The Lockheed F-22 program manager, AI Pruden, describes
how the Lockheed-Boeing-General Dynamics team met or
exceeded all the Air Force requirements for the
next-generation air-superiority fighter. From the
beginning, the plan was to build a prototype that
represented very high aerodynamic fidelity with the
production aircraft, reducing the risk for engineering and
manufacturing development and providing a high level of
confidence to the Air Force.
As we move into the 21st century, the requirement for air
superiority over potential battlefields or areas of crises
and conflict remains a critical part of our nation's
security.
Since World War I, the USAF has been charged with that task
and has executed the demanding requirement in a very
effective manner. In World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert
Storm, and several other smaller excursions, our ground and
sea forces have been provided an air-superiority umbrella.
Ground commanders have been able to plan and execute their
missions without regard for attack from enemy air. The most
recent example of the value of air superiority is, of
course, Desert Storm. Here, our ground forces were able to
roll to their objectives, achieve victory, and end
hostilities in less than i oo hours -an amazing feat
considering the size and potential of the
Baghdad-controlled ground army and air forces facing Allied
Forces. Their success was mainly due to the air campaign
conducted prior to start of the ground attack.
The USAF and Allies' success in battle, their ability to
rapidly gain control of the air over Iraq and Kuwait, and
their action to bring the full impact of our air-to-ground
attack force to bear was due to the commitment over 20
years ago to develop and deploy the current air-superiority
fighter, the F-15. There were, of course, the normal
detractors and "nay sayers" then as there are today, but
none can dispute the wisdom of that action, nor the savings
in lives and equipment that resulted from the decision to
put air superiority as priority one.
Lockheed YF-22 prototype
The F-15 was first deployed in the early-to-mid 1970s. At
the turn of the century, it will be over 25 years old. At
the beginning of the decade of the 1990s, it is still the
world's best, but there are other aircraft that are
practically equal such as the SU-27 Flanker, MIG-29
Fulcrum, and others that are available to anybody with
money enough to buy them. By 2001, the F-15 will be
outdated and "outclassed" on the modern battlefield. Even
today, advances in world technology could seriously hamper
their operation in some areas of potential conflict. It is
not possible to predict, in today's turbulent geopolitical
environment, just where in the world U.S. interests could
lead to the employment of force; but we know from history
that it may well occur. It is also a fact that, in some
cases, just the deterrent value of dominating fighter
performance and lethality could lessen the need to resort
to actual use of force. The F-22 is such a weapons system.
lf force were necessary, the ability of the F- 22 to
totally dominate the air battle and provide that
air-superiority umbrella would save friendly lives and help
bring quick victory.
Nearly six years ago, the Air Force leadership realized the
future need and started development of the next-generation
air-superiority fighter, referred to as the Advanced
Tactical Fighter (ATF). The aerospace industry was asked to
participate in an unprecedented program of demonstration
and validation of a system and technology to be fielded in
the late iggos. Analyzing stated Air Force requirements,
Lockheed, its teammates, and others began a long and
detailed process to define the Advanced Tactical Fighter.
The candidates were required to search for and demonstrate
many advances in technologies, performance, and capability
beyond today's front-line weapon systems. The ATF would
have to be affordable, using technology that would be ready
for low-risk Engineering and Manufacturing Development
(EMD) in 1991.
The Air Force required a supercruise capability (supersonic
cruise without use of afterburner) coupled with long range,
extreme agility and, above all, survivability and lethality
far beyond today's systems. A "first-look/first-klll"
capability was a must. In the offensive counter-air part of
the Air Force air-superiority mission, the aircraft would
be required to penetrate enemy defenses without massive
supporting forces and conduct its mission deep inside enemy
territory to seek out and destroy the enemy air capability.
It must be able not only to defeat enemy aircraft in aerial
engagements, but also to penetrate groundto-air defenses in
the conduct of its missions. That required a very
significant step forward in fighter aircraft design and
mission performance.
