F-35 & F-22 jets Exchange Data Freely in Flight via U-2 Spy Plane
- Our Bureau
- 01:21 PM, May 3, 2021
Project Hydra
In a first, the U.S. Air Force’s F-35 and
F-22 stealth jets were able to exchange data freely in flight via a U-2 Dragon
Lady spy plane.
Today, Lockheed Martin said the company
along with the Air Force and the Missile Defense Agency managed to link a U-2,
five F-35s and an F-22 in air and provided real-time 5th Generation data to
operators on the ground.
Named Project Hydra, the latest flight test
leveraged an Open Systems Gateway (OSG) payload aboard the U-2 to connect an
F-22 to five F-35s via native Intra-Flight Data Link (IFDL) and Multifunction
Advanced Data Link (MADL), successfully sharing data between all airborne
aircraft and with nodes on the ground. The target tracks were also transmitted
by and through the U-2 into the fighter avionics and pilot displays.
“Project Hydra marks the first time that
bi-directional communications were established between 5th Generation aircraft
in-flight while also sharing operational and sensor data down to ground
operators for real-time capability,” said Jeff Babione, vice president and
general manager, Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. “This next-level
connectivity reduces the data-to-decision timeline from minutes to seconds,
which is critical in fighting today's adversaries and advanced threats.”
The Project Hydra effort also marked the
first time F-35 sensor data was delivered to an operational ground system over
a Tactical Targeting Network Terminal (TTNT) link using an airborne gateway.
This data was then sent to the US Army Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS)
Airborne Sensor Adaptation Kit (A-Kit), also developed by Lockheed Martin. The
A-Kit then transmitted data to the IBCS Tactical System Integration Laboratory
(TSIL) at Fort Bliss, Texas. IBCS used the F-35 sensor data to conduct a
simulated Army fires exercise.
The core of the Hydra payload leverages the
Open Mission Systems (OMS) compliant Enterprise Mission Computer 2 (EMC2),
facilitating F-22, F-35, TTNT and Link-16 connections. By leveraging both
line-of-sight (LOS) and beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) datalink capabilities of
the U-2, data can now be shared directly to tactical users and globally to
command and control (C2) nodes like the Common Mission Control Center (CMCC).
During this demonstration, both the CMCC and Shadow Operations Center at Nellis
Air Force Base were able to view the sensor and platform data to enable
situational awareness for operational command and control of highly capable air
assets.
Bringing the power of 5th Generation data
and exposing new C2 opportunities across multiple domains continues to
demonstrate Lockheed Martin’s readiness to provide unmatched battlespace
awareness and rapidly field capability today. This demonstration is another key
step forward in Lockheed Martin’s support for the Air Force’s Advanced Battle
Management System and the Army’s Project Convergence, supporting the goal of
providing commanders critical tools for the joint all-domain battlespace
environment.
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