SADL Aims To Eliminate Aerial Friendly Fire Mishaps

Aero-News has learned the A-10 Prime Team, led by Lockheed Martin, has successfully delivered the full-function Situational Awareness Data Link (SADL) capability to the US Air Force for developmental flight testing.  SADL, part of the A-10C Precision Engagement program, improves pilot situational awareness by providing critical information about friendly and enemy air and ground assets.

"SADL will help Air Force A-10 pilots further reduce fratricide in the combat environment," said Roger Il Grande, A-10 program director at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, NY. "Enhanced situational awareness is a key element of the Precision Engagement program, helping to transform the legacy A/0A-10 aircraft from an analog aircraft to the enhanced digital A-10C configuration."

The US Air Force is expected to conduct developmental flight test of the SADL capability through May 2007 at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. SADL is expected to be fielded to operational A-10 units by September 2007.

In addition to SADL, the Precision Engagement effort enables the A-10C to use new precision-guided weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) and Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD). The upgrades also provide the attack jet with an improved stores management system, two additional multifunction color displays, and provisions for the integration of a targeting pod, and other improvements.

Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, NY, leads the A-10 Prime Team -- which also includes Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, and Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) -- and serves as the prime contractor and systems integrator for A-10 modernization and sustainment support.

FMI: www.lockheedmartin.com