F-22, F-35 Outsmart Test Ranges, AWACS

F-22, F-35 Outsmart Test Ranges, AWACS

Well this is interesting. The planes software detected the test radars and ignored them? Thought they were fake?

This begs the question. How smart is the plane?

And how much updating does the airforce need to do to get a more complete big picture across all aircraft?

And will that happen?

How smart is too smart? When F-35 Joint Strike Fighters flew simulated combat missions around Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, their pilots couldn’t see the “enemy” radars on their screens.

Why? The F-35s’ on-board computers analyzed data from the airplanes’ various sensors, compared the readings to known threats, and figured out the radars on the training range weren’t real anti-aircraft sites — so the software didn’t even display them. While the software and pilots on older aircraft hadn’t noticed the imperfections and inaccuracies in how the Eglin ranges portrayed the enemy, the F-35s’ automated brains essentially said, “Fake! LOL!” and refused to play.

a reply to: grey580

While the software and pilots on older aircraft hadn’t noticed the imperfections and inaccuracies in how the Eglin ranges portrayed the enemy, the F-35s’ automated brains essentially said, “Fake! LOL!” and refused to play.

Such a great line...

Glad to see the next gen RDS and LDS systems are working extremely well.

They're finally starting to admit why this is such an amazing aircraft.

a reply to: grey580

Oh, that's hilarious!!!

That's why this aircraft is such a fabulous bird.

the F-35s’ automated brains essentially said, “Fake! LOL!” and refused to play.

a reply to: Zaphod58

out of curiosity.

I remember back in the day the military was talking about a neural net computer that suddenly went black.

Did any of that make it into the plane?

a reply to: grey580

Artificial neural nets are clumsy and huge even by todays standards. Unless they found a way to miniaturize and use it I don't think it's in this aircraft.

That said, smart software like the kind found in the F35/22 frames are better than artificial neural nets as they exist today.

a reply to: projectvxn

NASA put a neural net on an F-18, designed to react and help keep the aircraft flying after taking battle damage. It worked really well, they announced phase 2 testing, and it vanished and was never heard from again. Phase 1 even showed that it could help fly the aircraft under normal conditions.

a reply to: Zaphod58

That must have been an interesting bit of engineering.

I say this because neural nets are physical as much as they are driven by software.

Anyone notice this part of the article?

The sensors on the F-35 and F-22 suck up so much data, in fact, that the communications networks on the aircraft can’t transmit most of it. Compared to the amount of data you have to share, the network connections available to share it make you feel like you’re on an old dial-up modem, Gunn said: The Air Force needs to upgrade the network infrastructure to carry that data across the force.

a reply to: Zaphod58

What's the conjecture as to why, if it was so good?

a reply to: projectvxn

Neural Net testing on NF-15B

The NF-15B did the lions share of the work, then it was installed on an F-18 and tested.

a reply to: seagull

It made flying the aircraft much easier, with or without battle damage.

a reply to: Zaphod58

If that's the case then why would it suddenly disappear? Into the black, or just gone?

So the F-35 could tell they were friendly radar set ups/not actual SAM sites and it just ignored them?

Not the weakness I thought the system would have lol.

a reply to: seagull

It went black.

a reply to: Pyle

The fifth generation systems are proving much harder to train with than they expected them to be.

a reply to: grey580

Wow...

I guess there's only one way to "test" it than...
It is impressive.

For that ungodly price tag it better be!

originally posted by: Zaphod58
Anyone notice this part of the article?

The sensors on the F-35 and F-22 suck up so much data, in fact, that the communications networks on the aircraft can’t transmit most of it. Compared to the amount of data you have to share, the network connections available to share it make you feel like you’re on an old dial-up modem, Gunn said: The Air Force needs to upgrade the network infrastructure to carry that data across the force.

F-35 AAQ-37 DAS and APG-81 AESA Tracks BMs

I found that link pretty interesting...

Northrop Grumman’s DAS and APG-81 autonomously detected, tracked and targeted multiple, simultaneous ballistic rockets. The DAS autonomously detected all five rockets, launched in rapid succession, and tracked them from initial launch well past the second stage burnout.

“Since DAS is always staring simultaneously in every direction, an operator does not have to point the sensor in the direction of a target to gain a track. The F-35 pilot could continue the primary mission while the sensors automatically observe ballistic missile threats.”

The multifunction AN/APG-81 AESA radar is capable of the full range of air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities complemented by significant electronic warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance functions. The AN/AAQ-37 DAS provides passive spherical awareness for the F-35, simultaneously detecting and tracking aircraft and missiles in every direction, and providing visual imagery for day/night navigation and targeting purposes….

a reply to: Zaphod58

So, if it's not in this wonder-bird, I wonder what they are using it in?? If the possibilities are as good as it seems, DARPA will be all over it...

So, what's out there that might be using it, I wonder?