NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Web Page sponsor Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
09 Jan 06. An industry team led by Boeing has demonstrated a new technology that dramatically increases data transfer speeds in tactical aircraft, making them more effective in meeting the demands of the network-centric operational environment of the future. The new data “bus” technology, which uses existing aircraft wiring, has proven it can transfer electronic data at least 40 times faster than current data bus technology. These advantages will allow aircraft systems to be upgraded for future combat environments much more quickly and affordably than with other high data rate options. The new technology is a high performance version of the current military standard data bus known as MIL-STD-1553. It’s called HyPer-1553TM and is similar to Digital Subscriber Line technology that’s used to expand the data-carrying capability of ordinary telephone lines. The team of Boeing, Data Device Corp. (DDC) and Honeywell Aerospace demonstrated HyPer-1553’s capabilities by conducting a flight test aboard the Boeing F-15E1 Advanced Technology Demonstrator aircraft on Dec. 17, 2005, in St. Louis. During the test, Boeing Phantom Works engineers used the HyPer-1553 data bus to transmit imagery between a rugged computer mounted in the forward equipment bay of the F-15E and a modified Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) mounted on a wing pylon station. A DDC circuit card was mounted to a Honeywell general purpose processor board on either end of the interface. The results showed that HyPer-1553 transferred data at 40 megabits per second in parallel with MIL-STD-1553 data being transferred at 1 megabit per second. The team also transferred data at 40, 80 and 120 megabits per second on a second bus dedicated to the higher speed data.
04 Jan 06. L-3 Communications’ Communication Systems-West (CS-West) division has made available a full duplex transmit capability for its Rover III Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) data link. Successfully demonstrated in the U.S. Central Command Air Force (CENTAF) Atlantic Strike II Live Fly exercise in Avon Park, Florida, in November 2005, the enhanced Rover III systems provide 360-degree video from an unmanned remote control vehicle, in addition to the broad UAV communications interoperability for which the systems are known. During the exercise, the Rover III provided communications for the CENTAF Improvised Explosive Device, Detection, Decoy and Defense (IED4) remote-controlled automobile prototype, demonstrating interoperable joint situational awareness for targeting and real time ISR and proving the operational concept. The Rover III also received real time video from both manned aircraft and UAVs, including aircraft equipped with the Wescam MX-15 sensor system.
06 Jan 06. A new heavy lift helicopter is now officially in the pipeline for the Marine Corps following a December 22, 2005 decision by the Honorable. Kenneth R. Krieg, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics to authorize the Heavy Lift Replacement(HLR/CH-53K) program here to begin a $4.4billion development program for the aircraft. A “Cost Plus Award Fee” contract for the System Development and Demonstration phase, estimated to be approximately $2.9bn, is expected to be signed with Sikorsky in March 2006. An Initial System Development and Demonstration contract (worth $8.8m)to Sikorsky was signed January 3. A follow-on ISDD contract is expected in several weeks. An exact figure for that contract is not yet known. The ISDD contracts cover continuing risk reduction efforts and sub-system selection (including cockpit, engines, fuselage, etc), while the SDD contract covers most aspects of research, design, test and evaluation efforts performed by Sikorsky for the new helicopter. Fleet Marines should start receiving the first of 156 new marinized heavy lifters, to be called the CH-53K, in 2015.
05 Jan 06. Northrop Grum