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Boeing Aims to Use 5G for Aircraft Maintenance Improvements

Boeing hopes to leverage 5G technology to improve aircraft maintenance and increase safety for military technicians. (Photo: Boeing)

Boeing is aiming to increase military aircraft mission capable rates and increase military technician safety through two efforts leveraging 5G technology—Autonomous Aircraft Inspection (AAI), using drones to take high-resolution photos of aircraft to spot damage, and Augmented Training Operations Maintenance (ATOM), which uses a Microsoft Hololens to allow military forces “secure reach back” to industry representatives to help fix parts.

“The [AAI] pictures that are being taken and the data being captured and analyzed is immensely valuable so that’s the big strategic sustainment value of what we’re doing–and the operational impact of keeping young airmen off the tail, or when they go up to the tail they know what they’re looking for,” Scott Belanger, team leader for next generation product support for Boeing Global Services and a retired U.S. Air Force colonel/logistician, said during a virtual interview on Aug. 15.

“Right now, 50 percent of all damage, when humans do the [aircraft] inspection, is missed—commercial and DoD,” he said. “That’s the industry standard. In DoD, that [percentage] may be a little higher because their technicians are more junior, less experienced. The small test we’ve run the past two years at [Joint Base Pearl Harbor] Hickam, we’re at 73 percent, and that’s pretty good, considering we started at 50 percent. We think we’re going to get into the high 70s as far as capturing anomalies and damage.”

AAI inspections are hangar-only but may expand to outdoor ones at Hickam next year.

The AAI effort began in 2021 and has used drones by a Pittsburgh-based small business, Near Earth Autonomy, to inspect C-17 cargo planes at Hickam. The aft sections of the drones have Boeing’s Automated Damage Detection Software (ADDS).

Verizon is constructing a 5G network on Oahu, but the network is not yet complete.

AAI has thus relied upon credit card-sized, government-provided “puck” mobile phones to emulate a 5G network until the Oahu project is finished.

By contrast, the ATOM experiment is using the Verizon 5G network. “They have positioned the experiment on the flight line on a C-17,” Belanger said. “Verizon mounted some of the emitters for the network on a really old World War II-era smokestack on base to get the right coverage down.”

Alli Locher, the inspection group lead for Near Earth Autonomy, said during the Aug. 15 virtual interview that AAI “is not going to eliminate the need for visual inspections.”

AAI “is going to make [inspection] more flexible and decrease risk to airmen,” she said. “We’re taking the same airman that’s either on a lift or walking the aircraft and putting him on the ground and enabling him to do his job quicker and safer.”

Locher said that 4G and Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks are insufficient for military data needs. “We have large photos that, in order to accelerate and take full advantage of, we want to be able to store them on the cloud,” she said. “You’re looking at uploading 61 megapixel photos over a network and need that network to be able to handle large files.”

Near Earth Autonomy’s work on drone inspections for aircraft maintenance began in 2017 when NEA collaborated with Boeing on a research and development project for C-17s at Boeing’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) plant in San Antonio.

Inducting a C-17 into an Air Force depot or modification process at Boeing’s MRO or to the Air Force’s Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia “takes about 180 hours,” Belanger said. “We think we can cut that substantially down [to] around 50 [hours] and get a much more accurate assessment of the aircraft before it gets sent [to depot].”

“That’s a week where the aircraft is outside being externally inspected by a team of six to eight technicians,” he said. “They’re taking digital photos by hand, but the photos aren’t the same every time and don’t have the quality the drone’s [photos] have, and it’s dangerous. [Technicians] are getting in lifts and putting on harnesses and having to get up on the multi-stories high T-tail. The [NEA] drone will inspect the upper surfaces of the [C-17] jet in about 30 minutes, and the photos coming off of it are analyzed by the Jedi software that NEA has and the aircraft damage detection system that we have which produces a report for the technician to show them where the damage is.”

Boeing plans to expand the AAI work to other aircraft, possibly to Navy aircraft at Whidbey Island, Wash., and other Air Force cargo planes, tankers, and bombers.

Boeing and NEA have teamed on “scanning in and beginning to establish the operational foundation for drones for [the] C-5,” Belanger said. “We just scanned in KC-135 and KC-46, and we’re laying down plans this year to get after B-52 and even P-8.”

