subject: United States F-35's Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System Designed To Save Pilots [print this page] As the latest in military aerospace manufacturing, Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has an array of advanced weaponry, stealth technologies, and the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System, or Auto-GCAS, a new set of systems for dealing with those unfortunate moments when the pilot forgets where they are or loses consciousness. Current systems are simply based on terrain awareness and warnings, which alert pilots of impending collisions.
The difference is in the innovative aircraft manufacturing design of the Auto-GCAS, which actually wrests control of the aircraft from the pilot and autonomously takes evasive action to avoid crashes. The Aviation Week report says it won't save pilots' lives in a mechanical emergency or if they've detuned it in order to make a low pass. The US Air Force will officially begin operational tests next week.
Coming at approximately $110 million per plane, the F-35 Lightning II by aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin is a fifth-generation, single-seat, single-engine stealth multirole fighter that can perform close air support, tactical bombing, and air defense missions. The F-35 has three different models; one is a conventional takeoff and landing variant, the second is a short take off and vertical-landing variant, and the third is a carrier-based variant.
The Air Force's F-35A version of the craft is a conventional takeoff and landing airplane to replace the F- 16 Falcon and A-10 Thunderbolt II. With respect to complex machining, it will partner with the F-22 Raptor. The Marine Corps, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force need and want a short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft, dubbed the F-35B. The Marines want new aircraft to replace their AV-8B Harriers and F/A-18 Hornets. The British want to replace Sea Harriers and GR.7 Tornado fighters. The Navy's F-35C version of the plane is a carrier-based strike fighter to complement the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. It will replace earlier versions of the F/A-18 as well as the A-6 Intruder, which already has left the inventory.
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will be four times more effective than legacy fighters in air-to-air engagements, eight times more effective than legacy fighters in prosecuting missions against fixed and mobile targets, and three times more effective than legacy fighters in non-traditional Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) and Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD/DEAD) missions.
Descended from the X-35,the F-35 is the product of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program. Its development is being principally funded by the United States, with the United Kingdom and other partner governments providing additional funding.It is being designed and built by an aerospace industry team led by Lockheed Martin with Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems as major partners.The X-35 demonstrator first flew in 2000,[12] and the F-35's first flight took place on 15 December 2006. For additional information about aircraft manufacturing, please visit www.arnoldeng.com to learn more.
United States F-35's Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System Designed To Save Pilots
