3.5 Integrated Platform Electronics

3.5.1 Warfighter Needs

In order for the warfighter to utilize the capabilities provided by sensors, decision aids, weapons, etc., they must be integrated in a manner such that the warfighter can understand his/her situational awareness, the mission plan and contingencies and such that their systems can be physically and functionally integrated on-board space, airborne, ship, ground and human platforms. The integrated platform electronics (IPE) subarea develops the technologies and tools to accomplish this including: electronic system architecture (fault tolerance, standards and interfaces, interconnects, modeling and simulation); resource and information technology (shared resource management); and electronic packaging (power management, cooling, modularity). As the cost of electronic subsystems approach 40% of the total acquisition cost of the entire weapon system, and account for virtually 100% of the mission capability of the weapon system, it is apparent that increases in electronic subsystem performance and reductions in cost will produce large impacts on weapon system cost and capability. As such, joint Warfighter Science and Technology being supported primarily include: dominant battlespace environment, precision force, combat identification, joint theater missile defense, electronic warfare and information warfare.

These technologies have transition potential to a wide variety of military aerospace systems, i.e., F-15/F-16/F-18/F-117, AH-64 upgrades and retrofits for service life extension; RAH-66/V-22/

F-22 growth; F-18/F-22 derivatives; and the JAST new strike fighter developments. The technology developed under this effort can be utilized on commercial and civilian aircraft, ships, automobiles and space craft. The latest commercial aircraft are moving toward greater levels of integration and military use of commercial technology, tools and standards will enhance transition opportunities.

3.5.2 Integrated Platform Electronics Overview

3.5.2.1 Goals and Timeframes

The efforts in this area draw heavily on the output of the technology developed in Radar (3.1), Electro-Optic Sensors (3.2), Microelectronics (3.8) and Electronics Integration Technology (3.10), as well as, from other DTAPs involving communications and electronic warfare.

3.5.2.2 Major Technical Challenges. In order to reduce the electronic system cost and weight by a factor of two and to improve system reliability by a factor of three, significantly new approaches are needed for the system hardware and software. Some of the key issues include: wide bandwidth, high dynamic range sensor components which can be time-shared to support multiple functions; low cost commercial-off-the-shelf hardware and software components which can be packaged to survive the severe environment of military applications and will support real-time tasking and performance monitoring; development of reliable super-high density connectors and fiber optic components to implement high bandwidth bus structures; packaging approaches which can accommodate high thermal densities associated with VHSIC and Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMIC) components. The major advances required are in the areas of multi-level secure data manipulation, system level sensor management and fusion, increased situation awareness, and improved crew productivity with reduced crew size.

3.5.2.3 Related Federal and Private Sector Efforts. There is an enormous amount of research in the electronics industry which is applicable to military systems. The major challenge to military use of the technologies is in the packaging and adapting of these technologies to the very difficult performance requirements and severe operating environment found on military weapon systems. Electronics research at NASA is primarily focused on flight control systems with more modest performance requirements than mission electronics and significantly greater reliability requirements which derive from flight safety considerations.

3.5.3 S&T Investment Strategy

3.5.3.1 Technology Demonstrations

3.5.3.1.1 Integrated Platform Avionics Demonstration. This demonstration addresses DTO SE.18.01.NFE and will demonstrate how technology developments in integrated EO and RF sensors, avionics architecture, signal and data processing, and resource/information can affordably extend the useful life of tactical strike aircraft. This demonstration, as well as the avionics demonstrations being accomplished under the JAST program, will serve to validate the cost and weight reductions being sought. This demonstration will occur in this FY 2000-2002 timeframe and will support affordable avionics upgrades for JAST variants, F-22 and current operational aircraft upgrades (F15/16/18/117, CH47, AH-64).

3.5.3.2 Technology Development. In order to truly achieve "integrated electronics" on military platforms, a number of disparate technologies must functionally inter-operate to produce an optimized weapon system. These constituent technologies include: electronic system architecture (fault tolerance, standards and interfaces, interconnects, modeling and simulation); resource and information technology (shared resource management, multi-sensor integration, multi-source fusion, automated decision aids); electronics packaging (power management, cooling, modularity); electronics processors and data storage (memory, processors, archival storage, software, machine intelligence).

3.5.3.3 Basic Research. Advances in this subarea require research across a broad spectrum of sciences including electronic materials and packaging, expert system, artificial intelligence, systems theory, sensor fusion, etc.