Part Two in a series looking at the status of Enhanced Flight Vision Systems (EFVS), which provide greater situation awareness and improved visual clarity for enhanced navigational safety and efficient operations.

Synthetic Vision

Synthetic vision guidance systems provide pilots with a synthesized, clear view of the terrain and navigational guidance, even when the view out the window is obscured by weather conditions or low light. Collins’ synthetic vision system provides ground navigation data for pilots landing at small airfields.

Thea Feyereisen, senior technical fellow at Aerospace Advanced Technology, Honeywell, Minneapolis, says Synthetic Vision Guidance System (SVGS) components include synthetic vision (terrain and obstacle database), high-integrity runway database, ownership position monitors and advanced symbology (i.e., HUD-like including flight path vector, speed deviation and acceleration cue) to enable the pilot lower than standard minimums.

“EFVS enhances this synthetic view with real-time images, giving pilots a complete view of their surroundings through the HUD in any operating environment,” Brown says. Collins Aerospace’s real-time 3-D terrain mapping creates precise virtual representations of the environment—such as terrain, obstacles, airports and runways—to provide a comprehensive picture of the pilot’s surroundings to enhance situational awareness.

“We’ve also developed Combined Vision Systems (CVS) which integrates SVS with Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) and are visible on our high-definition Head-Up Displays (HUD),” Brown says. “CVS is available for a wide variety of aircraft, including those operating the Collins Compact HUD. These technologies seamlessly blend to provide a holistic view of the environment, high-fidelity flight information and a wider field of view to lessen pilot workload and improve critical decision making. When pilots see the Collins CVS, they are blown away by the quality of the imagery. The fidelity and detail provided are a game changer for pilots who need to operate in any environmental condition.”

SVGS capable aircraft can enable pilots to fly a special authorization Category I Instrument Landing System (CAT I ILS) to 150 feet vs 200 feet Decision Altitude/Decision Height (DA/DH). “In the future SVGS will enable lower minimums on unrestricted LPV approaches from 200 to 150 and reduce further the minimums on CAT I ILS from 200 to 100 (today is 150 feet) DA/DH,” Feyereisen says. “An SVGS approach extends the instrument segment, whereas and EFVS extends the visual segment of the approach. An aircraft equipped with SVGS can lower the altitude (e.g., detect at 150ft vs 200ft) from which the runway environment cues must be seen by the pilot with the EFVS sensor to transition to visual approach and landing.”

Both SVGS and EFVS aim to enhance situational awareness in low-visibility conditions, but their primary difference lies in the technology used and the operational credits they provide. Yahav contends, “SVGS provides limited operational credit in certain scenarios, while EFVS provides significantly more credit, deeming SVGS irrelevant when EFVS is installed. SVGS continue to be limited, requiring head-down operations to look at the graphical displays installed on the flight deck. We believe flying should be performed heads up, with pilots focused outside the cockpit on their surrounding environment.”

Artificial Intelligence and EFVS

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly beneficial role in EFVS during flight. According to Brown, “AI algorithms can process and enhance images, detect and recognize objects within the aircraft’s vicinity, and identify potential terrain and obstacle hazards.”

With obstacle recognition and detection, Feyereisen says, the SVS picture in general, is always going to be more consistent and “better looking” than the EFVS. “However, the SVS is not real time, so it does not detect a hazard that is not in its database, e.g., a moose that has stumbled onto the runway! MMWR have excellent all-weather penetration capabilities, but the image quality and update rate for a commercial system does not meet the required visual quality requirements to be equivalent to natural vision like today’s IR sensors.”

One concept being explored is leveraging AI for image/obstacle detection to confirm runway location and hazard detection to extend the capabilities of SVGS/SVS. Kumar believes the pilot gets to fly with the well-formed and useable SVS, but there if there is an issue with the navigation position or an unanticipated obstacle like a vehicle or animal on the runway, the pilot would maintain situational awareness equivalent to visual conditions.

“The fusion of different data modalities, i.e., radar, lidar, cameras, and real-time position and high integrity databases through machine learning and AI processing has made significant progresses toward autonomous vehicle operations in urban environment,” He says. “The advancement can potentially be leveraged into aviation domain for improving EFVS systems.”