The Lockheed history of meeting demanding challenges for
advanced design of aircraft and systems is well known to
many in the Defense Department, present and past. It seems
only months ago that the F- 117 was taxied in front of an
awestruck crowd at NellIS AFB, Nevada, and exposed to the
world's eyes. And then, a few months later, Bernard Shaw
and Peter Arnett, from their Baghdad hotel window, informed
everyone live on CNN of the exceptionally devastating
accuracy of the F- 117 and its integrated weaponsdelivery
system. On some amazing video tapes, one can see the air
defenses of Baghdad firing wildly into the night sky, with
no target, no direction, and virtually no hope of hitting
the F- 117.
To many at Lockheed, those tapes represented final proof of
the leverage stealth brings to the battlefield after years
of effort and evolution of theory and design. Cheers were
not only for the performance of our fighter air crews as
they executed their missions but also for the obvious
capability of the systems they were operating. Many in
public life and the press were surprised at the
performance, but not those who had been involved in nearly
three decades of low-observable research, design, and
manufacturing at Lockheed. From the SR-71 of the 1960s,
through today's F- 117, and now the next-generation F-22
(ATF) for the 21st century, Lockheed has been a major
player in the technological evolution of stealth and other
advanced aircraft design and mission capabilities. The
unique capabilities of the F-22, such as stealth design,
supercruise, weapons load, agility, advanced avionics, and
a "first look/first kill" capability, all combine to make
the F-22 an unprecedented system that is both survivable
and highly lethal.
Another F-22 requirement is to have a low life-cycle cost
by minimizing its logistics tall. It requires only a
fraction of the ground support and spares required for
today's aircraft. Design efforts toward improved
supportability and reduced cost has resulted in the
near-elimination of wing-level maintenance shops and
personnel. With only a couple of exceptions, such as
battery and tire shops, all maintenance on the F-22 is
either on the plane" or at depot level. Ground-support
equipment, not needed for the F-22, adds to the already
overworked airlift when a deployment situation occurs. Once
required to deploy, the F-22 uses far fewer tankers because
of its extended-range capability. This saving in airlift
and tankers can be dramatic. For example, a squadron Of 24
F-15 s would require 18 C-141s and 399 support personnel.
On the same trip, an F-22 squadron would only need 8 C-141s
and 258 support personnel; the reduction in tankers for
aerial refueling is equally dramatic, the actual number
depending on the distance traveled on deployment.
Compared to the F-15c, today's air superiority fighter, the
F-22 provides a ioo-percent increase in combat rate, a
5o-percent increase in sortie-generation rate, a 3o-percent
decrease in combat turn time, a 5o-percent reduction in
direct maintenance manpower required for a combat turn, a
6o-percent decrease in direct maintenance manhours per
flight hour, and a 65-percent decrease in mobility airlift.
These impressive improvements in F-22 supportability are
achieved by such things as OBOGS (on-board oxygen
generation system), OBIGGS (on-board inert gas generating
system), an internal auxiliary power unit, and many other
advances in "ease-of-maintenance" design. The avionic
modules are all accessible from ground level. Highly
reliable, modern-technology systems provide unprecedented
reliability and reduce the need for extensive winglevel
maintenance shops and personnel.
The advantage in these savings and increased performance is
even more obvious and mandatory in view of today's budget
projections.
During the flying phase of the Demonstration/Validation
(Dem/Val) program in late 1990, the YF-22 prototype
demonstrated amazing aero performance. This included
supercruise (cruising well above Mach One without use of
afterburner); full-scale polemodel validation of its
stealth design; weapons integration and missile firing from
internal bays with no problems; thrust vectoring; and,
first-ever maneuvering at very high angles of attack. The
YF-22, using advanced flight controls integrated with
thrust vectoring, demonstrated positive control at angles
of attack exceeding 6odegrees alpha. This revolutionary
agilility will give the F-22 fighter pilot another
unmatched capability that will add maneuver-dominance in
any situation where its beyond-visual-range (BVR)
capability has not prevailed.
