Current and future TORNADO enhancement programs
Cottesmore/Munich, 01 July 2001
The TORNADO combat aircraft with it's various versions - IDS (Interdictor/ Strike), IDS RECCE (Tactical Reconnaissance) and ECR (Electronic Combat and Reconnaissance) - form the backbone of the German Air Force (GAF) and German Navy (GNY) "Crisis Reaction Forces". In these operational roles (IDS RECCE/ECR) the GAF TORNADO combat aircraft successfully participated since mid-1995 in NATO's Combined Air Operations over former Yugoslavia and so demonstrated a convincing contribution together with all Partners for Peace Support Operations (PSO).
Lessons learned from those missions will be the basis for the Tornado short- and mid-life modular upgrade programs concerning "Combat Efficiency Enhancement". The main operational task of this element is to improve weapon system performance and accuracy, while enhancing the aircraft's ability to operate in a multi-national environment. They are designed to support and enhance the long-term operational role of the GAF- and GNY Tornado combat aircraft with respect to stand-off and precision capability, survivability and the processing and transfer of command, control and reconnaissance data. To keep up with these increasing requirements over the next two decades, all remaining GAF and GNY Tornado combat aircraft will undergo a further update program during the upcoming years, the so-called ASSTA 2 (Avionics System Software Tornado in Ada) whereby software as well as hardware updates go hand in hand. Furthermore, EADS-Military Aircraft (EADS-M) developed a "Life Time Extension" program - already under contract for UK ADV Tornado - concerning aircraft structure and equipment.
Software
The ASSTA 2 contract, sponsored by the Italian and German customer, comprises two major parts. The "Display System Upgrade" (DSU) in both cockpits includes the topic "Human Machine Interface" (HMI). The "Tornado Defensive Aids Subsystem" (TDASS) is concerning improvements for survivability against the most modern SAM systems. For technical and economical reasons EADS-M has combined these two major modifications to one upgrade program. With the DSU the cockpit will be adapted to the increased demands, by presenting mission relevant informations in a clearer and more ergonomic way to the crew.
The presently implemented ASSTA 1 program comprised the integration of the HARM III (High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile), Kormoran II (sea-skimming anti-ship missile), and the Litening laser pod together with laser-guided bombs (the test campaign at Eglin AFB in April/Mai 2001 convinced with brilliant results), which improved the fire power and weapon accuracy. While the TSPJ (Tornado Self Protection Jammer) enhanced the survivability of the Tornado combat aircraft, modern sensors like FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) and a new LINS (Laser Inertial Navigation System) in connection with GPS (Global Positioning System) increased the overall weapon system precision capability. An optimized handling and use of these new weapon systems will be facilitated through the new DSU and it's improved HMI.
For the Royal Air Force (RAF) Tornado combat aircraft EADS-M has also developed an UMC (Upgraded Main Computer) based on the experience made during the integration of the Enhanced Main Computer (EnMC) in ASSTA 1. Key features of the UMC are the new Power PC single-board computer, the operational flight program in Ada95 and the interface of the weapon bus to the UMC.
Display Upgrade
Within the ASSTA 2 program, more and clearer portrayed information is displayed to the crew. The front cockpit will be equipped with a new PHDD (Pilot Head Down Display) and the rear cockpit with a new NHDD (Navigator's Head Down Display). The advanced display concept includes a digital map that can be overlaid with tactical information and in addition also can be used for detailed technical aircraft status information. The new colored EWIs (Electronic Warfare Indicator) indicates the actual electronic warfare situation. Furthermore, the Weapon System Officer (WSO) will be supported by a CDU (Combined Display Unit), a programmable combined control and display unit. The CDU allows the WSO to handle the different computers, especially the electronic warfare suite of the Tornado.
Parallel to the changes in the cockpit, the TDASS is modernized, within the scope of the "Combat Efficiency Upgrade". With this project the survivability of the Tornado combat aircraft against the latest SAM and AAM will be extremely improved. It comprises the CDU and a new radar warning receiver with an integrated DAC (Defensive Aids subsystem Computer), which coordinates all EW-relevant processes and takes some of the strain off from the crew. During the selection of the specific system, special consideration was put on the growth potential and future adaptations, e.g. digital receiver, to ensure the Tornado's survivability in future.