Universal Avionics began incorporating artificial intelligence with Aperture long before the AI revolution. A lot of information is captured from video sources, not all of which can be processed by the human brain in real time to make proactive decisions quickly. “We are leveraging AI to better understand the video captured from our enhanced vision system,” Yahav says. “This is similar to the automotive industry’s autopilot features, which rely on visual information captured by cameras and sensors to navigate the vehicle. Universal’s Aperture will be the first product to bring this sensor-fusion technology to aviation, first certified last year and already being developed in OEM solutions by our customers.”

EFVS Regulatory Updates

The FAA continues to define new standards for EFVS through their work with the RTCA SC-213 special committee. “Co-chaired by Universal Avionics and represented by Troy Niles, senior principal engineer for EFVS, the committee aligns with the latest developments of ClearVision and is backed by our subject expertise,” Yahav says. “Universal Avionics is also the first company to utilize the 50% operational credit allowed by the FAA. The FAA and EASA are also working together to define regulations for certifying AI, the same direction that Universal Avionics is moving towards with its upcoming avionics innovations.”

RTCA SC-213, which is harmonized with EUROCAE WG79, is expected to release two new Minimum Acceptable Performance Standards (MASPS) later this year: Document DO-407/ED-326 for Synthetic and Combined Vision Systems and DO-408/ED-327 for Enhanced Vision Systems. Thea Feyereisen is chair of the SVS/CVS document and Randy Bailey, NASA, is chair of the EFVS/EVS document. Both documents have been sent out to the industry for final review and comment and the comments are in the process of being dispositioned.

Once that review process is complete, the documents will be sent to RTCA and EUROCAE management for formal approval and release. “The great thing about these new documents is that they combine content from multiple previous documents that have been released over the past dozen-plus years into one, making it much easier for applicants to point to just one (or two) documents, rather than having to work through multiple documents to identify the requirements and compliance demonstration,” Feyereisen says.

Brown explains that he is seeing, “regulatory bodies around the world update their guidelines to include EFVS operations, which will help bring the benefits of this technology to more parts of the globe.”

EFVS Looks to the Future

EFVS is here to stay, and Brown believes its future is bright. “The benefits for safety and more efficient operations are clear, and we believe these benefits will compel more and more operators to select this feature.”

With the changing of airfield lighting from incandescent to LED, Feyereisen cautions the visual advantage previously afforded to EFVS will be lost. “Operators are looking toward vision systems that provide enhanced situation awareness gate-to-gate.”

He believes advanced SVS features like 3-D airport moving map and SVGS capabilities, including lowering the instrument segment for both ILS and LPV approaches, will see more attention and emphasis. “Operators will want these enhancements to both the Head Up Display (HUD) and head down display.”

Overall, Brown predicts, “More and more aircraft OEMs and operators will make this a requirement versus a ‘nice-to-have’ as they learn about and experience the benefits of EFVS. We will see new and better cameras and sensor integration, along with AI to improve the qualities and usability of the systems.”

“We believe that the commercial market will follow the military market, as is the case with many other emerging technologies,” Yahav says. “Pilots will be able to fly heads up in all phases of flight, taking advantage of this intuitive operational capability. As EFVS technology becomes more available and affordable for general aviation, helicopters and commercial airlines, it will no longer be seen as a luxury add-on feature that is nice to have. Enhanced vision will become integral as a baseline configuration requirement for airlines looking to maximize safety, boost productivity, and meet sustainability initiatives.” 

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BAE Systems has been selected by Boeing 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 aircraft. The FCCs feature common core electronics that support the quad-redundant FBW flight control systems (FCS), providing the safety, reliability, robustness, and performance needed for the missions of these advanced platforms.

As the original manufacturer of the FCCs for both aircraft, BAE Systems 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. The upgraded FCC will leverage the company’s high-integrity flight control product roadmap, built upon technology investments, and used across multiple recent military airborne platform flight control upgrades. The F/A-18E/F FCC will also receive an additional processor to enable future capabilities for the fleet.