As a part of Dem/Val, a high-fidelity full-scale pole model
was built for radar-cross-section (RCS) measurements. This
model was highly detailed with moveable control surfaces,
avionic apertures, and engine components. The model was
first tested by Lockheed and adequately compared to
expectations. The Air Force then conducted independent
tests on their ranges and found that their results tracked
perfectly with Lockheed's tests, clearly demonstrating the
F-22'S low-observable characteristics.
Air superiority early in the 21st century requires more
than impressive aero performance and low observability. In
addition to a balanced design of stealth and high
performance, the F-22 will have a fully integrated avionics
system, which will provide the pilot information required
for decisionmaking and task-management without burdening
him with labor-lntensive system operation and mental
integration. Fused information, from all sensors, coupled
with enhanced HOTAS (hands on throttle and stick) controls
will greatly increase the F-22 fighter pilot's ability to
maintain situation awareness-critical to successful combat
engagements. The highly reliable, fault- tolerant system
will also allow rapid mission turnarounds, high sortie
rates, and long periods of operation in an austere
environment with minimal maintenance and support.
The basis for the significant improvements in capabilities
for the F-22 avionics over currently fielded systems is the
fully integrated core architecture and the very-high-speed
integrated circuit (VHSIC) technology using Ada software
throughout for high-speed signal and data processing. The
heart of this integrated avionics system is the common
integrated processor, together with a software-driven
mission avionics system, which not only does enhanced
signal processing but also rapidly integrates large volumes
of data from multiple sensors and provides the pilot with a
complete picture of his surroundings. The total available
signal- and dataprocessing performance is massive: over 350
mips (million instructions per second) of general-purpose
processing and nine BOPS (billion operations per second) of
parallel, programmable signal processing throughput. This
is roughly equivalent to the combined capability of nine
Cray computers. In addition, routine cockpit functions are
appropriately automated to reduce workload while providing
the pilot with full insight into system operation and
optional control independent of all system functions.
Some of the technologies that make these improvements in
integrated system operation possible include:
Multi-function, flat-panel, color displays that allow
the pilot to select the display to be used and the level of
detail to be displayed.
Pictorial representations and clear symbol shapes
convey information on threats and targets, system status,
and friendly support forces. Clear color displays reinforce
the identification of enemy, unknown. and friendly forces,
as well as providing an indication of the relative
importance of the information being provided.
A high-powered radar with an active, electronically
scanned array (ESA) antenna provides the capability to
direct the radar beam nearly instantaneously anywhere
within the radar field of regard. Multiple, hybrid
transmit-and- receive modules provide for operation over a
wide range of frequencies, as well as a graceful
degradation in performance in case of individual module
failures.
The integrated communication, navigation, and
identification avionics use multi-function antennas and
shared assets to provide multiple integrated communication
and navigation functions. Integrated electronic combat
avionics use multi-function apertures and shared assets to
perform multiple functions of radar-track warning,
missile-launch detection, and threat identification. This
information from all sensors is sorted, fused, and
presented to the fighter pilot in a simple, easily
assimilated format that reduces his workload and lets him
concentrate on tactics rather than "switchology" and system
operation.
The extensive use of multi-function apertures, common
data-processing modules, high-speed fiber-optic data buses,
and built-in test (BIT) and fault diagnostics supports the
concept of a highly reliable, fault-tolerant avionics
system. The use of common dataprocessing modules throughout
the system provides functional redundancy and automatic
system reconfiguration during peak loading and component
failures. They also reduce system lifecycle costs by
reducing the requirement for spares and attendant logistic
support.
The avionics architecture and basic system operations were
demonstrated during Dem/Val in our avionics ground
prototype. We put that avionics system in our avionics
flying test bed, a Boeing 757, and demonstrated fusing data
and avionics integration.
Some of the most advanced technology in the F-22 can be
found in the electronic combat suite that will provide
offensive and defensive information, warn the pilot of
threats, and apply countermeasures to shield the aircraft
from enemy detection and attack. The avionics suite and
apertures, including electronic combat, were a fundamental
consideration in the balanced design of the aircraft, not
simply a secondary consideration after aerodynamic and
propulsion design.
