ISRAEL - 12 MAY 2009
Tel Aviv, Israel - The Israeli Air Force is going to update its aging Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fighter jets to bring them at the same level of the more recent F-16Is, extending their operational lifetime to 2020. This upgrade is part of a wider modernization program dubbed "Barak 2020".
Among the modifications that will be applied to these aircraft there is an avionics upgrade that should allow the interoperability between the fleets of F-16C/Ds and F-16Is with the possibility to integrate new weaponry systems and other operational instruments.
Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multi-role fighter jet originally produced by General Dynamics for the US Air Force. C (one-seat) and D (two-seat) variants entered into service in 1984 with several upgrades during the following ten years. It is 14.8 meters long and has a wingspan of 9.8 meters. This agile dogfighter can reach a top speed of 2,414 km/h (Mach 2) and a ceiling of more than 18,000 meters. It can be armed with guns, cannons, rockets, air-to-air, air-to-ground and anti-ship missiles. It can also carry different types of bomb including a B-61 nuclear bomb. (WAPA)
ISRAEL AIR FORCE F-16I 'SUFA'
The F-16I nicknamed "Sufa" (Storm) is manufactured by "Lockheed Martin" and equipped with a "Pratt & Whitney" engine as well as advanced systems developed in Israel according to the IAF's specifications by the country's defense industries.
Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT) - These tanks are manufactured by the "Israel Aircraft Industries" and increase the aircraft's amount of internal fuel by 50%. Their purpose is to significantly prolong the aircraft's flight range and ability to remain in the air. The tanks are installed the plane's back and conform to it's figure.
AGP-68(V)X Radar - Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) enabling the tracking of ground targets day or night, at any type of weather. The radar improves target-tracking performance and allows for automatic targeting instead of manual, thus saving valuable time. The radar also features improvements in the field of aerial targets including aquistion range and tracking quality.
Helmet Mounted Cueing System - An Israeli development. On top of the goggles which F-16I pilots and navigators wear is displayed various aircraft information such as height, speed and weapon systems data. This data be linked to the system, enabling the weapons to be launched on an enemy target using sight only. In addition, a camera mounted in the helmet records that which the pilot views allowing examining what the pilot saw in flight during debriefing.
Dorsal spine Avionics Compartment - An integral part of the advanced systems installed in the plane was developed precisely to the IAF's specifications by the country's defense industries. According to the IAF's traditions, The F-16I is equipped with advanced electronic warfare systems developed in Israel. These systems are improved models based on those installed in the F-15I. The aircraft features advanced Israeli communication systems as well.
600-gallon wing tanks - Improving the aircraft's range and persistence. The tanks are mounted on unejectable supports.
Satellite communication - The F-16I features two new communication devices manufactured by Elta and Rafael, including a UHF radio with new encoding methods and long distance relay capabilities.
Litening - is a combat-proven multi-spectral airborne targeting and navigation pod. It is designed for navigation and target illumination to improve day and night attack capabilities. Litening presents pilots with real-time, Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) and Charge Coupled Device (CCD) imagery. The high sensor resolution enables pilots to reliably identify the combat objects and consequently to avoid collateral damage. It is fully operational 24 hours a day and in adverse weather conditions.
The sensors are incorporated in a single pod and provide the fighter aircrew with the flexibility to perform multiple missions/tasks including:
- Laser spot detection enabling co-operative missions with target hand-over
- Laser marking for co-operative missions with Night Vision Goggles (NVG)
- Performance of low level night flights (navigation)
- EO Point and Area Tracker & Inertial Tracker
- Identification of aerial targets from Beyond Visual (BV) ranges
- Detection/Recognition/Identification/Laser designation of surface targets
- Accurate delivery of laser guided bombs; GPS guided munitions, cluster and general purpose bombs and reliable damage assessment
- Integration capability to all Aircraft
The RecceLite - is a self-contained self-cooled multi-sensor tactical reconnaissance system, consisting of an airborne pod based on the Litening Targeting and Navigation Pod and a ground exploitation station.
The RecceLite simultaneously collects Infra-Red (IR) and Visual (VIS and near IR) digital images within a very wide field of regard, in accordance with an automatic mission plan and/or manual operation. The images and the data annotation are recorded on a solid state recorder and transmitted to the exploitation station via the RecceLite data link. The Images are then interpreted at the ground exploitation station.
The concept comprises a single pod system, with a single sensors payload having sensors in both IR (infrared) and VIS (visual and near infrared) wavebands, having three fields of view (FOV) in IR and four in VIS, and the capability to direct the line of sight of all sensors towards any direction in space (excluding aircraft obscurations).
The sensors are using large two-dimensional focal plane arrays (FPA) mounted on a 4-axis gimbals system, and images are captured by scanning with the gimbals, and taking snapshots of the targets area. The line of sight is accurately directed towards the targets area using an onboard inertial navigation system (INS), and motion compensation in all directions is achieved by locking the sensors line of sight on the region of interest (ROI) while capturing images. Motion compensation is using advanced inertial tracking and digital elevation maps (DEM) embedded in the pod.