Human technicians will still be a maintenance mainstay, since 80% of DoD aircraft, including the C-17 and the venerable B-52, are not digitally designed, model-based engineering (MBE) planes, Belanger said. MBE aircraft include the Air Force’s T-7A Red Hawk trainer and the U.S. Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray refueler–both by Boeing.

The AAI goal is “not to cut manpower,” but “to make the existing visual inspection more efficient, safer, and more beneficial to mission readiness,” Belanger said. “We are capturing over the past two years with C-17 at Hickam really a ‘poor man’s digital record’ for each [aircraft] tail. That’s a powerful tool when it comes to sustainment planning. That ‘by tail’ information is not being captured right now.”

“I think DoD is committed to it,” Belanger said of AAI. “They seem to be funding it every year, and, as long as they do, Boeing will be there with partners like NEA to try to get the warfighter technology that they need now, especially in the Pacific.”

This article was originally published by Defense Daily, a sister publication of Avionics International. It has been edited. Read the original version here >>

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NASA, Sikorsky, and DARPA Develop Automation Software

NASA researchers are collaborating with Sikorsky and DARPA to develop and test automation software that is both safe and reliable for flight. (Photos: Lockheed Martin)

Self-flying air taxis are emerging as game changers for the transportation of passengers and cargo. Autonomous aerial vehicles could redefine connectivity between urban hubs and rural areas. But for this futuristic vision to become a reality, safety is paramount.

NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility researchers, stationed at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, are spearheading the journey to this brave new world of aviation. Collaborating with Sikorsky and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), their mission is to develop and rigorously test automation software that is both safe and reliable for flight.

The research, which currently uses two specialized helicopters as substitutes for air taxis, relies heavily on advanced simulations. Software developers and pilots use customized test-tablets, equipped with scripted flight paths, to precisely recreate air-to-air encounters. In this way, they can simulate potential conflict scenarios to test the software’s algorithms.

Ethan Williams, the project’s lead software developer, shared insights into the process: “The software design begins with conceptualizing what future advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicle operations and flight behavior scenarios might look like,” says lead software developer Ethan Williams. “We then refine the software requirements under development, so it behaves as expected enabling the proposed advanced air mobility air taxi operations. The simulation, using the tablets and ground control room displays, helps to identify potential issues prior to actual flight testing.”

For AAM to thrive, the pilots behind the wheel must trust the technology they’re interfacing with. NASA pilot Scott Howe remarked, “Given the extensive ground training familiarization, desktop and cockpit simulation exercises we’ve run, test aircrew are comfortable using the software and tablets.”

Howe added that they have demonstrated the software’s seamless interaction with the aircraft’s flight control systems. “We’ve proven the software […] is very capable of safely executing multiple precise software-controlled profiles in a single flight.”

NASA lead software developer, Ethan Williams, pilot Scott Howe, and operations test consultant Jan Scofield run a flight path management software simulation at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California. (Photo: NASA)

As the research enters its flight phase, NASA’s lineup includes Sikorsky’s Autonomy Research Aircraft—a revamped S-76B helicopter—and their Optionally Piloted Vehicle Black Hawk helicopter, serving as stand-ins for future air taxis. These aircraft will undergo tests assessing the NASA-crafted automation software and the accompanying flight control tablets across diverse AAM flight situations.

With NASA test pilots and Sikorsky safety pilots aboard, the aircraft will undergo autonomous flight sequences and collect granular data. Meanwhile, the pilots will select their preferred evasion tactics from software-generated choices.

With the promise of air taxis comes the challenge of ensuring their safe operation in congested airspaces. NASA, with its partners, is playing a pivotal role in laying the groundwork for robust safety measures.

A Near Miss at San Diego International Airport

A potential collision scenario was avoided at San Diego International Airport when the facility’s automated surface surveillance system raised an alert regarding the proximity of two aircraft. (Photo: SanDiego.org)

A go-around incident involving a Cessna Citation business jet and a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 has prompted an official investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The event, which unfolded shortly before noon local time on August 11 at San Diego International Airport, has raised questions about air traffic coordination and safety protocols.

According to the FAA’s initial statement, an air traffic controller had given the pilot of the Cessna Citation business jet clearance to land on Runway 27. The same controller directed Southwest Flight 2493, operated by a Boeing 737, to taxi onto the same runway, instructing them to await further departure commands.