The F-22 electronic combat system builds on technology
developed by the Sanders/General Electric integrated
electronic warfare System (INEWS) joint venture team. The
system provides multi-spectral warning and countermeasures
that enhance survivability of the F-22 operating against
future threats. The common integrated processor in the F-22
will allow sharing of target and signal-detection
information picked up by other avionics sensors to enhance
threat detection, assessment, and countermeasures
decisions.
It is given that any aircraft whose mission requires
penetration must have inherent survivability. Certainly the
F- 22's stealth design, integrated avionics to enhance
pilot situation awareness, fully "designed in"
countermeasures, speed, and agility combine to give it
unprecedented survivability. It will be able to fly
through, over, and around enemy ground-to-alr and
air-to-air defenses to a degree never before achieved. But,
it has much more than just passive survivability -it's
lethal! Using stealth as a lethal adjunct, the F-22 will
use its advanced, high-technology sensor system, impressive
weapons array, and maneuverabilicy to ensure detection and
destruction of enemy airprobably before they even know the
F-22 is there. That's what "first look/ first kill" is all
about. And, if necessary, the F-22 can also close with,
outmaneuver, and destroy any current or projected threat
aircraft in the visual arena. Realistic and demanding
analyses and simulations have projected an exchange ratio
much greater than that of the F-I5 against current and
future threat aircraft.
The four-year Dem/Val program was initiated by the Air
Force along the lines of the Packard Commission
recommendations to build prototypes, hardware, and software
to demonstrate reduced technical risk and determine
realistic, achievable requirements. Advanced technologies
had to be demonstrated and matured to be ready for a
low-risk Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD)
program in 1991.
Each of the two competing teams built two prototypes, one
of which had a set of two engines from General Electric and
the other from Pratt & Whitney. The Lockheed team was
very pleased with the success of our riskreduction efforts
and believe that was a significant factor in our being
selected for the EMD program.
In addition to very impressive aerodynamic achievements,
the F-22 team reduced the EMD technical risk in a number of
other important areas including thrust vectoring,
avionics-processing architecture and integration, Ada
software development, and the multi-functional early
warning arrays.
We have started EMD. We have every confidence in our
ability to accomplish thC EMD program the Air Force wants.
This program is probably better planned than most if not
all FSD/EMD programs currently in progress.
Part of our high level of confidence is based on the
similarity between the YF-22 prototype and the production
F- 22. From the beginning, the Lockheed team planned to
build a prototype for Dem/Val that represented very good
aerodynamic fidelity with the proposed production aircraft.
We achieved that goal. In the F-22 program it's truly a
case of "what you see is what you get." This reduces risk
for EMD, provides a high level of confidence to the Air
Force, and assures that we are on track with the
next-generation fighter for the turn of the century.
ALBERT L. PRUDEN, JR. was named to his present position as
Lockbeed F-22 Program Manager in December 1990. Prior to
his current assignment he held the position of Director,
Systems Engineering and Requirements, Pruden joined the
Lockheed Aeronautical Systems Company in April 1986, after
having served 30 years (1955 to 1986) in the U. S. Air
Force where he achieved the rank of Brigadier General.
During the Vietnam conflict heflew 233 combat missions in
two tours of duty. Altogetber, be has flown more than 5.000
hours in jet fighter aircraft. Pruden's last assignment in
the Air Force was as Director of Aerospace Safety,
Headquarters Air Force Inspection and Safety Center, Norton
Air Force Base, California.
Among his decorations are the Distinguisbed Service Medal,
Legion of Merit with one oak leaf cluster, and the
Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1979, Queen Juliana of the
Netherlands named him a Commander in the Order of
Orange-Nassau.
Born in Rolesville, North Carolina, in 1934, Pruden was
graduated from North Carolina State University in 1955 with
a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering. He earned
a master's degree in business managementfrom New Mexico
Highlands University in 1977. Pruden also graduatedfrom the
Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, in
1966 and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in
1973.
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