Tue, Apr 10, 2007
SADL Aims To Eliminate Aerial Friendly Fire Mishaps
Aero-News
has learned the A-10 Prime Team, led by Lockheed Martin, has
successfully delivered the full-function Situational Awareness Data
Link (SADL) capability to the US Air Force for developmental flight
testing. SADL, part of the A-10C Precision Engagement
program, improves pilot situational awareness by providing critical
information about friendly and enemy air and ground assets.
"SADL will help Air Force A-10 pilots further reduce fratricide
in the combat environment," said Roger Il Grande, A-10 program
director at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, NY.
"Enhanced situational awareness is a key element of the Precision
Engagement program, helping to transform the legacy A/0A-10
aircraft from an analog aircraft to the enhanced digital A-10C
configuration."
The US Air Force is expected to conduct developmental flight
test of the SADL capability through May 2007 at Eglin Air Force
Base, FL. SADL is expected to be fielded to operational A-10 units
by September 2007.
In addition to SADL, the Precision Engagement effort enables the
A-10C to use new precision-guided weapons such as the Joint Direct
Attack Munitions (JDAM) and Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser
(WCMD). The upgrades also provide the attack jet with an improved
stores management system, two additional multifunction color
displays, and provisions for the integration of a targeting pod,
and other improvements.
Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, NY, leads the A-10
Prime Team -- which also includes Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems,
and Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) -- and serves as the prime
contractor and systems integrator for A-10 modernization and
sustainment support.
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