138318054 hunter j may 2013 extending the viper usaf f 16 upgrades in detail combat aircraft vol 14...

7/25/2019 138318054 Hunter J May 2013 Extending the Viper USAF F 16 Upgrades in Detail Combat Aircraft Vol 14 No 5

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USAF F-16 UPGRADES IN DETAIL

ONCE ENVIED THE worldover for its cutting-edgefighter force, the modern-day US Air Force is facinga situation to which it isunaccustomed. Its huge F-16

fleet has for the past 30 years provided thebackbone of its combat air force. Most of theseaircraft were acquired in the 1980s, with onlya handful of new F-16s being delivered post-1992, even though the production line remainsopen to service foreign sales to this day. The

previously youthful USAF Viper fleet, oncebarely averaging low-teen years, is now lookingdecidedly decrepit.

Despite repeated calls from such as the AirNational Guard for a top-up buy of new Block60 F-16s, the US Air Force has acquired only

a handful of new fighters since the 1990s,causing the fleets average age steadily to creepup. The original F-16A/B models are longretired, only the later variants from Block 30onwards being retained. Furthermore, the1980s strength of approximately 36 fighterwing equivalents has steadily decreased, theQuadrennial Defense Review (QDR) of 2010having settled upon a requirement for 16to 17 fighter wing equivalents. Despite this,aircraft have been retired to the boneyard at anastonishing rate, without replacement. This has

resulted in the once-envied Block 40/42/50/52F-16s becoming the workhorses of the activeAir Force.

Recognising a long-term requirement tokeep its late-model F-16C/Ds operationallyviable until ultimate replacement by the F-35,

Even before delays doggedthe F-35 programme, theUS Air Force had recogniseda need to standardise andextend the service life of itsvast F-16 fleet. Today, it is a

surprisingly aged fleet thatneeds constant care andattention.

report:Jamie Hunter

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and with the need for a common approach tothese disparate airframes, the USAF launcheda $2-billion upgrade effort in 2000 known asthe Common Configuration ImplementationProgram (CCIP), to provide common hardwareand software capabilities across its remainingcore-fleet F-16C/D Block 40/42/50/52s. CCIP(pronounced C-sip) is a stepped programmethat initially aimed to bring these aircraft up toa broadly similar standard to afford maximumversatility, before embracing a rolling series ofjoint upgrades in order to retain potency.

As with many of todays upgrade projects,these rolling updates have introduced suchnew kit as the Link 16 (JTIDS) datalink, JointHelmet-Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS),AIM-9X Sidewinder and various pilot/vehicleinterface improvements.

Tackling CCIPCCIP was initiated with the Block 50/52F-16CJs used in the suppression of enemyair defences (SEAD) role, in recognitionof the narrow focus of these jets mission.Therefore, CCIP initially set about turningthe CJ into a multi-role aircraft with theaddition of a targeting pod and GPS-guidedweapons.

In July 2001, Lockheed Martin deliveredthe first eight kits to the USAF in order tostart modifying aircraft attached to the 20thFighter Wing at Shaw AFB, South Carolina.The Shaw-based squadrons began to receivetheir first CCIP Block 52 F-16C/Ds in January2002. However, the start to CCIP was alreadysomewhat disjointed, with productionphases ramping up before new technology

was fully ready, this due to a drive to meetcombat operations requirements.

The initial impetus was concerned withintegrating the hardware into the aircraft. Lessinvasive software refinements would follow.Therefore, the first phase added a new ModularMission Computer, colour cockpit displays,and the AN/APX-113 advanced IFF thatprovided the ability to autonomously identifytargets and offer significantly improved BVR(beyond visual range) missile engagementwith the AIM-120 AMRAAM. This early

configuration also marked an initial foray intothe coveted expanded multi-role environment,with software permitting the type to employeither the existing AN/ASQ-213 HARMTargeting System (HTS) pod or an alternativetargeting pod on the right inlet chin station,

The CCIP upgrade effort has transformed the F-16CJ/DJ into a true multi-role platform.Jamie Hunter

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permitting employment of laser-guided bombs.(The Block 50/52 F-16CJ was already capableof employing GPS-guided weapons through asoftware upgrade introduced in 2000.)