“BAE Systems is a leader in high-integrity controls and this upgrade reflects our commitment to providing our customers with next-generation solutions,” said Corin Beck, senior director of Military Aircraft Systems for Controls and Avionics Solutions at BAE Systems. “Our advanced flight-critical solution ensures that these platforms will maintain fleet readiness now, and in the future, as well as provisions the aircraft to support the integration of new functions.”

These computers efficiently manage aircraft flight by processing pilot inputs, monitoring real-time aircraft movement conditions via on-board sensors, and transmitting commands to actuators that move the control surfaces. The redundant FCS, along with the flight control laws, enables the pilot to maintain controlled operation across the demanding flight regime and multiple loadout configurations. Additionally, 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 advanced FBW FCS allows the pilot to focus more on the mission and less on flying the aircraft.

BAE Systems has more than 40 years of experience developing and integrating flight control technology for military and commercial platforms. This flight control upgrade will be conducted at the company’s state-of-the-art engineering and manufacturing facility in Endicott, New York.

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Development of an upgraded software capability for the F-35 fighter aircraft is maturing but more slowly than expected and while Lockheed Martin is still aiming to deliver the third Technology Refresh (TR-3) by June, it is more likely customer acceptance will slip into the third quarter of this year, Jim Taiclet, the company’s chairman, president and CEO, said on Tuesday.

“As we have said before, there continues to be risk in TR-3 deliveries due to delays in software maturity,” the F-35 Joint Program Office said on Jan. 23. “We are exploring a truncation plan with the [military] services and our partners to accept aircraft ahead of full validation of TR-3 capabilities. Any aircraft involved and delivered as part of the truncation plan will provide valuable capability to the warfighters while TR-3 completes final verification and validation.”

Last fall, Lockheed Martin said it expected the TR-3 software to be delivered with the F-35s beginning in the second quarter of 2023.

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Corporation – Fort Worth – Mikaela MaschmeierrEvent:Arctic Lightning Air Show 2021 – Eielson AFB. Devin Hartman photo

“We are taking the time and attention to get this technology insertion right the first time because it will be absolutely worth it,” Taiclet said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call. “The step function technological advances of TR-3 will provide our customers with the onboard digital infrastructure of data storage, data processing, and pilot user interface to provide unmatched capabilities for many years to come. These include increased types of capability for air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions, advanced sensing, jamming, and cybersecurity capabilities and more accurate target recognition to achieve this level of reliable capability for the long run.”

In 2023, Lockheed Martin delivered 98 F-35s, all in the TR-2 configuration, and in 2024 is forecasting between 75 and 110 deliveries. Except for a “handful” of deliveries in the first half of the year, 90 percent of fifth-generation fighters are expected to be delivered during the second half with production of the aircraft slated to restart in the third quarter once the upgraded software is ready.

Taiclet said that the company’s TR-3 hardware suppliers will have to keep pace with F-35 production demand. Jay Malave, Lockheed Martin’s chief financial officer, said that further delays with TR-3 would force the company to revisit F-35 “production cadence.”

Lockheed Martin is currently building F-35s at a rate of 156 per year and Taiclet said the demand signal remains strong. But, he cautioned, meeting Defense Department demands for an expanding set of capabilities is challenging.

The TR-3 core processing and software will create the infrastructure for an ongoing modernization of the aircraft called Block 4, which is expanding.  Block 4 will allow the aircraft to carry more missiles, provide more electronic warfare capabilities, and greater target recognition.

“So, it is essential that this production line keep up,” Taiclet said. “Basically, the recapitalization of the allied fighter aircraft force is the F-35. And so, I think the key to that is full transparency and realizing the reality of the situation.”

That situation is that the more technology loaded onto the F-35, the aircraft customers must “be honest about the schedule, what industry can do, what can the test and evaluation community handle in the various militaries to accept that technology, and what’s the supply chain capacity?” he said.

Lockheed Martin is “brutally honest” with the services and the program office about what the supply chain’s capabilities are in meeting production demands, Taiclet said. And while that is “starting to get traction, I hope it gets more traction because we cannot afford to be over optimistic in the ability to deliver these technologies as rapidly as one might like,” he added.

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Southwest Airlines has chosen AvioBook to equip its fleet with digital technology designed to streamline operations and help eliminate 88 million pages of paper the carrier prints every year.

