Vehicle-management computer gets BAE Systems trial on F-35 aircraft variants
NewsSeptember 06, 2023
ENDICOTT, N.Y. BAE Systems reports that its new vehicle-management computer (VMC) has been successfully flight-tested on the F-35 Lightning II stealth combat aircraft, with the trial demonstrating a technology upgrade for all three F-35 variants that is aimed at boosting computer performance and addressing obsolescence issues.
During the testing -- which took place at both at Naval Air Station Patuxent (Maryland) and Edwards Air Force Base in California -- the company reports that its VMC enabled operation of advanced control modes, while its distributed architecture allowed the aircraft to operate reliably with enhanced mission effectiveness in demanding environments.
The technology upgrade on the VMC uses a quad-core advanced processor for high performance and efficiency, enabling additional aircraft capabilities while reducing pilot workload and adding advanced mission capabilities, such as the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) and Auto Ground Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS).
Corin Beck, director of Military Aircraft Systems for Controls and Avionics Solutions at BAE Systems, said that the VMC's high-integrity processing enabled users to implement the platform's advanced control algorithms. "This upgrade leveraged BAE Systems’ technology roadmap to ensure the F-35 will advance its mission-management and flight-control capabilities today and into the future.”