The M2 OFP (Operational Flight Program)was fielded in July 2003 and introduced Link16 and JHMCS key upgrade elements for theUSAF at that time. These first two phases ofCCIP were essentially conducted in two main

batches of aircraft, early-standard modified

aircraft having to be re-inducted into the AirLogistics Complex (ALC) depot at Ogden, HillAFB, Utah, in order for the later systems to beinstalled.

Hardware modifications were carried outon 254 Block 50/52s between September2001 and May 2006, the focus having turnedtowards the Block 40/42 fighters from 2005.The M3 OFP was the first phase for the Block40/42s, introducing the use of GPS weapons,

JHMCS and Link 16.Unlike the Block 50/52 modification plan, all

Block 40/42 aircraft had the entire modificationdone in a single visit to the Ogden ALC. Whilethe aircraft was undergoing the CCIP work,the Falcon STAR (Structural AugmentationRoadmap) modification was also completed.Combining these two large-scale modificationsinto a single 144-day modification plandecreased total time in the depot by roughly45 days. Some 306 Block 40/42 aircraft from

12 different Air Force and Air National Guardbases were ultimately completed there.Lockheed Martin and the USAF finished themain hardware modifications associated withCCIP on 26 March 2010.

Common peoplePost-CCIP F-16s are of a very similar standard,regardless of Block. Avionics maintainers nowattend a common school, negating the need

for two separate training programmes. Thesetechnicians can also easily move betweenBlocks, thereby removing the need to re-trainpersonnel each time they are re-assigned to anew base. Logistically, there is no longer a needto provide two sets of spares. Costs associatedwith the off-aircraft repair of components frommultiple systems are significantly reduced.MSgt Ronald Fischer from the 310th AircraftMaintenance Unit at Luke AFB, Arizona,commented: Not only does it enhance theFalcons lethality and survivability, it alsomakes the F-16 more affordable to maintain

because of the common avionics hardware andsoftware.

Speaking of the M3 operational test phase,USAF pilot Maj Don Butler of the 422ndTest and Evaluation Squadron noted: WhenI first started flying the F-16, [it] had a radarand gun. That early version could launchAIM-9 missiles and drop some dumb bombs.

The newer weapons come with a whole setof options. The JDAM, for example, can beprogramed just before release to strike a targetat a defined axis, azimuth, angle and speed.In the old days, we just pickled off a bomband waited for it to hit the ground. Today, if asmart weapon misses its target, the problemcould reside with the weapon, the software,the interface between the weapon and theairplane, an input error, or a combination of

those factors.Link 16 reduces some of the pilot

workload by automating several functions.Colour displays help a great deal as well.With the helmet-mounted cueing system,pilots dont have to look down into a cockpitdisplay to find a target. They can look outof the cockpit and see the targeting symboloverlaid on the ground. The new systemsmake an average pilot a lot better. The bestguys in a squadron instinctively know howto locate a target from information displayedin the cockpit. They can translate cockpitdisplays into situational awareness fast. Thehelmet-mounted cueing system displays the

target in the pilots field of view. The systemmakes it easier to build a mental pictureof surroundings. In fact, it isnt a mentalpicture. The system builds an actual pictureand displays a targeting solution on a visorright before our eyes.