A potential collision scenario was averted when the facility’s automated surface surveillance system raised an alert regarding the proximity of the two aircraft. Recognizing the imminent conflict, the air traffic controller instructed the pilot of the Cessna Citation to discontinue its landing approach and execute a go-around, ensuring the safety of both aircraft and their occupants.

The FAA responded by dispatching a team of experts to the airport to undertake a comprehensive investigation into the series of events leading up to the go-around. One significant aspect of this review will be to determine the closest proximity between the two involved aircraft.

(Photo: Saab)

While no injuries or damages were reported, incidents of this nature underscore the importance of seamless coordination in the dense air traffic environment surrounding busy airports. Automated systems like the surface surveillance system play a crucial role in enhancing situational awareness for air traffic controllers, and this incident serves as a reminder of the dual role of technology and human vigilance in maintaining the safety and efficiency of our skies.

The San Diego International Airport has Airport Surface Detection Equipment, Model X (ASDE-X) installed, as do at least 34 other airports in the U.S. The ASDE-X system uses radar, multilateration, and satellite technology to notify air traffic controllers of potential runway conflicts.

The company Saab offers air traffic control products such as cooperative surveillance sensors (multilateration and ADS-B), surface movement radars, and decision support tools for air traffic controllers.

“Situations develop quickly on an airfield,” according to Rick Smith, Saab Director of FAA Programs. “A combined audio and video alert is used to notify air traffic controllers before an incident can occur so that they can quickly prevent it. Air traffic controllers must trust our data is correct to give accurate and effective control measures and keep aircraft and people safe.”

According to the FAA, ASDE-X uses data from the following sources:

Surface surveillance radar located on top of the air traffic control tower and/or surface surveillance radar located on a remote tower
Multilateration sensors located around the airport
Airport Surveillance Radars such as the ASR-9
Automatic Dependent Surveillance — Broadcast (ADS-B) sensors
Terminal automation system to obtain flight plan data.

(Photo: FAA)

Telesat’s Lightspeed Now Fully Funded; MDA to Build Constellation

MDA Ltd. will build 198 advanced satellites for the Telesat Lightspeed Low Earth Orbit program.

It is all systems go for Canadian operator Telesat and its Lightspeed LEO satellite constellation. In a surprise announcement on Friday, the company confirmed that the long-awaited constellation is now fully funded and that it has contracted MDA to build the 198 satellites needed for the system. Lightspeed satellite launches are now scheduled to commence in mid-2026 and polar and global services scheduled to begin in late 2027.

Gaining funding for such an ambitious program has been a challenge for the operator. Thales Alenia Space was originally contracted to build the satellites, but extended negotiations over financing delayed delivery of proposals to the operator. Original plans for the constellation included nearly 300 satellites, but Telesat decreased the size by 100 satellites after it encountered financing issues.

Telesat now has in place aggregate funding commitments from its Canadian federal and provincial government partners in the combined amount of up to approximately US$2 billion, which it says demonstrates their strong commitment and confidence in the program and the importance of the New Space Economy for Canada. The finalization of this funding is dependent on a number of conditions, including completion of confirmatory due diligence and the conclusion of definitive agreements. This funding, combined with Telesat’s own approximately US$1.6 billion equity contribution, as well as certain vendor financing, would provide the Telesat Lightspeed program with sufficient funds to launch global service, which will occur once the first 156 satellites are in orbit. The capital investment for the Telesat Lightspeed program is approximately US$3.5 billion and includes 198 Telesat Lightspeed satellites, satellite launch vehicles, a global ground network of landing stations and operations centers, business and operations support systems, and expenditures to support the further development of a portfolio of user terminals for Telesat’s target markets.

Telesat is also hopeful that it reap rewards and cost savings through its partnership with MDA, which will redesign the system to take advantage of key technology advances, including MDA’s digital beamforming array antennas and integrated regenerative processor. It believes the redesigned Telesat Lightspeed network will achieve increased network efficiency and enhanced flexibility to focus and dynamically deliver capacity to users. These technology advances allow each satellite to be slightly smaller than the satellites Telesat was previously considering while still maintaining the highest levels of service performance, resiliency, and overall usable capacity in the network. Telesat says these satellites should be highly cost-effective, resulting in an anticipated total capital cost savings for the 198-satellite program of approximately US$2 billion compared to Telesat’s prior capital estimate.

