Key Points
- The development effort was sponsored by the OSD and the USAF
- Jetpack can be installed inside a weapons bay or pod-mount
A new communications capability enables fifth-generation combat aircraft to share information with fourth-generation aircraft, prime contractor Northrop Grumman announced on 27 May.
The Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) programme, known as the Jetpack JCTD, allows the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter to communicate directly and securely with fourth-generation combat aircraft such as the F-15, F-16, and F-18. Northrop Grumman demonstrated Jetpack during a series of operational flight tests in late March at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and in early April at Edwards Air Force Base, California, according to the company.
Previously, F-22s and F-35s had to communicate with fourth-generation aircraft through an intermediary system - either an Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft or a communications satellite - in order to maintain their stealthiness.
The development effort was sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), the US Air Force Air Combat Command, Pacific Command, and OSD's Defense Microelectronics Activity.
During the April flight tests, Jetpack validated the ability to simultaneously link and translate both the F-35's Multifunction Advanced Data Link and the F-22's Intra-Flight Data Link to common Link 16 messages. Link 16 is a jam-resistant, high-speed digital data link used by NATO.
Jetpack is built for application in internally-mounted or pod-mounted installations. Honeywell provides Jetpack's dual-band advanced tactical data link antennas to Northrop Grumman as part of the system. Northrop Grumman began demonstrating fifth-to-fourth generation communications capabilities during a series of joint operational exercises in April 2010.