Clockwise from right:This F-16C from the 31st FWat Aviano AB, Italy, carries the new GBU-54 LaserJDAM on dual ejector rails.USAF

The General Electric F110-GE-100-powered Block40 F-16CG featured enhanced night/all-weathercapabilities. The CCIP upgrade introduced newweapons such as the 500lb GBU-38 Joint DirectAttack Munition (JDAM).USAF

The South Carolina ANG Swamp Foxes operatethe F-16CJ, now known as the CM, and deployregularly on combat operations.USAF

The M4.2 software drop allowed the Block 40/42F-16 to carry the ASQ-213 HARM TargetingSystem (HTS), pictured here on the left chinstation. Jamie Hunter



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A versatile platformOnce the initial hardware integration wascomplete, upgrades were more straightforward,carried out either at depot or unit level oftenthe latter. From the M4 tape onwards, theprogramme became more of a joint progressionfor the four Blocks.Integration of the newRaytheon AIM-9X Sidewinder, a wider rangeof JDAM options and a pylon-integratedGPS weapon dispenser system capability all

followed. The M4+ standard software also gaveCCIP F-16 pilots the ability to use the AIM-9Xin co-operation with the JHMCS helmet. TheF-16 Combined Test Force (CTF) at EdwardsAFB, California, completed the first AIM-9Xlaunch from an F-16 on 9 April 2004, over theNAWS China Lake weapons ranges.

M4.1A+ was significant in that it broughtnew functionality for the Block 40/42s Link16 datalink, and more importantly it added thenew GBU-38 500lb JDAM and the AN/AAQ-33Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod. The primaryfocus of this phase of the upgrade was the air-to-ground mission and it also included the newsecure line-of-sight AN/ARC-210 radios.

For the Block 50/52, the M4.2+ phase wassomething of a watershed. Although seemingly

benign in designation, this software droppermitted dual carriage of the AN/ASQ-213HTS and either the Sniper or Litening targetingpods on chin stations on either side of the

intake. Alternate carriage of either of the podson the right chin pylon was the initial fixearlier in the project, but dual carriage wasthe ultimate goal, with the HTS pod switchedto the left chin station and the targeting podon the right. Block 40/42s also adopted thisconfiguration, thus transforming them fromtheir bomb truck origins to become effectiveHARM-shooters as well if the need arose.M4.2+ had been introduced fleet-wide on the

Block 50/52s by June 2008. It was also at thisjuncture that the new (unofficial) F-16CMdesignation emerged.

M5+ emerged as a streamlining drop toimprove interoperability with improvedsatellite navigation, improved weaponsintegration, updated communications andmission planning capabilities. And so therolling evolutions continued.

M6 began in 2012 and is tailored aroundSmall Diameter Bomb (SDB) integration. The416th Flight Test Squadron from Edwards AFBparticipated in Red Flag 12-2 at Nellis AFBfrom 23 January to 4 February 2012 to test theM6.1+ OFP. This essentially integrates both

the AIM-120D AMRAAM and GBU-39 SmallDiameter Bomb (SDB) and was released to AirCombat Command for fielding in December2012. M6 also includes the GBU-54 Laser

JDAM with the new Universal ArmamentInterface (UAI), updates to the embedded GPS/

INS navigation system, and integrates the lateststandard of targeting pods.

M7 is now spooling up and will be the firstOFP to be organically developed by the USAFand Ogden. It is also the first OFP developedconcurrently by the development test andoperational test communities, run principallyfrom Eglin AFB, Florida. Scheduled forrelease in April 2016, M7 capabilities includeAIM-9X Block II, the AN/ALQ-213 Electronic

Warfare Management System in the Block42, improvements to the embedded GPS/INSnavigation system and updates to the existing

Not only doesCCIP enhance the

Falcons lethality andsurvivability, it also

makes the F-16 moreaffordable to maintain

because of the commonavionics hardware andsoftwareMSgt Ronald Fischer, 310th AMU

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When I first started flying the F-16, [it] had aradar and gun. That early version could launchAIM-9 missiles and drop some dumb bombs.The newer weapons come with a whole set ofoptionsMaj Don Butler, 422nd TES

CCIP turned the Block40 Viper into a truemulti-role platform,able to undertake theSEAD mission using theHTS (HARM TargetingSystem) pod, seenhere on the port chinstation.Jamie Hunter

The Northrop Grumman Scalable Agile BeamRadar (SABR) first flew on an F-16 at Edwardsin January 2010. Northrop Grumman



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radars. The M8 OFP is currently planned forrelease in March 2019. Significantly, it willincorporate the ombat A ionics ProgrammedE tension Suite (CAP S).

