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Aviation History
1999
1999 - 1702.PDF
'.ill be the first army helicopter to be fully con versant with a spectrum of different communi- ation protocols. In addition to the US Army's Vlil Std 188-220, it will be compatible with US Vir Force AFAPD and US Navy/Marine Corps narine tactical protocol, as well as the Link 16 oint Tactical Information Distribution System. It will be able to interface with complemen- ary surveillance systems, such as the Boeing E- ; Airborne Early Warning and Command System, Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint and Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint-STARS), Raytheon RC-12 Guardrail electronic intelli gence assets, as well as tactical strike aircraft, mmanned air vehicles and communication and >ositioning satellites. "We're talking about joint forces," says 3ergantz. "We're going to have communica tion systems to allow us to talk to, say, fighter ircraft and our Joint STARS sister up in the air nth a God's eye view and share information iack and forth. This is where the real potential or this thing will come about," he adds. The key ingredient to make all this work is lAH-66's mission equipment package (MEP). In place of traditional federated "black boxes", he helicopter has two redundant mission com- tuters and slot-in cards. The 190 or so elec- ronic modules are solder-free and can easily be hanged for repair, replacement or updating. One example of this architectural approach is Comanche's Integrated Communication Navigation and Identification (ICNIA) system, . hich essentially acts as an inter-service calling •ard. ICNIA's different modules comprise vinegars VHF-FM, VHF-AM AND UHF- VM Have Quick radios, identification friend or foe transponders, voice security and automated lata communications hardware. The TRW-designed Comanche system leverages off technology being developed for the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 fighter. "A lot of the modules are common between what the F-22 has and what we're going to use. It's probably going to be the same architecture and systems used on die Joint Strike Fighter as TRW is on bodi teams," says Bergantz. Comanche's two mission computers are linked to other MEP avionics and sensory systems via a network of fibre optic and conventional wire data buses. Included in this arterial loop is the new electro-optical sensor system (EOSS) under development by Lockheed Martin. The nose-mounted EOSS mainly comprises two second-generation 8-12 micron forward looking infrared (FLIR) imagers for targeting and piloting. "These sensors can see about twice as far as current sensors and by the time you multiply the length and width you can real ly see four times the area," claims Art Linden, director of the Boeing Sikorsky RAH-66 joint programme office. The night vision pilotage system (NVPS), the upper of die two EOSS turrets, also includes an image-intensified television. Both are linked to a Kaiser Electronics Helmet Integrated Display Sight System (HIDSS), which offers a wider 3 0 x 52 ° field view than the 3 0 x 40° binoc ular system employed on the Boeing AH-64 Apache. The RAH-66's 20mm gun turret is similarly slaved to the HIDSS. Directly beneath NVPS is die larger electro- optical target acquisition and designation sys tem (EOTAD S), which can also act as a back-up piloting system. The stabilised turret in addi tion to housing the SADA I surveillance and search FLIR and a second solid-state television, accommodates a two-colour laser designator and rangefinder. Comanche is not only able to see further with EOTADS, but will be much faster and more dis cerning about what it views with the use of an Aided Target Detection and Classification System (ATDC). The system will automatically scan an area and store image data and so min imise the time die helicopter is unmasked to hos tile fire. "Our issue was that covering so much more of the battlefield made it extremely unacceptable to keep the aircraft exposed that length of time. The ATDC with pre programmed algo rithms will classify targets, based on what the threat is and the range. All this can be dis played or transmitted back," says Linden. The Northrop Grumman programmed soft ware uses memorised images scanned in from different angles to generate a match with objects captured by EOSS. In addition to identification and classification, the distance and co-ordinates of a potent threat can be calculated with the help of global positioning satellites for targeting. Lockheed Martin's Longbow millimetre- wave radar has a similar classification capability, but ATDC has the advantage of being passive and providing better image clarity. "The ulti mate solution will be to take FLIR, with low light TV and the radar image and do a fusion • "These sensors can see about twice as far as current sensors and by the time you multiply the length and width you can see four times the area "-Art Linden :LIGHT INTERNATIONAL 9 - 15 June 1999 115
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