Tel Aviv, Israel - The Israeli Air Force is going to update its aging Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fighter jets to bring them at the same level of the more recent F-16Is, extending their operational lifetime to 2020. This upgrade is part of a wider modernization program dubbed "Barak 2020".
Among the modifications that will be applied to these aircraft there is an avionics upgrade that should allow the interoperability between the fleets of F-16C/Ds and F-16Is with the possibility to integrate new weaponry systems and other operational instruments.
Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multi-role fighter jet originally produced by General Dynamics for the US Air Force. C (one-seat) and D (two-seat) variants entered into service in 1984 with several upgrades during the following ten years. It is 14.8 meters long and has a wingspan of 9.8 meters. This agile dogfighter can reach a top speed of 2,414 km/h (Mach 2) and a ceiling of more than 18,000 meters. It can be armed with guns, cannons, rockets, air-to-air, air-to-ground and anti-ship missiles. It can also carry different types of bomb including a B-61 nuclear bomb. (WAPA)
ISRAEL AIR FORCE F-16I 'SUFA'
The F-16I nicknamed "Sufa" (Storm) is manufactured by "Lockheed Martin" and equipped with a "Pratt & Whitney" engine as well as advanced systems developed in Israel according to the IAF's specifications by the country's defense industries.
Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT) - These tanks are manufactured by the "Israel Aircraft Industries" and increase the aircraft's amount of internal fuel by 50%. Their purpose is to significantly prolong the aircraft's flight range and ability to remain in the air. The tanks are installed the plane's back and conform to it's figure.
AGP-68(V)X Radar - Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) enabling the tracking of ground targets day or night, at any type of weather. The radar improves target-tracking performance and allows for automatic targeting instead of manual, thus saving valuable time. The radar also features improvements in the field of aerial targets including aquistion range and tracking quality.
Helmet Mounted Cueing System - An Israeli development. On top of the goggles which F-16I pilots and navigators wear is displayed various aircraft information such as height, speed and weapon systems data. This data be linked to the system, enabling the weapons to be launched on an enemy target using sight only. In addition, a camera mounted in the helmet records that which the pilot views allowing examining what the pilot saw in flight during debriefing.
Dorsal spine Avionics Compartment - An integral part of the advanced systems installed in the plane was developed precisely to the IAF's specifications by the country's defense industries. According to the IAF's traditions, The F-16I is equipped with advanced electronic warfare systems developed in Israel. These systems are improved models based on those installed in the F-15I. The aircraft features advanced Israeli communication systems as well.
600-gallon wing tanks - Improving the aircraft's range and persistence. The tanks are mounted on unejectable supports.
Satellite communication - The F-16I features two new communication devices manufactured by Elta and Rafael, including a UHF radio with new encoding methods and long distance relay capabilities.
Litening - is a combat-proven multi-spectral airborne targeting and navigation pod. It is designed for navigation and target illumination to improve day and night attack capabilities. Litening presents pilots with real-time, Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) and Charge Coupled Device (CCD) imagery. The high sensor resolution enables pilots to reliably identify the combat objects and consequently to avoid collateral damage. It is fully operational 24 hours a day and in adverse weather conditions.
The sensors are incorporated in a single pod and provide the fighter aircrew with the flexibility to perform multiple missions/tasks including:
- Laser spot detection enabling co-operative missions with target hand-over
- Laser marking for co-operative missions with Night Vision Goggles (NVG)
- Performance of low level night flights (navigation)
- EO Point and Area Tracker & Inertial Tracker
- Identification of aerial targets from Beyond Visual (BV) ranges
- Detection/Recognition/Identification/Laser designation of surface targets
- Accurate delivery of laser guided bombs; GPS guided munitions, cluster and general purpose bombs and reliable damage assessment
- Integration capability to all Aircraft
The RecceLite - is a self-contained self-cooled multi-sensor tactical reconnaissance system, consisting of an airborne pod based on the Litening Targeting and Navigation Pod and a ground exploitation station.
The RecceLite simultaneously collects Infra-Red (IR) and Visual (VIS and near IR) digital images within a very wide field of regard, in accordance with an automatic mission plan and/or manual operation. The images and the data annotation are recorded on a solid state recorder and transmitted to the exploitation station via the RecceLite data link. The Images are then interpreted at the ground exploitation station.
The concept comprises a single pod system, with a single sensors payload having sensors in both IR (infrared) and VIS (visual and near infrared) wavebands, having three fields of view (FOV) in IR and four in VIS, and the capability to direct the line of sight of all sensors towards any direction in space (excluding aircraft obscurations).
The sensors are using large two-dimensional focal plane arrays (FPA) mounted on a 4-axis gimbals system, and images are captured by scanning with the gimbals, and taking snapshots of the targets area. The line of sight is accurately directed towards the targets area using an onboard inertial navigation system (INS), and motion compensation in all directions is achieved by locking the sensors line of sight on the region of interest (ROI) while capturing images. Motion compensation is using advanced inertial tracking and digital elevation maps (DEM) embedded in the pod.
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