F-35 Fusion Risk Reduction

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter team successfully launched a data fusion risk reduction flight test program last fall at the Naval Air Warfare Center at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland. The objective of the nine-month program is to reduce the development risk of the F-35's fusion functionality through a combination of flight tests and flight validated ground simulations. The two-phase flight test program uses a BAC 1-11 flying test bed and cooperative targets. In phase one, performance representative sensors were installed and integrated into the BAC 1-11. In phase two, the sensors will be integrated with the Lockheed Martin-developed software to evaluate aspects of the fusion architecture.

Photo By John Fendley