“I’m incredibly proud of the Telesat team for their innovative work to further optimize our Telesat Lightspeed design—which was already a highly advanced and high-performing LEO network—resulting in dramatically reduced costs with unmatched enterprise-class service offerings. MDA is a world-class satellite prime contractor with an impressive track record and a number of recent high-profile, strategic space programs announced, and it is a privilege to be working side-by-side with them on the flagship, game-changing Telesat Lightspeed constellation. MDA’s deep expertise as a LEO prime contractor, as well our own leading expertise in satellite operations and systems engineering, gives us the highest level of confidence in meeting our objectives,” Dan Goldberg, President and CEO of Telesat, said in a statement.

This article was originally published by Via Satellite, a sister publication to Avionics International. It has been edited. Click here to read the original version >>

Replacing F-35 PTMS May Cost $3 Billion, Honeywell Estimates

U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall addresses the 48th Fighter Wing during a base-wide all-call at RAF Lakenheath, England on July 13 (U.S. Air Force Photo)

Whether and when the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter will need a new Power and Thermal Management System (PTMS) or an upgrade has been a matter of debate within industry and the F-35 program.

Honeywell‘s Torrance, Calif. plant builds the F-35 PTMS, which supplies main engine start and auxiliary and emergency power needs, in addition to 30 Kilowatts of aircraft cooling.

RTX‘s Collins Aerospace said at June’s Paris air show that the company had conducted a lab test in Windsor Locks, Conn., of the Enhanced Power and Cooling System (EPACS) that Collins Aerospace plans to offer as a replacement for the Honeywell PTMS (Defense Daily, June 28). Collins Aerospace said that EPACS will provide “more than twice the current cooling capability to support additional growth beyond Block 4 and is expected to provide enough cooling capacity for the life of the aircraft.”

EPACS includes a Collins Aerospace air cycle system, electric power generator and controller, and an auxiliary power unit by RTX’s Pratt & Whitney.

In May, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report said that the F-35 will need a new or improved PTMS to accommodate future weapons and sensors on the aircraft (Defense Daily, May 30). The question appears to be when.

The U.S. Air Force decided this year to cancel the Advanced Engine Transition Program to develop and field a new, adaptive cycle engine on the F-35 and instead to move ahead with the Pratt & Whitney F135 Engine Core Upgrade (ECU).

Jill Albertelli, president of Pratt & Whitney’s military engine business, has said that “the F135 ECU paired with an upgraded PTMS can provide 80KW [kilowatts] or more of cooling power for the F-35, which will exceed all power and cooling needs for the F-35 through the life of the program.”

Honeywell said that it has been working with Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office to lend up to 17 kilowatts more of cooling for the F-35 for a total of 47 kilowatts of cooling on the Block 4 F-35.

From Honeywell’s standpoint, that may be enough extra cooling for the sensors and weapons on F-35 Block 4, while Block 5 after 2030 will likely require additional incremental changes like additive or other advanced heat exchangers to give the fighter 60 kilowatts to 80 kilowatts of cooling. The requirements for Block 4 and Block 5 thus far are not firm.

“When we look at swapping out a PTMS, let’s say you want to put in an EPACS, that’s like a $3 billion bill because you’ve got to replace all the spares, everything in the fleet, all the support equipment, all the training,” Matt Milas, president of Honeywell’s defense and space business, said in an Aug. 14 virtual interview. “We have four active depots that are supporting the PTMS worldwide. You’ve got specialized support equipment. We just activated a new test cell so there’s all these test requirements and capabilities that, if you switch, the government and the international partners are gonna have to pick up a very significant bill for not a whole lot of difference.”

This article was originally published by Defense Daily, a sister publication of Avionics International. It has been edited. Read the original version here >>

USAF Moving to Field KC-46A Communications “Backbone”

The U.S. Air Force intends to field a communications “backbone” for the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in the next year in Capability Release 1 (CR1) of the service’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) effort. (U.S. Air Force Photo)

DAYTON, Ohio – The U.S. Air Force intends to field a communications “backbone” for the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus in the next year in Capability Release 1 (CR1) of the service’s Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) effort.

The Air Force has said that the KC-46A will serve as an ABMS data link for combat forces, especially in large theaters, such as U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

“I’ve narrowed the scope of that CR1 initial capability to just getting the organic communications capability integrated on the KC-46 so that they can start getting the connectivity that they need,” Air Force Brig. Gen. Luke Cropsey, the program executive officer for command, control, communications, and battle management, told reporters last week during the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s annual industry days conference.