The electronic flight bag technology is in use with more than 65 airlines including United, Frontier, KLM, IndiGo and Wizz. Southwest brings it to the largest U.S. airline in terms of domestic passengers. Southwest should have the technology in 2024, AvioBook, owned by Thales, said. 

Southwest’s multi-year contract with AvioBook provides pilots with a technology platform that includes the only fully-integrated Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) and Electronic Logbook (eLB) solution on the market to improve efficiency throughout the operation, the company says.

“Southwest is thrilled to collaborate with AvioBook to modernize our operation and introduce cutting-edge technology solutions directly benefiting our frontline employees,” said Steve Christl, vice president of operations, strategy and implementation at Southwest Airlines. “These advancements not only streamline processes but also eliminate numerous paper-based documents. This shift empowers our Employees to dedicate more time and focus on delivering Southwest Hospitality to our valued Customers.” 

The airline also signed an agreement to equip the entirety of its Boeing 737 NG fleet with the company’s Aircraft Interface Device (AID), known as AvioCast, which will provide real-time aircraft data to various operational groups.

Once installed, it will provide real-time aircraft data to various operational groups to mitigate safety risks, enhance compliance, add technology redundancy and resiliency, and increase environmental sustainability, all while enabling shorter turn times. 

Southwest says this is one in a list of trailblazing moves incorporating digital technologies to improve travel experience for customers and for its employees.  

At least 4,000 aircraft and 100,000 flights per week carry AvioBook, the company said. .

“We look forward to helping bring together all Southwest stakeholders from across the airline, improving communications and workflows while eliminating paper,” said AvioBook Chief Executive Frédéric Dru.

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Leonardo has delivered the first prototype European Common Radar System Mk2 to BAE Systems for integration onto a U.K. Eurofighter Typhoon.

The new multifunction array radar will allow the Typhoon to better locate targets, perform electronic jamming attacks against enemy radars and stay further away while identifying and engaging potential threats.

Leonardo is developing the ECRS Mk2 in Edinburgh, where U.K.combat air radar capabilities are based, and Luton, where the company conducts advanced electronic warfare research, development and production.

A Eurofighter Typhoon next to the new European Common Radar System Mk2 radar. Leonardo photo

The radar will now be integrated with a Typhoon, which will then undergo ground-based testing at BAE Systems’ flight-testing facility in Lancashire, U.K.., in preparation for its first flight tests on board the Eurofighter Typhoon next year. 

“Delivery of the prototype radar to Warton is the latest key milestone in this exciting program,” said Lyndon Hoyle, head of the Typhoon Delivery Team at Defence Equipment and Support, the procurement arm of the UK Ministry of Defence. “It was only possible thanks to a lot of hard work and excellent collaboration across DE&S, Air Command and industry: ingredients for success that we shall take forward into the next phase of the program.”

The ECRS Mk2’s multifunctional array (MFA)  can perform both traditional radar functions such as search and targeting, as well as electronic warfare tasks, Leonardo said. This means that Eurofighter Typhoon will be able to locate and deny use of an adversary’s radar with an electronic jamming attack while staying beyond the reach of threats, the company said.

“The ECRS Mk2 radar is one of a number of key capabilities which we are integrating to secure Typhoons as the backbone of air defense across the globe for decades to come,” said Richard Hamilton, Typhoon Program Director for Europe at BAE Systems Air. “Together with enhanced mission systems, advanced sensors, weapons and displays, we are delivering a sovereign capability which will keep RAF pilots safe and ensure the UK has the skills to continue to mature key technologies which support its future combat air ambitions.”

ECRS Mk2 is a wide-band array, which means not only can it detect its own active transmit-receive functions to detect targets, but it can also passively detect emissions through a far broader range of the spectrum, according to the Typhoon program, which published details of its radar upgrade program in July.

“It is able to track both airborne targets and surface-based emitters without having to discharge a signal itself,” the program explained. “It’s what’s called ‘a very high gain sensor’ which means it is able to emit across a wide frequency range and potentially disrupt hostile emitters whether they be surface or airborne. As an electronic attack and warfare tool the ECRS Mk2 will be incredibly capable — able to carry out sophisticated Electronic Warfare functions whilst performing its primary role as an air-to-air radar sensor.”

