Page 4 - Aerotech News and Review, April 30, 2021

PROJECT, from 3
complex aircraft with a very complex mission stand the utility of this. And everyone under- serve in 2018, LeClair held his current F-35 dom — the old hats if you will — who can train
and an adversarial mission. To incorporate agile stands the need to go faster and to innovate at instructor pilot position with the 461st FLTS in new people and give insight to the active-duty
development into that cycle has been the work a pace that we cannot do in our current method an active-duty capacity. He became an Active force.”
of the last two years.” of software development.” Guard Reserve member and joined the 370th LeClair was the first AGR test pilot hired
The 461st FLTS’s Future Technology Team F-35 pilots already fly with tablets in the FLTS but remained attached to the 461st as by the 370th FLTS, and according to Lt. Col.
manifested around April of 2019, and when it cockpit, but plugging the tablet into the aircraft well, maintaining a certain amount of stability John Mikal, 370th FLTS commander, he is a
came time to choose someone to lead the way, is a new idea being pioneered by Edwards, Nel- within the unit. great example of what the Air Force Reserve
Valpiani said he knew no better person for the job. lis and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake “In the active-duty [Air Force], our pilots can bring to table in total force environment.
“Rost has always, for me, been the epitome in California, he said. Realizing the concerns rotate out on a regular basis every two to three “What’s interesting and positive about him
of someone with an innovative spirit,” Valpiani about safety and security, they started off with years,” Valpiani said. “It’s difficult to develop being an AGR, is that he’s had the bandwidth
said. “He has an incredible talent of thinking just a ground test. The team wanted to prove real depth of expertise in a platform, especially to do that,” Mikal said. “He’s doing a leader-
outside the container, questioning why we do they could safely connect to the aircraft with- one as complex as the F-35, in that period. So ship job in the 370th as a flight commander,
things the way we do and imagining different out interference to the jet’s systems. From a the challenge that we face is making sure we but [Project FoX] is his number one task, and it
and better ways to do them. It’s in his DNA to security standpoint, they wanted to prove they have a few key cadre in the squadron who can allows him to do that. I think that’s why they’ve
think and act boldly in the pursuit of innova- didn’t add additional risk. serve as continuity, depth of experience, wis- had success.”
tion. So that’s part of the reason — I mean it’s Also in the works within Project FoX is the
not part of the reason — it is the reason why FoX BoX. The FoX BoX is slated to contain a
I asked him to take on the Future Technology cyber-secure chip set designed by a team con-
Team position and the FoX tablet specifically.” ducting mission systems testing on the F-18
Within about half a year, the Future Tech- at NAWS China Lake, just 60 miles north of
nology Team was ready to present their Proj- Edwards. The FoX BoX will run high-level, AI-
ect FoX concepts and in January of 2020, the capable computer processers that will serve as
team’s idea was one of the winning presenta- an operating system to communicate to aircraft,
tions during Edwards’ Spark Tank competition. allowing the FoX Tablet to function mainly as
The Edwards Spark Tank competition is based a visual interface for aircrew.
on the larger service-wide campaign that allows From here, the team will continue to con-
Airmen to present innovation ideas to key agen- duct ground tests to perfect data ingestion on
cies in order to garner support and funding. the F-35. They will also soon start testing on
With any revolutionary idea, however, the the F-18, F-16 and F-22 to prove that Project
door is always open for pushback or disapprov- FoX’s universal concepts are truly compatible
al, which could lead to hurdles that slowdown with any platform. Eventually, Project FoX ca-
progression. Luckily for the Project FoX team, pabilities will be tested during flight, hopefully
they received little to no negative feedback later this year.
from what they are trying to do. “We want to execute in baby steps and a
“We have tremendous support from combat build-up approach,” LeClair said. “As with any
aviators,” LeClair said. “They want this, and new capability, we want to do it safely, securely
they want it yesterday. Everybody who’s ever and effectively.”
flown with an electronic flight bag … all under- Prior to transitioning to the Air Force Re-

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