PMA209 2012 Core Avionics Master Plan - NAVAIR - U.S. Navy

Core Avionics Master Plan 2012 Appendix A-1D. Information Display. The display capability element provides for the informationpresentation interface between the aircrew and the aircraft information managementsystems. This section addresses cockpit and crew-member glass displays.1. Current Capabilities. NVG Compatible, Liquid Crystal Display.Significant advancements in commercial display applications are making their wayinto military cockpits. Most Naval Aviation cockpits have integrated different displaytechnologies to support night vision devices and operations in very low levels ofillumination. It is usually more challenging to develop adequate contrast and illuminationlevels in the very bright daytime environment of a tactical cockpit. The latest displaysbeing fielded incorporate enhancements in resolution, brightness, night visioncompatibility and flexibility, and employ solid state engineering for higher reliability (tensof thousands of hours) with greater resistance to vibration, shock, humidity, andtemperature extremes. Observance of military and industry standards enhances smoothinterface and compatibility with associated avionics systems. The two primary leadingtechnologies currently being integrated are Light Emitting Diode (LED) and Active MatrixLiquid Crystal Display (AMLCD) products. The AMC&D program has fielded a 5”x5”AMLCD that brings improved reliability and higher resolution. AV-8B and F/A-18C/Dhave fielded the Advanced Multi Purpose Color Display (AMPCD), which is a “smartdisplay” (includes internal processing rather than merely presenting an image).Improved sensors such as the Advanced Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) andadditional network information sources (such as Link 16) drove the requirement for alarger size, higher resolution 8”x10” Multi Function Display (MFD) to be integrated in theF/A-18F and EA-18G. The Common Cockpit program of the Multi-Mission Helicopterprogram is affording similar capability to the MH-60S and MH-60R. The PMA209CNS/ATM team has integrated or is integrating glass cockpits into E-2C, P-3C, CH-53Eand MH-53E (procurement not funded), US Coast Guard HC-130H, and C-130T.2. Funded Enhancements and Potential Pursuits.Overview: Potential near term display improvements include increased luminanceand contrast for bright environments, wider dimming ranges for night visioncompatibility, weight reductions, power demand reductions, instant-on illumination inextreme cold conditions and reduction of toxic components. Implementation of networkcentricdata exchange will drive significant increases in the amount of tacticalinformation that can be displayed. CNS/ATM functionalities will increase situationalawareness, but will also place more demands on the quality of the display.3. Large Area Programmable Layout Displays. (2013) JSF Block II aircraft will beequipped with a large (20” x 8”) AMLCD cockpit dashboard Panoramic Cockpit Display(PCD) that incorporates presentations of what are normally separate instruments(primary flight and aircraft and engine performance instruments) along with sensor,controller and data page displays. Boeing has proposed a similar large area display fortheir Foreign Military Sales (FMS) versions of the F/A-18E/F aircraft. Much like personalcomputer station ‘windows’ formatted displays, the aircrew can control the size, layoutand content of information that gets presented. The single large display design wouldbasically cover the majority of the cockpit dashboard and would enable the flight crew tomix and match any display windows desired depending on the mission. This design willalso enable the crew to place individual instrument or tactical display items anywhere onthe instrument panel, and to increase the size of preferred primary display elements.A-1 Information Management 11