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Teledyne FLIR announced the launch of Prism ISP, an advanced image signal processing software optimized for embedded systems, enhancing imaging quality in thermal and multispectral applications. (Photo: Teledyne FLIR)

This week, Teledyne FLIR, a subsidiary of Teledyne Technologies, unveiled the inaugural version of its cutting-edge Prism ISP—a sophisticated Image Signal Processing software development kit (SDK) tailored for embedded systems. This SDK is designed to optimize performance in both thermal and multispectral realms.

Prism ISP is uniquely optimized to operate on low-power GPUs produced by tech giants Qualcomm and NVIDIA. The software provides an array of image enhancement functionalities, including noise reduction, super-resolution, electronic image stabilization, and more. It offers an integration of infrared (IR) and electro-optical (EO) video fusion, turbulence mitigation, and locally adaptive tone mapping.

The Prism ISP libraries play a pivotal role for integrators across defense, commercial, and industrial sectors. By integrating Prism ISP, developers can significantly elevate imaging quality when capturing AI data at the edge. This not only refines performance but also reduces developmental expenditures and fast-tracks product launch timelines.

For developers and perception engineers, Prism ISP seamlessly interfaces with Teledyne FLIR’s prominent thermal cores, such as Boson, Tau 2, Hadron, and Neutrino, enhancing image processing capabilities. The software’s application on low-power processors also paves the way for improved target recognition and object tracking, catering to multiple applications like ground ISR, air-to-ground operations, and counter-drone interventions.

Teledyne FLIR has also upgraded its Prism AI software. The revamped perception software facilitates more accurate object detection, classification, and tracking in both thermal and visible light spectrums. With an expanded library now inclusive of models trained on the world’s most extensive application-specific thermal image datasets, Prism AI is especially valuable in areas like ground intelligence, air-to-ground operations, and counter-drone initiatives.

Dan Walker, vice president of product management at Teledyne FLIR, commented, “Prism ISP is critical to thermal-based AI system development, offering an unprecedented performance while reducing development costs. Within our end-to-end, computational imaging ecosystem featuring Prism AI, Teledyne FLIR can now support a wider array of projects and custom development that utilize low-power, embedded processors at the edge.”

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The DoD released findings from an independent panel review of the Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance efforts. (Photo: Northrop Grumman)

The Department of the Air Force reviewed the Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance efforts by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, as directed by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023. The results of the review were just released on August 3.

This review involved an independent panel of 27 experts determining the best approach to mitigate risks in the commercial microelectronics supply chain and to ensure the security and integrity of microelectronic components used in Department of Defense (DoD) systems. 

The panel pinpointed three main strategies to ensure that commercial production meets the department’s needs:

Trusted Foundry: an overlay on a commercial flow offered by GlobalFoundries that offers protection against unauthorized disclosure of classified information (including data and government intellectual property) to unauthorized persons.

International Traffic in Arms Regulations/Export Administration Regulations for export-controlled microelectronics

Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance: an emerging data-centric approach to independently assess integrity across the microelectronics development lifecycle including design and manufacturing 

These measures aim to bridge the gap between the DoD’s unique requirements and the commercial supply chain while maintaining a consistent security posture. The study emphasized the importance of these strategies to counter security risks associated with the procurement and utilization of commercial microelectronics in defense systems.

(Photo: Department of the Air Force)

Microelectronic components, which play crucial roles in modern defense systems, include microprocessors, field programmable gate arrays, and custom integrated circuits.

Most of the microelectronics in DoD systems are commercial off-the-shelf components, with a majority of the DoD’s purchases not made through the trusted supply chain.

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Dr. William LaPlante commented, “To stay ahead of our competitors, it is absolutely essential that DoD is able to access the commercial supply chain of microelectronics. The independent panel’s review is helping us better understand the risk-based approach we need to take to make that happen.”

Heidi Shyu, Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, explained that their trusted suppliers in the commercial supply chain help to keep the department prepared. “Our focus must be to maintain and strengthen that support,” Shyu said. “The work of the independent panel—confirming what we need in the Department of Defense and what areas present opportunities, and gaps, for mitigation—has been an essential part in the overall Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance effort and will inform evolving standards such as the Department of Defense Manual 5200 series.”