“Because the timing is so critical in getting that capability in place and out to them, we’ve narrowed the scope down to getting that initial palletized [compute and data storage] capability into the back of that KC-46 and giving them the opportunity to start experimenting with a couple of different ways CONOPS-wise, maybe start using that as a basis for that capability—the work we’re doing on that digital infrastructure stack.”

The latter “is the next piece to that and making sure that we’ve got the capability of getting that fused [data] store and comms package put together in a tight, compact way that allows us to get it out into the various edge locations that PACAF, USAFE, INDOPACOM, EUCOM, are telling us they need that capability, where they want it to go first so we can start deploying it, really in the next year, starting to build out that connectivity and that backbone,” Cropsey said.

The Air Force disclosed its ABMS plans for the KC-46A more than two years ago and said that the service’s goal was to field ABMS on the first of 179 planned KC-46As by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022 (Defense Daily, June 9, 2021).

Boeing said in April that the Air Force had picked the company to aid the service’s ABMS Airborne Edge Node (AEN) concept by studying how to integrate new forward edge processing on the KC-46A.

The Air Force requested more than $500 million for ABMS in fiscal 2024. While three of the four defense mark-ups recommended the full amount, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s defense panel has advised a reduction of $16 million, including $10 million less for AEN as “early to need.”

The Air Force had planned for AEN to be in CR1.

The networking of platforms through AEN is to improve data security and reduce time lags for processing information and sending it to front-line forces.

In March 2021, the Air Force identified a critical deficiency in the flight management system of the aerial refueler of the KC-46A Pegasus tanker. Boeing shared in 2022 that it expected to resolve the flight management issues via the development of a software fix.

This article was originally published by Defense Daily, a sister publication of Avionics International. It has been edited. Read the original version here >>

Panasonic Expands GEO Ku-Band Satellite Capacity

Panasonic announced a major expansion of its global connectivity network. It is adding new and expanded GEO Ku-band satellite capacity and expanding its current capabilities through the introduction of additional HTS capacity over China and Japan.

Panasonic Avionics has embarked on an ambitious journey to expand its existing network. The addition of new and expanded GEO Ku-band satellite capacity promises higher-speed in-flight internet connections.

This network boost emphasizes the incorporation of new HTS (High Throughput Satellites) and XTS (Extreme Throughput Satellites), offering enhanced coverage spanning across North, Central, and South America, the North and South Atlantic Ocean, Europe, the Middle East, the Arabian Sea, Africa, and the Indian Ocean.

There will also be a significant focus on Asia—Panasonic Avionics is incorporating additional HTS capacity over China and Japan to strengthen its footprint in a pivotal region.

Beyond just coverage, the expansion promises to deliver accelerated speeds. Airlines and passengers can anticipate speeds of up to 75 Mbps via HTS and 200 Mbps through XTS satellites. This represents a 50% global capacity increase for reliable high-speed internet services.

The forthcoming launch of multi-orbit connectivity services will integrate an electronically steered antenna (ESA), designed to access both GEO and LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellites.

More than 70 leading airlines globally have chosen Panasonic Avionics’ in-flight connectivity services, indicating the industry’s growing demand for more robust and high-speed connectivity solutions.

“For the past few years, we have seen exponential growth in the adoption of in-flight connectivity,” remarked John Wade, Vice President of Panasonic Avionics’ In-Flight Connectivity Business Unit. “Passengers want faster internet speeds for traditional services like email, web browsing, social media, and messaging, and they are increasingly looking to stream content, play games in-flight, and use collaborative cloud-based applications.”

He added, “Given our unique approach to satellite capacity, and with our multi-layered, multi-orbit connectivity network, Panasonic Avionics has the unique ability to leverage a wide range of different, industry-leading satellites, rather than the high-risk approach of relying solely on proprietary satellite technology. This enables Panasonic Avionics to add new capacity quickly and easily when and where it’s needed, ensuring we can deliver an advanced and virtually uninterrupted service. The result is a better experience for passengers and higher Net Promoter Scores (NPS) for airlines.”

