The F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin have started integrating the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto-GCAS) on to F-35 jets.
The firms say that they have successfully fielded the life-saving technology seven years earlier than previously planned.
“This is a great day for the warfighter as the Auto-GCAS is a proven system that is long over-due,” said Lt. Gen. Eric Fick, F-35 Program Executive Officer.
“Expediting this life-saving technology into the F-35 across the global fleet will bring more warfighters home. Over the service life of the F-35 fleet, having Auto-GCAS is estimated to prevent more than 26 ground collisions from happening. It is indeed a remarkable achievement in aeronautics which will improve the performance, efficiency, and safety of the F-35. The time and effort expended to deliver this critical warfighting capability is worth it – it will save lives.”
Originally developed for the F-16 in partnership with NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory, Auto-GCAS uses terrain mapping, geolocation and automation to detect and avoid potential ground collisions. When the program recognises imminent impact, it will prompt the pilot to take action. If the pilot is unresponsive, Auto-GCAS assumes temporary control to divert the aircraft out of harm’s way, and then returns control of the aircraft to the pilot once on a safe trajectory.
The system has been operating successfully aboard the F-16 for more than five years and has already been credited with saving eight F-16 pilots’ lives since 2014.
Excellent piece of kit for our F35 pilots.
Interesting to note the timeframes for adding weapons to the F35B and the choices that are currently available.
https://www.savetheroyalnavy.org/munitions-handling-on-the-royal-navys-aircraft-carriers/
Related: The Japanese are trying to fill the vacuum left by the Turks being axed from the F35 program. I can see merit in both side’s argument for and against. JASDF IS going to be second largest operator of the type so that’s a point for inclusion, however, what’s the threshold going to be? Also with the poor state of relations between Japan and the ROK, the ROKs will immediately demand to be full partners as well which puts the U.S. in the proverbial hard place…
Having said that though, I’ve heard rumblings that the JASDF may place an ADDITIONAL order of between 50 and 100 F35As to fully replace their F15J fleet and pair up with unnamed countries to develop a Gen 6 fighter. It would be a real coup if those unnamed countries were the UK and Sweden… The Japanese have NOT forgotten being denied access to the F22 by Congress.. If this comes to fruition it would be very hard to deny them a full partnership…
https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2019/07/29/japan-wants-to-be-an-official-f-35-partner-the-pentagon-plans-to-say-no/
Cheers.
Also, if my personal opinion that the JMSDF will build and operate full sized fleet carrier/s by the end of the 2020’s is correct, an additional order for F35Cs might materialize… They already either have or have ordered E2D’s and Ospreys. All they need are the strike aircraft.
https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2019/08/01/heres-why-you-might-see-japanese-ospreys-over-north-carolina-in-the-next-year/
Cheers!
Whether these airframes actually materialize or not is the question…
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-02/russia-launches-production-su-57-stealth-fighter-jet
Cheers!