Dr. Victoria Coleman, Chief Scientist of the Air Force, remarked that there has been a false dichotomy between Trusted Foundry and Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance. “While Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance is focused on the entire lifecycle of the microelectronics and offers enhanced integrity protection, Trusted Foundry focuses exclusively on fabrication, a protection that heightens our confidence that our classified information has been protected during the commercial manufacturing of the parts we use in Department of Defense systems,” Dr. Victoria Coleman explained.

Below are the key questions addressed by the panel review:

What are the national security implications of increasing our use of commercial microelectronics fabrication flows relative to the use of Trusted Foundry flows?

Access to commercial ME is essential for obtaining performant, trustworthy, and affordable parts to create mission-capable DoD systems. Not having access threatens our national security.

What are the risks entailed?

The risks include compromise to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of function of ME devices. These risks are lower during mask and wafer fabrication and higher during design, testing, and configuration. ME is not free of risk but is not the greatest risk by far.

How can we mitigate these risks in a practical way?

Risks can be mitigated by creating a rational ME Assurance risk management regime, combining TF with MQA overlays over commercial practices, designing for assurance/defense in depth, and creating and implementing standards.

Will the risk reduction be enough?

There is no perfection but the risk can be managed to be as low as reasonably practicable.

How are we going to implement in practice a viable risk reduction regime?

By creating the ME Assurance EA, the ME Assurance Standards Board, by resourcing the ME Assurance governance appropriately, and by aligning execution of the CHIPS program with DoD needs.

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The ExSiTE Lab at the University of Virginia has received, over three years, U.S. Air Force grants totaling $750,000 to study cooling technology for avionics in high-altitude jets and spacecraft. (Photo: Tom Daly Photography)

The U.S. Air Force has awarded a total of $750,000 in grants to mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Patrick Hopkins’ ExSiTE Lab (Experiments and Simulations in Thermal Engineering) over the course of three years. Dr. Hopkins is a professor at the University of Virginia who is developing a solution for “on-demand surface cooling” of advanced electronics in high-altitude jets and spacecraft.

For aircraft that operate closer to Earth, the air’s density is generally high enough to keep avionics and other components cool. Hopkins explained that the Air Force and Space Force operate vehicles in the upper atmosphere or in space, and avionics will heat up because there isn’t enough air for adequate cooling. “You can’t bring a payload of coolant onboard because that’s going to increase the weight, and you lose efficiency,” he added.

(Photo: Tom Daly Photography)

The standard method for handling overheated air and space electronics is conduction—using a “cold plate” to conduct the heat towards radiators and away from the electronics, but this might not be adequate for today’s advanced electronics.

Hopkins and Scott Walton of the U.S. Navy Research Laboratory conducted an experiment a few years ago to explore the use of plasma to cool electronics quickly. Plasma has unique properties, including the fact that it chills before heating when it strikes a surface. The experiment involved firing a jet of plasma, generated from helium, at a gold-plated surface. “We could measure temperature immediately where the plasma hit, then we could see how the surface changed,” Hopkins said. “We saw the surface cool first, then it would heat up.” 

The plasma jet pictured above is made from helium, resulting in a purple glow. (Photo: Tom Cogill)

They were able to precisely measure the temperature change because of the microscopic instruments that Hopkins had custom-made. The experiment showed temperature reductions of several degrees as a result of blasting an ultrathin surface layer, made up of carbon and water molecules, on the gold-plated surface. “A similar process happens when cool water evaporates off of our skin after a swim,” according to the news release from the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Now, Hopkins and collaborators are considering different versions of the design that could make it more effective for surface cooling. Sara Makarem Hoseini and Daniel Hirt, doctoral candidates involved in the ExSiTE Lab, plan to evaluate the effectiveness of gases other than helium, as well as different metals and surface coatings for the plasma jet to target. 

