Boeing Flies U.S. Navy advanced targeting FLIR Pod on F-15E
ST. LOUIS, May 14, 2001 -- Boeing last month tested on its F-15E1 aircraft the advanced forward-looking infrared targeting system, or FLIR, the U.S. Navy will install on Boeing-built F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft.
E1 flew the Raytheon-provided system, called Terminator, for more than six hours during three flights to evaluate its FLIR imaging and designation capabilities as well as the ease of integration.
"Terminator's imagery and pointing accuracy were outstanding," said Boeing test pilot Joe Felock. "It is a very impressive system."
Boeing operates E1 as a technology demonstrator aircraft. No modifications to the aircraft were needed, as the Terminator interface is compatible with interfaces for the Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night pod that F-15s already carry.
Besides a self-cooling capability required by U.S. Air Force fighters, the only difference between Terminator and the Raytheon Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared system, which Boeing is integrating on the Super Hornet, is one processor card that translates the F/A-18 interface to the F-15E.
The first flight occurred within three weeks of Boeing receiving the pod. Such rapid integration is an outgrowth of Bold Stroke, a Boeing Phantom Works initiative that promotes an open-systems architecture approach for the company's products.
Bold Stroke is showing how adopting commercial computer technologies and standards across multiple aircraft can help reduce avionics costs in military systems.
"This is another validation of Bold Stroke's emphasis on open-systems architecture across Boeing platforms and on transitioning technology to production programs," said Reg Varga, who oversees Bold Stroke.
During the flights, E1 also carried the Airborne Video Solid-State Recorder built by Fairchild Defense, a Smiths Industries Company. The device stores in-flight video and audio on a computer disk rather than tape. The multi-channel recorder is based on commercial standards and interfaces; it offers better imagery and reliability than videotape systems now in use.
As with the Terminator, no modifications were needed to integrate the recorder.
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01-66
Contact Info:
Todd Blecher
(314) 233-0206
todd.e.blecher@boeing.com
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