台湾F-16加防撞软件

choi

I place the report here (美国新闻), as opposed to 三角地, purely because this posting contains lots of English.

羅添斌, Ｆ16再加碼百億 提升戰力可防撞. 自由時報, Sept 8, 2018
http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/focus/paper/1230612
("吳彥霆飛官駕駛的F-16戰機，在今年六月漢光演習期間失事撞山，飛行員 [there was just one pilot, so obviously 飛官 = 飛行員] 不幸殉職，軍方經檢討後認為，有必要在F-16戰機上加裝最新型的「自動防撞地系統（Auto GCAS）」，即使在飛行員身陷昏迷的狀態下，戰機也可在最後一刻自動拉起機身不致撞擊地面，以保障飛行員生命安全，這項「自動防撞地系統」的採購案，也已納入加碼的性能提升計畫之內。  官員指出，美國空軍的F-16戰機機隊目前都陸續加裝最新型的「自動防撞地系統」，可以有效防範戰機在失控的情形下撞山（地面），我國F-16機隊目前配備的則是類似民航機使用的「加強地面接近警告系統（EGPWS）[Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System; by Honeywell]」。  EGPWS是在戰機與地面過度接近時，會發出急促的警告聲，提醒飛行員注意並且改正，而「自動防撞地系統（Auto GCAS）」的功能更進一步，一旦系統發出危險警告，但飛行員因為各種原因沒有立即改正，或者是因為已經陷入昏迷狀態而無從改正戰機姿態時，這套新的安全系統將會自動拉高機身，爬升到安全高度")

My comment:
(a) I speculated the June incident was a suicide. Of course, neither Taiwan nor I knows what was going on. Only the American manufacturer of F-16s (Lockheed Martin) is capable of reading the black box (which was recovered, although the pilot was reduced to scattered pieces), which has not made a public report. Because Lockheed Martin might have privately passed the information to Taiwan's air force, pilot's loss-of-consciousness might be the real cause.

(b)
(i) Saving the Good Guys: Seventh Save Illustrates Life-Saving Auto GCAS Technology. Lockheed Martin Corp, undated
https://www.lockheedmartin.com/e ... e-saving-auto-.html
(ii) Matt Kamlet (Public Affairs), NASA-Supported Collision Avoidance System Saves Unconscious F-16 Pilot In Fourth Confirmed Rescue. Armstrong Flight Research Center, NASA, Sept 20, 2016 (last updated: June 27, 2018)
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/arm ... confirmed_save.html
("Auto-GCAS is an aircraft software system that activates upon detecting a collision course with the ground. It warns the pilot, and if imminent collision with the ground is determined, it locks the pilot controls and performs an automatic recovery maneuver, returning full control back to the pilot once the aircraft has cleared the terrain

There is no need to read the rest of this press release.
(c) Compare
airborne collision avoidance system
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_collision_avoidance_system
(ACAS; "operates independently of ground-based equipment and air traffic control in warning pilots of the presence of other aircraft that may present a threat of collision. If the risk of collision is imminent, the system initiates a maneuver that will reduce the risk of collision")