Photo: USAF/Chase Kohler
There are not all that many fifth-generation aircraft around, but the ones currently flying sure are impressive machines. Especially the ones fielded by the American military, the F-22 and F-35, of which we get to see plenty here on autoevolution.
Designed to take America into the future of aerial warfare, the two planes are still young enough to be test beds for new technologies and ideas. Case in point, a major accomplishment achieved earlier in August by the Air Combat Command Federal Laboratory, Edwards Air Force Base test pilots, and 309th Software Engineering Group software developers.
You see, because of the way they are built, fifth-gen fighter aircraft are not suitable for third-party software integration. But that hasn’t stopped the U.S. Air Force (USAF) from having a go at it, and what do you know, they’ve succeeded.
As per the Air Force, an F-22 Raptor was recently flown while running third-party software, becoming the first of its kind to do so. The software (and what it is supposed to do) was not detailed, of course, but we do know it was developed on a government-owned software architecture and used existing on-board hardware.
Software wizards had to devise something called a new Open Systems Enclave (OSE), which “proved it can rapidly integrate new technologies from first line of code to flight in less than 60 days.” As a result of these findings, the USAF made “a formal requirement for the establishment of OSE on F-22.”
In words we can all understand, what this achievement means is that the Air Force will probably no longer be limited, software-wise, by the solutions devised and implemented by the manufacturer of the airplane, but will get the liberty to be creative.
New software solutions could be devised to faster and better integrate new technologies, increasing the fighter jets’ combat capabilities. The doors to software acquisition are now also open, allowing the Air Force to create new apps and software “at the push of a button.”
You see, because of the way they are built, fifth-gen fighter aircraft are not suitable for third-party software integration. But that hasn’t stopped the U.S. Air Force (USAF) from having a go at it, and what do you know, they’ve succeeded.
As per the Air Force, an F-22 Raptor was recently flown while running third-party software, becoming the first of its kind to do so. The software (and what it is supposed to do) was not detailed, of course, but we do know it was developed on a government-owned software architecture and used existing on-board hardware.
Software wizards had to devise something called a new Open Systems Enclave (OSE), which “proved it can rapidly integrate new technologies from first line of code to flight in less than 60 days.” As a result of these findings, the USAF made “a formal requirement for the establishment of OSE on F-22.”
In words we can all understand, what this achievement means is that the Air Force will probably no longer be limited, software-wise, by the solutions devised and implemented by the manufacturer of the airplane, but will get the liberty to be creative.
New software solutions could be devised to faster and better integrate new technologies, increasing the fighter jets’ combat capabilities. The doors to software acquisition are now also open, allowing the Air Force to create new apps and software “at the push of a button.”
Google News