Flight control computers for F-15EX, F/A-18E/F fighters to get upgrade
NewsAugust 20, 2024
ENDICOTT, N.Y. BAE Systems announced that Boeing has chosen it to upgrade the fly-by-wire (FBW) flight control computers (FCC) for the F-15EX Eagle II and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter jets.
The F/A-18E/F is used by the U.S. Navy, while the F-15EX Eagle II is an asset of the U.S. Air Force.
According to the BAE Systems announcement, the company will modernize the FCC electronics hardware and software to increase processing power, enhance cyber and product security, address obsolescence issues, and support sustainment well into the future for both aircraft. The FCC used in the F/A-18E/F will also host an additional processor to enable future capabilities for the fleet.
According to information in the BAE Systems announcement, the FCCs manage flight by processing pilot inputs, monitoring real-time aircraft movement conditions using onboard sensors, and transmitting commands to actuators that move the control surfaces. The redundant flight control system (FCS) enables pilots to maintain controlled operation across the demanding flight regime and multiple loadout configurations. Moreover, BAE Systems officals say, the FCS can reconfigure how it controls the aircraft in case of a failure or battle damage by mixing the remaining control surfaces differently.
The flight control upgrade is expected to be carried out at the BAE Systems engineering and manufacturing facility in Endicott, New York.