Panasonic’s first XTS satellite entered service on Feb. 3, 2021. In July of that year, the company announced that it had activated XTS satellite coverage over China and the Asia Pacific region. “The beam over Asia Pacific from APSTAR 6D, Panasonic Avionics’ first XTS satellite, has gone live through teleports in Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, and Perth,” according to the company.

A Path to Safe Drone Operations: The Latest from EASA

This week, EASA published a drone directory for uncrewed aircraft that are classified in the “open category” and are labeled with specific class marks. The agency also released a template for drones operating in the “specific category.” (Photo: DJI)

This week, EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) released a drone directory of uncrewed aircraft that fit within the “open category” and have been labeled with specific class marks, such as “C1” or “C2.” This list from EASA will help individuals, businesses, and other stakeholders identify drones that adhere to the new regulations set to be effective from Jan. 1, 2024.

Starting Jan. 1, the following new drone rules will be in effect:

Drones labeled with a “C1” mark and weighing up to 900g can fly in areas with lots of people, according to the A1 rules.
Drones weighing up to 4 kg with a “C2” label can fly within 5 meters of people who aren’t involved in the drone’s operation, as per the A2 rules.

There are already drones in the market that follow these rules. EASA has a list of these drones, which will soon be a part of the EASA Sustainable Air Mobility Hub—a website created by EASA to help local governments and businesses use drones in a sustainable way. It’s a key part of the EU’s new drone plan, called Drone Strategy 2.0.

A “CE” mark on a product means it meets EU standards for health, safety, and the environment. It’s for products sold in the European Economic Area (EEA).

(Photo: Asylon)

EASA also released a guide meant for drones operating in the “specific category” this week. This template, called an Operations Manual, is for drone activities under SAIL II (Specific Assurance Integrity Level II). If drone operators want permission to operate in this category, they need to submit a similar manual. This requirement is based on Article 12 of the EU’s rules from 2019 about drone operations.

EASA classifies the following uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) operations in the “specific” category:

BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line Of Sight)
Operating a drone with MTOM (maximum take-off mass) > 25 kg
Operating higher than 120m above ground level
Dropping material
Operating in an urban environment with MTOM > 4 kg or without a class identification label

Based on SORA (Specific Operations Risk Assessment), SAIL I and II are classified as low-risk; SAIL III and IV are medium-risk, and SAIL V and VI involve high-risk operations.

The release of this template underscores EASA’s commitment to ensuring that drone operations in the EU are conducted safely and according to set standards. This is essential given the increasing number of drones and their diverse applications in today’s world.

By providing a template for the Operations Manual, EASA is also offering clear guidance on what they expect from drone operators in the specific category under SAIL II. This helps standardize operations and ensures that everyone is on the same page regarding safety and operational standards.

Mitigating Risks in the Commercial Microelectronics Supply Chain

The DoD released findings from an independent panel review of the Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance efforts. (Photo: Northrop Grumman)

The Department of the Air Force reviewed the Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance efforts by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, as directed by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2023. The results of the review were just released on August 3.

This review involved an independent panel of 27 experts determining the best approach to mitigate risks in the commercial microelectronics supply chain and to ensure the security and integrity of microelectronic components used in Department of Defense (DoD) systems.

The panel pinpointed three main strategies to ensure that commercial production meets the department’s needs:

Trusted Foundry: an overlay on a commercial flow offered by GlobalFoundries that offers protection against unauthorized disclosure of classified information (including data and government intellectual property) to unauthorized persons.

International Traffic in Arms Regulations/Export Administration Regulations for export-controlled microelectronics

Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance: an emerging data-centric approach to independently assess integrity across the microelectronics development lifecycle including design and manufacturing

These measures aim to bridge the gap between the DoD’s unique requirements and the commercial supply chain while maintaining a consistent security posture. The study emphasized the importance of these strategies to counter security risks associated with the procurement and utilization of commercial microelectronics in defense systems.

(Photo: Department of the Air Force)

Microelectronic components, which play crucial roles in modern defense systems, include microprocessors, field programmable gate arrays, and custom integrated circuits.

Most of the microelectronics in DoD systems are commercial off-the-shelf components, with a majority of the DoD’s purchases not made through the trusted supply chain.

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Dr. William LaPlante commented, “To stay ahead of our competitors, it is absolutely essential that DoD is able to access the commercial supply chain of microelectronics. The independent panel’s review is helping us better understand the risk-based approach we need to take to make that happen.”

