Our clients come to us
because we enable them to solve common testing challenges in a cost effective
way. The UK MoD is the latest customer
to benefit from our unrivalled IO test facility. The F-35 Lightning II JSF recently
participated in the UK IO Trials Programme Event 6, part of an ongoing series
of IO test events, designed to test the F-35 mission system tactical data IO
with other UK platforms. The UK IO
Trials Programme uses a realistic simulation environment to connect UK
Operational Facilities (OPFAC) over a secure wide area network.
In
a simulated amphibious operations scenario, UK and US Navy pilots operated the
F-35 mission system using Lockheed-built desktop simulators at BAE Systems’ UK
Samlesbury site.
This
event benefited from upgraded briefing/debriefing facilities at Samlesbury,
which made for a more interactive and engaging test event, as evidenced by the
comments and feedback received from the MoD customers and stakeholders:
“We
very much appreciated the insight to the conduct of the experimentation and we
were very impressed at the expansion and enhancements to your facility.”
“Through
the event we are starting to see the advantages of digital control (C2)…….. We
now need to grip Link 16 capability and push digital control forward.”
“The
UK IO Trials Programme is delivering tangible and significant results…….. The
Phase 1 Findings report has been well received in MoD and is extremely
valuable.”
“The
RNAS Culdrose Station Commander was mightily impressed with what he saw (from the
Sea King lab) and …………plans to attend the next event.”
The scenario saw the F-35 successfully connected with the Sea
King Airborne Surveillance and Control
(SKASaC) helicopter OPFAC at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose and the
Type 45 Daring-class destroyer OPFAC at Portsdown Technology Park (PTP). SyntheSys was responsible for establishing and
maintaining the data exchange mechanism used in support of the SKASaC and Type
45 participation.
A total of three UK sites were networked together with
exchange of Tactical Data between the participating platforms achieved by
emulating Tactical Data exchange equipment and mechanisms. The SKASaC and Type 45 OPFACs used the UK
Multi-Link Test Facility (MLTF) equipment that enables tactical data exchange
between real platform equipment, including Link 16 and radar scenario data, and
the other platform desktop simulators.
SyntheSys provides the MLTF capability to the UK MoD,
operating and supporting it for all Tactical Data Interoperability testing
needs. Use of the MLTF equipment in this
event supports the UK MoD’s verification programme for ensuring the F-35 is
interoperable with the existing and future UK inventory.
Connecting the F-35 facility at BAES
Samlesbury to other UK platforms using real Tactical Data exchange equipment
and MLTF, for example the UK Sentry E-3D and Sentinel aircraft, allows
validation of the F-35 IO capability. In
addition, it could also support the reverse principle of confirming the IO of
other coalition partner platforms, potentially from all over the world, with
the F-35.
For more information about our Testing Services, download the
information sheet [here].
