Targeting Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 6–7, the effort will integrate the complementary FADS within an Agile Pod or fuselage-mounted configuration, enabling non-intrusive flight validation without modification of existing primary systems. The goal is to demonstrate reliable interoperability and data fusion between FADS and the aircraft’s existing air data computers, ensuring cross-verified, all-weather flight parameters for improved survivability, redundancy, and operational assurance. Key objectives include: Developing a robust and adaptable flush-mounted pressure sensing system optimized for AFGSC platforms, with scalable designs applicable across the AFGSC portfolio, as well as to other Air Force and Department of War (DoW) aircraft, UAVs, and missile systems, enabling smoother technology transition and broader fleet impact. Ensuring accurate and resilient air data measurement throughout dynamic flight conditions, addressing challenges such as icing, electromagnetic interference, and sensor degradation. Conducting comprehensive ground tests followed by flight validation to demonstrate system reliability, accuracy, and seamless integration with existing aircraft systems. The desired outcome is a flight-validated complementary FADS that enhances aircraft survivability, minimizes maintenance burdens, and increases data assurance under contested conditions. This effort directly aligns with AFGSC modernization priorities and DoW objectives in maneuver, sensing, and technology protection, ensuring an immediate operational benefit while enabling a smoother, lower-risk technology transition across the AFGSC portfolio. Over time, data and performance collected through this complementary system will inform future modernization pathways, enabling potential transition to a primary flush air data architecture once validated and qualified for operational use. AFGSC’s B-52 and B-1 bombers currently rely on traditional pitot/static probe systems to measure airspeed, altitude, and trajectory—critical parameters for ensuring flight safety and executing missions effectively. These legacy systems, while proven, are single points of failure and introduce operational limitations in contested and low-observable environments. Protruding pitot probes increase drag and radar cross-section, elevating detectability and reducing effectiveness and survivability. They are also susceptible to icing, contamination, and physical damage, which can drive up maintenance costs and reduce mission flexibility. Although concerns over legacy air data systems persist, the fundamental pitot-static sensing principle, introduced in the early 20th century, remains the Department of the Air Force’s current state-of-the-art and primary method for air data measurement on bomber and mobility aircraft—despite incremental advances in digital air data computers. While Flush Air Data System (FADS) concepts have existed since the 1970s, no system has yet matured into an operationally qualified, modular, and low-observable solution for subsonic and transonic military platforms. Existing low-observable air data treatments and experimental flush systems have been demonstrated in limited tests or stealth programs; however, these remain platform-specific, non-modular, and not qualified for sustained operational use. Currently, no DoW air data solution combines low-observable design, modular integration, and jam-resistant redundancy for subsonic and transonic bomber operations. This effort moves beyond the current state-of-the-art by introducing a complementary, fleet-ready FADS architecture optimized for contested, all-weather environments. A Complementary FADS augments traditional pitot/static architectures rather than replacing them. It embeds precision surface pressure sensors flush with the aircraft skin or within modular pods to provide a secondary, independent data stream that validates and reinforces the primary system. This approach ensures data continuity under jamming, icing, or probe damage conditions, while not impacting aerodynamic drag and radar cross-section. Unlike prior NASA/AFRL FADS demonstrations focused on hypersonic vehicles, this effort will deliver a mission-qualified, low-observable, and cyber-secure complementary system tailored to the subsonic and transonic flight regimes of AFGSC bombers and weapon platforms. The subsonic and transonic regimes for these heavier aircraft pose unique challenges such as flow separation, shockwaves, complex pressure gradients, and unsteady aerodynamic phenomena that complicate the accurate extraction and processing of air data from flush sensors. These conditions require specialized calibration, signal processing algorithms, and system designs not yet mature for operational use. This complementary design preserves existing flight-control architectures while introducing an operationally resilient, scalable capability that strengthens flight-data assurance and paves the way for future full-system modernization under separate initiatives. While starting with AFGSC bomber operations, the design is intentionally modular and mission-agnostic so validated sensors and algorithms can transition to all AFGSC platforms, weapon platforms, UAS, missiles, and other systems. This dual-use potential enhances transition pathways and aligns with broader DoW modernization priorities in hypersonic, test instrumentation, and distributed sensing (supports new DoW CTAs - AAI, Q-BID, and SHY). The proposed effort seeks to mature and demonstrate a modular, flush-mounted air data sensing system optimized for the unique operational and geometrical complexities of AFGSC bomber airframes, and to provide opportunities to modernize, digitize, and standardize these capabilities across the bomber fleet and other AFGSC aircraft and weapon platforms. The flush system will ensure: Robust, adaptable pressure port placement tailored to complex airframes or weapon platforms. Accurate and resilient air data measurement throughout subsonic and transonic maneuvers (including climbs, descents, and rapid flight profile transitions), while compensating for flow disturbances. Effective operation in icing conditions and GPS-denied or contested electromagnetic environments. Reduced logistics and sustainment burdens when compared to pitot probe maintenance and susceptibility to fouling or physical damage (indirectly supports new DoW CTA LOG) The effort will begin at TRL 3-4 (TRL 4 preferred; TRL 3 may require strong prior work) and progress through iterative design, ground, and flight testing to achieve TRL 6–7. The Phase II path will use Agile Pod or non-intrusive fuselage deployment for flight validation to minimize aircraft modification risk. Deliverables include a validated flight test report, verified performance metrics, and a modular, cyber-hardened system architecture compatible with Open Mission Systems (OMS), model-based flight controls, and digital engineering environments. Effort phases shall include: Phase I: N/A (prior feasibility work performed)Phase II:Fabrication of flight-ready sensor modules, integration with aircraft interfaces, ground testing including environmental and EMI/EMC assessments, and in-flight testing for performance validation, accuracy, and reliability. Phase III (Transition):Seamless technology handoff to Air Force program offices for fleet upgrade initiatives and technology insertion, with detailed documentation, manufacturing process development, and sustainment planning. Minimum acceptable deliverables include a fully documented flight test report demonstrating TRL 6-7 readiness, verified sensor performance metrics across target flight regimes, cyber-hardened system architecture compliant with Air Force digital standards, and a scalable modular design enabling rapid adaptation to multiple platform types. This capability directly supports AFGSC’s weapon system readiness (AFGSC/CC's #1 priority), bomber program priorities (AFGSC A5/8), bomber modernization programs (AFLCMC), and mission assurance by improving flight data integrity for nuclear deterrence and conventional strike operations in contested airspace. Beyond bombers, the technology offers transition potential across the Air Force portfolios—including weapon platforms, UAVs, hypersonic test assets, and missile platforms—advancing DoW objectives in Technology Maneuver, Manufacturing, and Protect & Defend. Over time, data and performance collected through this complementary system will inform future modernization pathways, enabling a potential transition to a primary flush air data architecture once validated, further strengthening the resilience and technological readiness of AFGSC’s bomber fleet and weapon platforms. By mitigating vulnerabilities pitot/static systems with a stealth-compatible, all-weather, jam-resistant alternative, this effort enhances platform survivability, reduces lifecycle cost, and ensures enduring global strike readiness.
No documents are available for this record yet.