Pictured above, doctoral candidates Sara Makarem Hoseini and Daniel Hirt observe the setup of the plasma ray. (Photo: Tom Cogill)

Hopkins, along with collaborators, published a review article titled, “Ultrafast and Nanoscale Energy Transduction Mechanisms and Coupled Thermal Transport across Interfaces” in the journal ACS Nano.

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Becker Avionics’ digital intercom system, the AMU 6500, is getting some key updates, including 3D audio and Bluetooth capabilities. (Photos: Becker Avionics)

Becker Avionics just announced some of the new features that will be offered in its updated AMU 6500, a digital intercom system. These include 3D audio, Bluetooth capabilities, and the ability to use the AMU (Audio Management Unit) 6500 in combination with Becker’s Digital Voice Communication System, the DVCS 6100, as a hybrid system. The addition of the Antenna-Receiver Unit (ARU) 6510 enables the expansion of the AMU 6500 from three to 15 intercom positions.

The DVCS 6500

In a statement to Avionics International, David Oglesbee, Director of Sales and Marketing, commented, “We have had the AMU in the marketplace for about a year, and as we fielded the system, we listened to the customer. Their suggestions have led to these updates making a fantastic audio panel an even more amazing system. We are very excited to meet with operators and show them how this is truly industry-altering technology.”

The native Bluetooth capabilities of the AMU 6500 enable the integration of tactical handsets and cell phones onto a switched position on the system’s control panel. Following the pending expansion of its capabilities, the AMU 6500 can integrate with a Bluetooth-capable wireless headset as well, allowing the rear cabin crew to operate the system from the back of the aircraft.

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The DoD International AIMS Program Office has awarded certification to Sagetech for its upgraded ADS-B transponder, the MX12B V2. (Photo: Sagetech)

Sagetech Avionics is now the first company to receive U.S. Defense Department certification for its new MX12B V2 transponder technology. 

Incorporating Mode 5 Level 2B Out capability, the transponder recently received the thumbs up from the Pentagon’s AIMS Program Office, a tortured acronym that stands for Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS), Identification Friend or Foe (IFF), and Mark XII Systems.

ATCRBS is used to provide identification and positioning data to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and military ground stations. IFF is a general class of “L” band equipment that provides range, azimuth, and aircraft identity to ground stations. The Mark XII system is encrypted and military-specific.

Sagetech’s Mode 5 Level 2B Out IFF system enables seamless integration and interoperability among military platforms, ensuring effective coordination among aircraft, according to the Bingen, Washington-based company. It also can reduce the risk of friendly fire and midair collisions. 

It is unclear for which military aircraft the technology was certified, but it could be used to deconflict complex battlespace among fleets of manned and unmanned aircraft and can better enable manned-unmanned teaming, or MUM-T. All of the military services are either currently practicing MUM-T, as the Army is with AH-64 Apache gunships and MQ-1 Gray Eagle Drones, or are developing semi-autonomous wingmen aircraft to fly alongside manned fighter aircraft in future conflicts. Advanced transponder technologies to deconflict airspace over crowded battlefields will be a key enabler of that and other operational concepts, Sagetech Chief Technology Officer Matt Hamilton said. 

M5L2-B empowers aircraft to securely and accurately transmits critical information including position, airspeed, and identification to other friendly platforms and ground-based radars, without requiring the use of a large, costly Mode-5 interrogator to determine the identification status of the aircraft.

The MX12B packs all the latest required functionality into a micro package weighing less than half a pound. Tiny compared to traditional Mode 5 transponders, the unit includes integrated ADS-B In and Out, pressure altitude encoder, antenna diversity, and Ethernet.

“The addition of Mode 5 Level 2B will create a safer and more efficient airspace by providing air and ground crews with situational awareness of other friendly aircraft,” Hamilton said in a statement. “This technology will help enable the airspace for manned-unmanned-teaming missions and autonomous swarming. It also will improve air defense and counter-UAS systems by providing a more complete picture of the airspace without the need [for] an interrogator system.”

In April, Sagetech Avionics and Advanced Technologies Security & Defense completed the Brazilian equivalent of FCC approval by ANATEL (the Brazilian National Telecommunications Agency). Sagetech’s micro-transponder, the MXS, can now be installed on the Harpy drone produced by Advanced Technologies, an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturer based in Brazil.

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