Boeing Brings F-22 Avionics Integration Laboratory On-Line

SEATTLE, Oct. 23, 1995 -- With the opening of the latest state-of-the-art laboratory at Boeing, designers working on the F-22 air-superiority fighter throughout the United States can test the plane's integrated avionics against simulated mission threats -- years before it enters service.

Boeing Defense & Space Group established the F-22 Avionics Integration Laboratory to integrate and test the most advanced fighter avionics system ever built. Teamed with Lockheed Martin to design and build the F-22 for the U.S. Air Force, Boeing recently installed the first three avionics test lines in the lab. The facility is located inside the Integrated Technology Development Laboratory at the Boeing Developmental Center in Seattle.

"These test lines are the foundation for what will be a fully functioning, on-the-ground F-22 avionics system by early 1998," said Bruce Ammerman, Boeing manager of the Avionics Integration Laboratory.

The laboratory will be fully fitted with F-22 avionics and other aircraft electronics, such as flight and engine controls.

"The degree of avionics integration on the F-22 is unparalleled in fighter and bomber history. The Avionics Integration Laboratory will allow us to perform extensive testing of the systems as they're designed -- as an integrated whole," Ammerman said.

The F-22's avionics uses common integrated processors to manage most avionics functions including mission management, sensor control, sensor tasking, track fusion, fire control, integrated navigation, flight-path management, diagnostics management, pilot-vehicle interface and training. More than 35 computers in each common integrated processor run the software for these capabilities.

Traditional avionics systems perform many of these functions separately, forcing pilots to operate them from individual controls and displays. Combined as one architecture, the F-22's avionics will identify only the most critical information pilots need and deliver it to them via synthesized controls and displays. With less time spent gathering and processing data, pilots will be able to make combat decisions more quickly.

More than 100 computer software products representing about 1.6 million lines of code from 15 companies eventually will be married with avionics hardware, weapons and the rest of the aircraft and support systems in the lab.

Boeing is designing and building the computing system networks, equipment power and cooling systems, and the instrumentation and data processing systems to support each test line. In addition, Boeing is integrating a real-time simulation system, currently under development by the Lockheed Martin-Boeing team, that allows a pilot to "fly" the full capabilities of the F-22 against simulated threats in the lab.

Because the lab's test equipment is networked with other F-22 team members using fiber optics, software developers across the country can operate test lines in place, team members are developing F-22 mission, simulation, instrumentation and data-processing software on real F-22 computers.

Successful design reviews of the F-22's radar and avionics mission software conducted earlier this year by the Air Force allow the avionics development and integration program to proceed on schedule. Delivery of final software for avionics integration is on track for February 1998. After it completes lab testing, Boeing will conduct in-flight tests on board a Boeing 757 flying testbed fitted with a full set of F-22 avionics.