CAPES radar upgradehe F-16 ombat Avionics Programmed

E tension Suite (CAP S) effort will seeockheed Martin providing the radar asontractor Furnished quipment to the USAF

It will therefore conduct a source selection tochoose the most suitable system. The USAF

lans to update 300 F-16s with the new activeelectronically scanned array (AE SA) radar,centre display unit (CDU) cockpit display,AN/ALQ-213 E ectronic Warfare ManagementSystem, the ntegrated Broadcast System and

new cockpit avionics integration. An initial24 upgraded fighters are due to be declaredoperational no later than the end of 2018.

he long-running F-16 active A SA radarroject for the USAF pits the Raytheon

Advanced ombat Radar (RA R), which hascompleted a series of test flights on an F-16 atEdwards AFB, against the Northrop GrummanScalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), which firstflew on an F-16 at Edwards in January 2010.

ockheed Martin is conducting the sourceselection, with an anticipated radar selection

Both orthrop Grumman and Raytheon arealso offering new CD pedestal displays. he6 8in displays will allow the F-16 pilot bettero utilise the AE SA radar and feature full-

colour technology to interleave ground andair-to-air modes. Raytheon has already wona contract to commence work related to the

pgrade of the DUs of Air National Guardand Air Force Reserve Command F-16s. einitial contract value is $3.1 million for system

integration and pre-production units. The newaytheon DU replaces existing displays with

a single, large LCDcolour display

Structures well as technological enhancements,

current efforts recognise the significance ofeeping F-16s in the air and keeping them safe.smaller fleet means that utilisation increases.e F-16 System Program Office (SPO) is

orking towards a goal of adding 4,000 moreight hours to each airframe. Full-Scaleurability T st (FSDT), a contract for whichas awarded in April 2011 and is estimated

as taking 56 months to complete, is the first

of three major phases making up a major newService Life xtension Program (SLEP).

The FSDT airframe has been installed in aewly-constructed test rig and test cycling

began on 13 December 2012. As the airframendergoes extensive durability testing, the

otal hourly extension of SLE will becomeclearer. he full scope of the upgrades will

ot be known until the completion of FSand receipt of data from an Engineering,

anufacturing and Development (E D)hase. Recently, the US Air Force released

a request for proposals for Phase I of SLEPhich relates to the E Dphase. Phase IIIwill

ake in production and modification, which

is estimated to begin with an award of initialrocurement in Fiscal Year 2017, after which

installation of the first modification kit on an-16 will occur some time in FY 2018.

Acknowledgments:The author wishes tothank Lt Col Dale White, F-16 Chief, EPAFCapabilities Branch at Wright-PattersonAFB, Ohio, and Jay Topick, F-16 LegacyService Life Extension ProgrammeManager at Hill AFB, Utah. Thanks also toRichard Essary, Hill AFB Public Affairs.

The Air National Guard and Air Force ReserveCommand have also been busy implementingupgrades on 113 F-16C/D Block 25 and 319F-16C/D Block 30/32 models under the SCU-7System Capability Upgrade. SCU-7 includeshelmet-mounted integrated targeting (HMIT),a lower-cost day/night solution compared toJHMCS; multi-frequency radio and a beyond-line-of-sight satcom system; full-colour displaysand a moving map; and improvements to theLitening and Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods.Further software enhancements are plannedunder SCU-7.1 and SCU-8 programmes. SCU-8will add JHMCS. Furthermore, SCU-8 will improvethe multi-function display (MFD) to show the fullresolution of an Advanced Targeting Pod and willalso add the Small Diameter Bomb (SDB).

BLOCK 30

The Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing

System (JHMCS) is nowstandard across the

USAF F-16 fleet. Thiswas introduced as partof the CCIP effort.USAF

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