The U.S. Air Force completed a test flight in an attempt to demonstrate the use of a single tactical software on different stealth fighters such as the F35A Lightning II and F22 Raptor.
The service branch announced Thursday that the goal was achieved by the 461st Flight Test Squadron in flying an F35A using the same software installed on the previously tested F22.
The innovation project is a collaborative effort of the Air Combat Command Federal Laboratory, a group of test pilots at Edwards Air Force Base in California, and the 309th Software Engineering Group.
So far, they were able to demonstrate that the same software sourced from different suppliers can be used in different military air vehicles. They also proved that the program can be updated 30 to 60 times faster than previous technologies, taking less than a day on average.
“Now, instead of having to define, purchase, test and field a software capability on each aircraft individually, we can gain a lot of efficiencies by developing a capability once and fielding it on all 5th gen fighters, saving hundreds of millions of dollars, if not more, in development costs and saving years in development time,” according to Lt. Col. Raven LeClair, project co-founder and F-35 test pilot.
The Potomac Officers’ Club will hold its 2023 Air Force Summit on July 18 to shine light on digital transformation in the branch. Register here to be part of the event.
