Popular Mechanics (South Africa)
2 AVIONICS
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America’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is often referred to by pilots as a ‘quarterback in the sky’. It’s a flying supercomputer designed to present vast amounts of data – friendly and enemy aircraft, ground assets, mission objectives, and more – in a single, simple user interface. Russia and China have each emphasised this technology in the Felon and the Mighty Dragon, so the NGAD must access and interpret data from a broader range of sources. Doing so may require artificial intelligence.
Su-57 Felon » The Su-57 exchanges data with nearby aircraft and ground assets, and couples that data with existing intelligence to offer a streamlined understanding of the battle space. These avionics operate on a concept called network centricity, a new architecture for the Russian military that can be improved via software updates to increase automation over time, freeing the pilot to engage opponents.
The Su-57 also pairs side-facing radars with a nose-mounted X-Band N036 Byelka (Squirrel) AESA radar system. These offer the Su-57 a wide field of view, enhancing the pilot’s situational awareness.
J-20 Mighty Dragon The J-20 is believed to leverage a secure data link for advanced communications and data transmission. It boasts a chin-mounted infrared/electrooptical search-and-track sensor that scans the horizon for enemy aircraft, and a passive electro-optical detection system to identify target aircraft at a distance without putting off any electromagnetic energy that might compromise the aircraft’s profile.
On-board systems combine radar information with infrared imaging for an integrated view of the battle space via holographic head-up display and LCD touch screens. These systems can determine speed, rate of closure, and even the type of aircraft being targeted. The primary screen in the J-20’s cockpit is 24 by 9 inches (60 × 23 cm), with three smaller auxiliary displays.
NGAD » Its avionics, sensors, and on-board computers should surpass the F-35’s, thanks to an ‘open system architecture’ approach similar to that of your smartphone. Just as your phone is a collection of multifunction sensors and data processors, upgradable via periodic software downloads, so will NGAD’s avionics be open to improvements over the platform’s lifetime. ‘Today’s fighters are not just aeroplanes,’ says Major Justin Lee, US Air Force F-35 pilot. ‘They are systems of sensors and weapons fused together in an efficient package. And because everything is tied together, one software update can make the entire system significantly better in a matter of minutes.’