a relatively short time. The benefits of such an experimental program are experience in operational and technical aspects before series production, the flexible and cost- efficient change of hardware and software, risk reduction, customer support in the specification phase using early demonstrations and constant product improvements. The ADT is a pod attached to the center pylon of the aircraft. A color display and an additional control panel are installed in the rear cockpit.
The pod itself has a modular structure, so it can be reconfigured with different equipment and is connected to the aircraft via a standard interface for exchange of information and image display in cockpit. The number one project in the ADT program at this time is MIDS/LINK16 integration. Future technologies, such as sensor fusion, voice recognition, and onboard diagnostics, will be developed and tested by using the ADT pod.
For the Royal Air Forc, EADS Military Aircraft developed avionics hardware and software for the Tornado GR4 and the Tornado F3. A major avionics capability improvement of the UK aircraft is achieved by the introduction of the Upgraded Main Computer (UMC) with Ada 95 software for the Tornado GR4 and enhancement of the Tornado F3 Main Computer performance with a Power PC.
The UMC on the Tornado GR4 allows the integration of new functionality with modern weapons and subsystems (e.g., the tactical data link for a digital realtime communication in an operational network scenario).
Apart from the major capability enhancement programs, one of the more significant challenges facing Tornado combat aircraft is how the aircraft is going to reach its service life of 2020+. It was originally designed for 4000 flying hours, but to get beyond 2020 requires duplication of flying hours. It is not only just an issue for the aircraft structure either, as all of the aircraft system components were designed with the same life time.
To increase service life, EADS, together with the partner companies such as Turbo Union, is working on a Life Extension Program for the Tornado IDS and ADV. The aim is to expand the current life of the Tornado combat aircraft up to 8000 flying hours. The program considers only flight- safety-relevant equipment, the aircraft structure, and the engine, and might be launched in 2003 following customer approval.
For the Tornado F3, a Mid Life Fatigue Program (MLFP) has already been developed and is currently implemented. Within the scope of this program, 24 center fuselages are structurally enhanced at the EADS Military Aircraft plant in Augsburg.
Future upgrades for the Tornado fleet are planned and will target areas such as electronic warfare (EW), countermeasures and self-protection capabilities, including a new digital missile warning system, towed radar decoys, and additional flares and precision approach capabilities.
- Frank Bokulich
Sustaining the German MiG-29 fleet
 MAPS has adapted 23 German Luftwaffe MiG-29 aircraft to ICAO and NATO requirements. |
To date, 23 MiG-29 aircraft of the German Luftwaffe have been adapted to the ICAO and NATO requirements by the German-Russian joint venture MAPS (MiG Aircraft Product Support GmbH). The ICAO/NATO upgrades, which are aimed at ensuring safe operations of the aircraft, can now be offered to potential customers as an extremely low-cost version to meet their medium-term requirements.
Together with its shareholder companies EADS, RSK MiG, and Rosoboronexport, MAPS has developed extensive modernization concepts on a modular basis. At the core of these upgrade versions are a new central processor and a Mil Std 1553 databus.
In addition to the modular upgrades of the aircraft, MAPS also focused on optimizing the pre- and post-flight inspection manual as well as the necessary cyclical inspections and measures to extend the service life of replacement parts. These life-cycle extensions have served to increase the availability of the MiG-29 aircraft to the Luftwaffe.
MAPS is also providing support to the Luftwaffe during the whole in-service phase of the MiG-29. Reducing operating costs is a key objective in the company's efforts to optimize repair and overhaul concepts. In this way, depot-level inspection has been reduced from 120,000 to less than 20,000 labor hours. At the same time, through an appropriate maintenance and documentation concept, the intervals between depot inspections have been increased from 800 FH/9 years to 1300 FH/15 years.
Using its operational experience along with those of its parental companies and the customer, MAPS works continuously to improve the MiG-29 logistics system. User and maintenance documentation are updated correspondingly and equipment defects are registered within the logistic system of the customer, with the required measures required set out in technical specifications.
Requirements for spares are predicted on the basis of the known aircraft attrition rates and are used to manage parts supply. MAPS has more than 3000 items on stock and ready for delivery. Any critical parts that may be required can be supplied at short notice by means of the "emergency procurement" procedure.
