U.S Air force this fall will begin fielding F-16 fighters with Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS) that will enhance pilot s...
The AGCAS will greatly enhance pilot safety by preventing collision with ground by automatically taking over the aircraft's flight controls if a crash is imminent, without interfering with pilot operations or reducing aircraft performance.
The AGCAS uses a database of digital terrain data and information on the aircraft's position and velocity to determine if there is an impending controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
If the system determines that CFIT is imminent, the flight controls automatically roll the aircraft upright and pull up to avoid ground collision.
The F-16 manufacturer Lockheed Martin will carry out the integration through the M6.2+ Operational Flight Program and through modifications to the Digital Flight Control Computer and Advanced Data Transfer Equipment.
The developmental testing were conducted by the 416th Flight Test Squadron, Edwards Air Force Base, California, in 2011. Testing concluded in the summer of 2014 with M6.2+ Operational testing by the 53rd Wing, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Extensive testing was conducted using operationally representative scenarios to demonstrate operational utility and low probability of mission interference.
This technology will be integrated on to other platforms, including the fifth generation F-22 and F-35 fighters.
The AGCAS program began development in 2007 as a new initiative between the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Office of the Secretary of Defense and NASA.
An estimated 26 percent of aircraft losses and 75 percent of all F-16 fatalities are caused by CFIT. It is predicted that AGCAS will eliminate 90 percent of all F-16 CFIT mishaps.