Heidi Shyu, Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, explained that their trusted suppliers in the commercial supply chain help to keep the department prepared. “Our focus must be to maintain and strengthen that support,” Shyu said. “The work of the independent panel—confirming what we need in the Department of Defense and what areas present opportunities, and gaps, for mitigation—has been an essential part in the overall Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance effort and will inform evolving standards such as the Department of Defense Manual 5200 series.”

Dr. Victoria Coleman, Chief Scientist of the Air Force, remarked that there has been a false dichotomy between Trusted Foundry and Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance. “While Microelectronics Quantifiable Assurance is focused on the entire lifecycle of the microelectronics and offers enhanced integrity protection, Trusted Foundry focuses exclusively on fabrication, a protection that heightens our confidence that our classified information has been protected during the commercial manufacturing of the parts we use in Department of Defense systems,” Dr. Victoria Coleman explained.

Below are the key questions addressed by the panel review:

What are the national security implications of increasing our use of commercial microelectronics fabrication flows relative to the use of Trusted Foundry flows?

Access to commercial ME is essential for obtaining performant, trustworthy, and affordable parts to create mission-capable DoD systems. Not having access threatens our national security.

What are the risks entailed?

The risks include compromise to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of function of ME devices. These risks are lower during mask and wafer fabrication and higher during design, testing, and configuration. ME is not free of risk but is not the greatest risk by far.

How can we mitigate these risks in a practical way?

Risks can be mitigated by creating a rational ME Assurance risk management regime, combining TF with MQA overlays over commercial practices, designing for assurance/defense in depth, and creating and implementing standards.

Will the risk reduction be enough?

There is no perfection but the risk can be managed to be as low as reasonably practicable.

How are we going to implement in practice a viable risk reduction regime?

By creating the ME Assurance EA, the ME Assurance Standards Board, by resourcing the ME Assurance governance appropriately, and by aligning execution of the CHIPS program with DoD needs.

Version 2.0 of the Urban Air Mobility Concept of Operations

The integration of urban air mobility into existing airspace systems is a collaborative endeavor, requiring continuous learning, validation, and adaptation to evolving technologies and methods. Speakers from the FAA, NASA, OneSky, and ANRA provided insights into their respective areas of expertise, underscoring the importance of data, collaboration, understanding new complexities, and global harmonization. (Photo: NASA)

BALTIMORE, Maryland — One of the most interesting panel discussions that took place during the recent AAM Summit—presented by the FAA and AUVSI—revolved around the evolving landscape of urban air mobility (UAM). Central to the discourse was the significance of collecting pertinent data to facilitate the integration of new aerial vehicles into existing airspace systems.

A speaker from NASA emphasized the organization’s role in gathering data to aid both the FAA and the wider industry, underscoring the importance of preparedness to scale operations and make certification timelines more efficient. Industry participants shared insights from recent demonstrations, highlighting lessons learned, especially in the realm of traffic flow management and understanding airspace dynamics.

The conversation also touched on global perspectives, with an FAA representative noting commonalities in UAM ConOps approaches worldwide, emphasizing piloted aircraft operations, integration issues, compliance, and the desire for global harmonization, especially in safety standards.

Steve Bradford, Chief Scientific & Technical Advisor of the FAA’s Office of NextGen, moderated the “Urban Air Mobility Concept of Operations” panel discussion. He brought up the need for international harmonization and asked Chris Swider, Senior Technical Advisor of the FAA, to discuss the role of ICAO in this arena.

Swider mentioned that at the last ICAO assembly which took place in October, the FAA and other member states emphasized the need for a unified approach to advanced air mobility. The FAA urged ICAO to establish a clear framework and avoid uncoordinated efforts by individual technical panels.

“ICAO did establish an advanced air mobility study group,” he remarked. “They’re going to try to create a vision, and take a look at gaps in current policy that need to be addressed,” and ensure that future technical panels work in sync. Swider sees this as a significant step towards global harmonization in air mobility that prioritizes both safety and efficiency.

Moderator Steve Bradford next asked Noureddin “Nouri” Ghazavi, Systems Engineer for the FAA NextGen Technology Development and Prototyping Division, to share some of the key points of Version 2.0 of the UAM Concept of Operations.

Ghazavi first mentioned the FAA’s “Innovate28” plan, which aims for operations at scale by 2028. He said that it focuses on the near-term integration of advanced air mobility (AAM) into the national airspace system (NAS). He noted that the FAA’s goal in developing the ConOps is to incorporate high-density UAM operations into the NAS.

