Page 1 - Edwards AFB Desert Wings 10-9-15

Volume 63, Number 15 Serving the community of Edwards Air Force Base, California October 9, 2015

www.edwards.af.mil – www.facebook.com/edwardsairforcebase

B-52 gets mapped for laser ops with new pod

The 419th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB re- Air Force photographs by Edward Cannon
cently executed ground laser testing on the B-52H aircraft.
Testers from the 419th Flight Test Squadron recently executed ground laser testing on the B-52H aircraft. The bomber is
The B-52 bomber is integrating the LITENING target- integrating the LITENING targeting pod under the right wing. While the LITENING TGP can provide a much needed and
ing pod under the right wing. LPSURYHGFDSDELOLW\LWFDQQRWEH¿HOGHGXQWLOODVHUVDIHW\LVFRPSOHWH7KHODVHUVFDQQRWEHDOORZHGWRVWULNHWKHDLUFUDIWIRU
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Operational B-52 aircrews have requested additional the lasers just begin to touch aircraft structure, which was labor intensive. This entailed measuring each of the lasers as test
targeting pod resources to maintain precision weapon personnel moved around the aircraft structure. Operational B-52 aircrews have requested additional targeting pod resources
delivery and to provide air support for troops on the to maintain precision weapon delivery and to provide air support for troops on the ground.
ground. The test program at the 419th will provide results
WRVXSSRUW¿HOGLQJUHFRPPHQGDWLRQV invisible lasers, along with a phosphorescent card that ,QWKHHQGWKHWHDPGHVLJQHGDQGYHUL¿HGWKH0$6.

7KH/,7(1,1*7*3ZLOOSURYLGHWKH¿HOGZLWKDGGL- glowed when struck by laser energy, was used to pinpoint curve.
tional military utility. ³7KHQH[WVWHSLVWRWDNHRXU0$6.FXUYHWRÀLJKWDQG
the laser spots.
The targeting pod provides infrared and TV imagery ³:HZHUHHI¿FLHQWDQGNHSWWKHWHVWVDIHIRUDOOSDUWLFL- UXQDQRWKHUDLUERUQHWHVWMXVWWREHVXUHZHKDYHWKHDOO
along with three different lasers. It’s a gimbaled sensor WKHDQJOHVFRUUHFW´VDLG&KRDWH
that can look about the ground while using lasers. The SDQWV´&KRDWHVDLG
lasers may help generate precise ground coordinates or 7KDWÀLJKWWHVWLVSODQQHGIRUHDUO\
point out items for ground troops. ³7KH%+RSHUDWLRQDOÀHHWLVDQWLFLSDW-

The LITENING system is a self-contained, multi-sensor ing use of the LITENING TGP to continue
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in other aircraft types across the U.S. military. LITENING their role in air dominance and to support
enables aircrews to detect, acquire, auto-track and identify
targets at extremely long ranges for weapon delivery or ground troops while deployed in hostile
nontraditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance DUHDV´
missions. LITENING’s laser imaging sensors, advanced
image processing and digital video output provide superior Left: John McIntrye, 419th Flight Test
imagery, allowing aircrews to identify and engage targets Squadron sensor engineer, holds a laser
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while Perry Choate, 419th FLTS electro
While the LITENING TGP can provide a much needed optics engineer, views the laser spot. The
DQGLPSURYHGFDSDELOLW\LWFDQQRWEH¿HOGHGXQWLOODVHU 419th FLTS at Edwards AFB recently
safety is complete. The lasers cannot be allowed to strike executed ground laser testing on the
the aircraft for both safety reasons and accuracy. B-52H aircraft. The bomber is integrating
the LITENING targeting pod under the
“We needed to create what is called a MASK curve right wing. Operational B-52 aircrews have
that stops the lasers when the targeting pod looks at B-52 requested additional targeting pod resources
aircraft structure. Essentially, the aircraft may get in the to maintain precision weapon delivery and to
ZD\RIWKHODVHUVRZHKDYHWRVWRSWKHODVHUIURP¿ULQJ´ provide air support for troops on the ground.
said Perry Choate, 419th FLTS Electro Optics lead.

“The importance of this laser mask zone test was to
assure the lasers would not touch any aircraft structure.
The most important reason to keep the lasers from hitting
the aircraft was to guarantee a correct laser range mea-
surement to the intended ground point of interest. If the
laser hit the aircraft, the laser range measurement would
EHLQHUURU´

Two other reasons for keeping the laser from touch-
ing the B-52 is the sensitivity of the internal laser range
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to the targeting pod from the aircraft itself. There is also a
nominal ocular hazard distance from where the laser hits
the aircraft surface that could possibly affect the cockpit
area and aircrew.

In order to integrate the lasers, the 419th test team had
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touch aircraft structure, which was labor intensive. This
entailed measuring each of the lasers as test personnel
moved around the aircraft structure.

“We had to climb on the engines and wing areas to
measure where the lasers were in relation to the aircraft
structure. Once we determined the angles, a safety buf-
fer was added to that initial two-dimensional curve. I
assured extra margin about the B-52 cockpit area since
our aircrew has windows that allow viewing the targeting
SRG´VDLG&KRDWH

The result was a list of angles that masked out the B-52
aircraft structure to prevent laser striking aircraft structure
with added safety margins.

What made the test challenging is that all three lasers
are invisible to the eye. A special camera that sees the