Weapons/Stores
Two new weapon integrations are also part of the "Combat Efficiency Upgrade". Both weapons, the Modular Stand Off Weapon TAURUS and the HARM PNU (High Speed Anti Radiation Missile with Precision Navigation Unit), are still in development. They will enable the Tornado to employ fire power over long distances with an unsurpassed accuracy.
Furthermore, in addition to the GAF Recce Pods already in operational use, the GAF Telelens Pod -developed to cover extended altitude ranges - is currently undergoing troop trail. Besides the Infrared Linescanner System and a KS-153 Trilens 80 camera mounted in a vertical position, a KS-153 Telelens 610 camera is mounted in the front section allowing area coverage from horizon to horizon. The troop trial is planned to be completed by the end of August 2001, and results comply well with the expectations of the users.
Avionics Demonstrator Tornado (ADT)
Due to the complexity of systems required in the future, previous experience and the necessity to guarantee an optimised integration, it is indispensable to reduce risk in the experimental research phase right from the beginning. Therefore EADS-M established the Avionics Demonstrator Tornado (ADT) to facilitate the development and integration of new avionics in a relatively short time. The benefits of such an experimental program are experience in operational and technical aspects before series production, the flexible and cost efficient change of hardware and software, risk reduction, customer support in the specification phase using early demonstrations and constant product improvements.
The ADT is a pod attached to the center pylon of a Tornado combat aircraft. A colour display and an additional control panel are installed in the rear cockpit. The pod itself has a modular structure, so it can be reconfigured with different equipment and is connected to the aircraft via a standard interface for exchange of information and image display in cockpit. The current projects in the ADT program are MIDS/Link 16 integration, sensor fusion, situation awareness, voice recognition and an on-board diagnostic system.
Early this year, the ADT successfully achieved it's first flight test with MIDS (Multi-functional Information Distribution System), operating in a LINK 16 network. With the successful launch of this test series EADS-M reached a major milestone in preparing interoperability investigations for combined operations and strengthened it's position in the field of Link 16.
During the flight test the MIDS / Link 16 network was actively operated between the Avionics Demonstrator Tornado and a ground station of the German Armed Forces Operational Test Centre (OTC) simulating several participants (ground stations, SAMs, ships and other aircraft). The messages were received by the ADT's Low Volume Terminal (LVT), processed by the ADT software and displayed to the aircrew. This test showed that the resulting "God's eye view" of the present operational situation will increase the situational awareness of the aircrew tremendously, thus significantly increasing the overall mission effectiveness. These tests shall lead to a main integration program for MIDS in Tornado, which may be performed from 2003 onwards. In a first step a basic functionality Tactical Data Link/MIDS could be integrated until 2005. The full customer requirements will be implemented until 2007.
For the future, but with no timeframe or budget, further upgrades of the Tornado fleet are planned. These will affect areas such as electronic warfare (EW) countermeasures and self-protection capabilities, including a new digital missile-warning system, towed radar decoys and additional flares and precision approach capabilities. Due to the rapid changes in the high technology sector, and the necessity of continuous implementation of the new findings concerning crisis management, it is necessary to come up with a new, more selective, flexible, fast and cost effective way in respect to planning and decision cycles. Both, the German MoD and EADS-M are aware of those facts. The GAF is confident that with these objectives in mind the fulfilment of their national and international tasks will be guaranteed well into the new century. As for EADS-M, this task will always be supported through a continuous and close co-operation to assure constant availability of an enhanced and upgraded Tornado combat aircraft even beyond 2020. Furthermore, this proceeding action also guarantees that EADS-M will secure its technological and economical standing in an unified and expanding Europe.
Your contact:
Military Aircraft
Wolfram Wolff
Phone: +49-89-607 25711
Fax: +49-89-607 22455
e-mail: wolfram.wolff@m.eads.net