“We got feedback from the industry, and we have a better understanding of their business model,” Ghazavi said. “From that point, we start looking into developing our assumptions or principles. We had a series of guided discussions with industry partners and understood that we cannot take a piece of airspace and just give it to each individual operator. So we started looking at the concept that we can integrate all operation into these cooperative areas, as laid out in ConOps 2.0.”

In 2020, the FAA’s NextGen office published Version 1.0 of its Concept of Operations for urban air mobility, which was developed in collaboration with NASA and industry.

In developing Version 2.0 of the ConOps, the FAA considered performance as well as participation requirements. Another aspect is determining the key enablers for UAM. Ghazavi emphasized the role of third-party service providers, which are crucial for a transparent system where everyone shares and accesses operational information.

Bradford asked Jim Murphy, AAM System Architect at NASA, to talk about NASA’s role in the whole concept of AAM and UAM. Murphy pointed out that NASA focuses on scalability, especially when collecting data for industry and for the FAA. “We can definitely handle one operation and new types of missions if they’re one-offs, but what happens if they’re successful? How do those tempos increase? How can we scale?”

“We do recognize that there may be differences in how the aircraft are managed or piloted—they might move into multi-piloted types of operations,” he added.

By understanding industry intentions and checking their feasibility with the FAA’s direction, NASA aims to bridge any gaps. In providing data to both industry and the FAA, NASA also ensures that when a company seeks certification for a new aircraft mission, the FAA is already familiar with it. This pre-emptive approach should expedite the integration and scaling process within the national airspace system, Murphy explained.

Bradford mentioned a recent urban air mobility demonstration that the FAA NextGen Technology Development and Prototyping Division conducted. The FAA’s Nouri Ghazavi commented that after releasing the ConOps, their real work began: focusing on its validation. The team adopted an iterative approach and collaborated with industry leaders to understand the interaction of the proposed cooperative areas in the NAS with other operations.

Ghazavi said that their specific focus was on traffic flow management outside these cooperative areas. They partnered with industry to develop the cooperative flow management detailed in ConOps 2.0. While examining how to incorporate traffic management initiatives (TMIs), it became evident that these operational corridors wouldn’t be isolated.

The ConOps also highlighted the potential to utilize cooperative areas for air traffic services. In practice, this means TMIs could affect these areas. Partners like ANRA and OneSky helped develop capabilities for management within these cooperative spaces.

“We had a shakedown activity last week,” Ghazavi said. “We’re going through a demonstration later in August—it’s going to be a virtual session, but we do have live aircraft.”

“We learned a lot from being involved in this with the FAA and having people that are experts in air traffic control as a part of this trial,” remarked Chris Kucera, VP of Strategy at OneSky Systems. OkeSky’s expertise includes building UTMs for small UAS. Now, the introduction of air taxi presents its own complexities, especially regarding different UML levels.

“Within a federated system, you’re not telling people what to do. They have resources, and they grab them when they want,” Kucera said. “So we have to set up a system that works in terms of grabbing resources. It’s a different way of thinking of the problem, and I think that complexity was realized very early on in this scenario.”

Amit Ganjoo, founder and CEO of ANRA, explained that their company has approached UAS largely from a standpoint of segregation, avoiding major interactions with air traffic control systems. The introduction of CFM (cooperative flow management) to TFM (traffic flow management) exchanges revealed complexities that hadn’t previously been considered. Beyond just strategic deconfliction, demand-capacity balancing, spacing, and airspace availability now need to be considered. Another challenge is evolving from traditional voice-based ATC calls. “Initially, if the aircraft are going to be optionally piloted, how do you translate that into Voice over IP calls?” Ganjoo asks.

The FAA’s Chris Swider commented that within the international division of the Integration Office, they learn from global colleagues. Many concepts worldwide align with those of the FAA. Common trends include starting with piloted aircraft, moving to more automation, and aiming for fully automated operations.

Swider added that there is a general approach of starting with one city and then expanding. Challenges like environmental concerns, noise, and community engagement are universally acknowledged, and a key emphasis is on compliance. In shared airspace, all must adhere to existing rules, though these may evolve. Finally, he remarked that there’s a strong desire globally for harmonized safety and efficiency standards.

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