Rockwell Collins is the first to demonstrate low level military approaches using synthetic vision technology. Rockwell Collins' synthetic vision technology offers enhanced situational awareness, real-time guidance, predictive alerting and improved flight planning.
The successful flight tests are the culmination of a two-year cooperative research agreement with the Air Force research Lab at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, demonstrating the applicability of synthetic vision technology in the military environment. More than 20 hours of flight tests were performed on the USAF Speckled Trout aircraft flying low level terrain sorties in simulated night instrument meteorological conditions. The tests are the first to be conducted using synthetic vision displays to perform a zero/zero approach to landing at an assault strip. Evaluation pilots from the 412th Flight Test Squadron and the Air Force Test Pilot School conducted blind low level profiles and approaches using Rockwell Collins head-up and head-down displays that were equipped with synthetic vision elements.
Synthetic vision technology raises the crew's situational awareness so potential dangers are avoided before terrain awareness warning system (TAWS) warnings become necessary. The system provides intuitive guidance cues to reduce the pilot workload and enhances the safety of military helicopter and fixed wing missions by supporting all weather and 24/7 operations in both prepared and austere landing zones.
Synthetic vision is an integrated solution and will rely on traditional subsystems similar to traffic alert collision avoidance (TCAS), ground proximity warning system (GPWS), flight management system (FMS) and displays to provide warning functions.