Information on equipment and components with different service lives is stored in a database, so that the respective items can be sent to a licensed maintenance shop for timely inspection or overhaul.
- Frank Bokulich
ATC modernization
Continuing its efforts to enhance the air traffic control (ATC) system, the FAA is upgrading equipment that provides crucial pre-departure flight clearance information, such as weather and airport conditions, via both text and automated voice messages. The Tower Data Link Services (TDLS) upgrades will enhance the reliability of service between tower controllers and pilots.
The upgrade includes changes to system hardware, software, and technical documentation. Philadelphia and Boston Logan International Airports were the first two sites to receive upgrades. Over the next 12 months, the FAA will upgrade 58 high-density airport towers in the U.S. that are currently using TDLS. TDLS is used by 17 major airlines and two general aviation service providers who relay flight information to 1400 aircraft and two cargo carriers. A new TDLS system was installed at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey last December under a memorandum of agreement between the FAA and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
In addition to the TDLS upgrades, the agency has also stepped up efforts to modernize its telecommunications infrastructure. The FAA has awarded Harris Corp. a 15-year, $1.7 billion contract to lead the modernization effort. The FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure (FTI) program is expected to improve operations at more than 5000 FAA facilities nationwide while reducing operating costs, enhancing network security, and improving telecommunications services. Harris' FTI development team will include BellSouth Corp., Qwest Communications International, SBC Communications, Sprint, and Verizon Communications, with Raytheon Technical Services providing on-site technical services and support for the FAA's facilities nationwide.
Under terms of the agreement, the Harris team will consolidate the Leased Interfacility NAS Communications System, Data Multiplexing Network, Bandwidth Manager, and the National Aviation Data Interchange Network into an integrated telecommunications infrastructure. The team will replace more than 35,000 circuits, upgrade switching and routing services, improve network monitoring and control, implement a state-of-the-art security system, and provide network engineering services.
- Frank Bokulich
Helios energy-storage system tested
 Functional tests of a prototype regenerative energy-storage system for the Helios solar-powered aircraft have been completed. |
NASA has announced that engineers from AeroVironment, Inc. have successfully completed functional tests of a prototype regenerative Energy Storage System for the Helios Prototype solar-powered aircraft. The prototype system, housed within a pod that will replace one of the existing landing gear pods, contains a hydrogen-oxygen regenerative fuel-cell system that could be used to power the Helios aircraft through the night in future flight demonstrations. According to NASA, the energy-storage system is a crucial element for enabling a solar-powered aircraft to fly longer than a single day and potentially for unlimited duration.
The energy-storage system is based on proton exchange membrane (also known as polymer electrolyte membrane) fuel-cell technology now rapidly emerging in automotive applications. The system is designed to capture excess electric power produced by the aircraft's solar arrays during daytime flight and use it to electrolyze water into its constituent gases, hydrogen and oxygen. These gases would be stored under pressure and recombined in a fuel cell, producing electricity to enable night flight.
 The prototype regenerative energy-storage system is designed to capture excess electric power produced by the Helio's solar arrays during daytime flight and use it to electrolyze water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen and water will be stored under pressure and recombined in a fuel cell, which will provide power for night flights. Click to enlarge |
Functional tests were completed recently at National Technical Systems in Saugus, CA. The testing served to demonstrate the viability of a flight-configured, hydrogen-oxygen aerospace regenerative fuel-cell energy-storage system. During the simulated day portion of the test, the prototype system absorbed 16 kW of electrical energy for a period of about 5.5 h until the storage tanks were fully charged by the electrolyzer. During the simulated night phase of testing, gas was discharged from the tanks over a period of about 5 h into the fuel-cell stack, producing up to 4.6 kW.
The prototype tests were conducted at sea level conditions with a system that, although not yet as light as will be required for flight on Helios, has the essential attributes to fulfill the form, fit, and function requirements of a flightworthy energy-storage system.
The energy-storage system design team was led by AeroVironment, with technical assistance from NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards, CA, and NASA Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, OH.
- Frank Bokulich
