RAF demos F-35B and Typhoon interoperability

[Ethan]

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has demonstrated a new interoperability system that will allow its fourth- and fifth-generation combat aircraft to communicate with one another, it was announced on 15 February.

The Northrop Grumman Airborne Gateway, which is designed to enable the Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 and Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) to share information, was trialled over two weeks in the United States.

Dubbed Babel Fish III, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD)-funded trials were flown over the Mojave Desert in California as part of the wider RAF Exercise 'High Rider'. During the tests, the Airborne Gateway converted messages from the F-35B's Multifunction Advanced Data Link (MADL) into a format that could be read by the Typhoon's Link 16 datalink. While the F-35B can communicate directly with the Typhoon via Link 16, it cannot share certain undisclosed information via this system.

"This is the first time non-US fifth- and fourth-generation aircraft have shared MADL-delivered data, and is an important demonstration of interoperability as the UK moves closer to initial operating capability of its F-35 Lightning II force in late 2018," Northrop Grumman said in a statement. "Being able to network sensor data between fifth-generation and fourth-generation fast jets and other battlespace assets in a stealthy manner is critically important to enabling the full capability offered by fifth-generation aircraft."

A key component of the Airborne Gateway is the Northrop Grumman Freedom 550 software-defined radio, which is derived from the integrated communications, navigation, and identification avionics suite the company developed and manufactures for the F-35. This radio was validated under the Jetpack Joint Capability Technology Demonstration programme that concluded in 2014.

Northrop Grumman deployed a similar Airborne Gateway capability in March 2016 to support Australia's Exercise 'Jericho Dawn 16-3', successfully demonstrating the effects of integrated air and land operations during this live-fire exercise.
http://www.janes.com/article/67763/raf-demos-f-35b-and-typhoon-interoperability

 

[Ethan]

MBDA awarded GBP539 million in missile contracts from the UK MoD

• MBDA awarded three separate contract worth a combined GBP539 million.
• Each contract is in part geared at protecting the UK's two future Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers.

MBDA announced on 21 April three new air-, land-, and sea-based contracts with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) valued at a combined GBP539 million (USD690 million).

The first contract concerns integration of the Meteor beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) onto the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) for the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy (RN), and is valued at GBP41 million. The weapon is due to enter service with the Eurofighter Typhoon on 2018 and with the F-35B in 2024.

http://www.janes.com/article/69748/mbda-awarded-gbp539-million-in-missile-contracts-from-the-uk-mod

 

[f15sa]

عربي

 

[GSN]

عربي

هذا قسم انجليزي

 

[Ethan]

Typhoons seem to be increasingly terrifying, despite all the great achievements, now in constant progress, and terrifying formality with the f-35b, surprisingly.

Progressing significantly in favor of the Royal Air Force, this seems to be not in the interest of Russian models.

 

[f15sa]

هذا قسم انجليزي

شكرا للتنبيه

 

[Ethan]

UK MoD green lights Meteor integration on F-35B

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has officially approved the integration of the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) on the UK F-35B Lightning II multirole stealth aircraft under one of a raft of separate missile-related contract awards to MBDA announced on 21 April.


A GBP41 million (USD52.5 million) contract provides for the development of an initial integration solution for Meteor on the F-35, a UK MoD Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) spokesperson told Jane's. "There will be a separate contract for full integration, the timeline of which will be guided by the US follow-on modernisation [FoM] programme. The UK is seeking to have the capability available on the F-35 from 2024," the spokesperson said. Meteor is a candidate for internal carriage on the UK's F-35B as part of the Block 4 capability upgrade cycle.


Dave Armstrong, managing director at MBDA UK, told Jane's that the contract essentially moves an earlier Meteor/F-35 integration study into the design phase. "We've already completed an initial study, and we understand precisely what we need to do. So this [contract] moves the study into the design phase, and we will end up with the right build of software and adaptation for Meteor on the F-35. We also have make sure that when the missile is in the internal weapons bay it is compatible with the aircraft and so our design work will also focus on safety parameters, release parameters, etc, to ensure that the missile works in the complete F-35 environment. So this contract will conclude with a finished product."


Armstrong confirmed that the design phase includes a minor hardware redesign to the missile tail fin. "As currently configured, the fins [on the Meteor] will not fit in the internal weapons bay of the F-35, and therefore they have to be redesigned. In simplistic terms we are cropping the top of the fin and are moving it elsewhere to retain the same surface area - and so the performance remains unchanged.
http://www.janes.com/article/69834/uk-mod-green-lights-meteor-integration-on-f-35b