Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
VOICEMAGICSCompared with earlier gene-ration systems fitted to otherfighters, the Rafale’s Man-Machine Interface has beentuned to considerably reduceaircrew workload. One of themost innovative choices madeby Dassault Aviation is theintroduction of the combinedVoice, Throttle and Stick (VTAS)system which drastically eases
data entry and systems selec-tions.«As an alternative to usingmanual methods, the directvoice input technology allowsthe pilot to activate data entryfunctions, and select non-safety-c r i t i ca l modes», exp la insPhilippe Rebourg, DassaultChief Test Pilot for MilitaryAircraft. «In some demandingcombat scenarios, manualactions can prove painfullyslow, and the voice commandsystem increases overall effec-tiveness: the pilot does nothave to look into the cockpit anymore. That enables him to focuson the mission and on systemsoperation.»Developing such an advancedtool was a challenge since thevarious speech recognitionalgorithms had to cope withthe noises of the cockpit envi-ronment as well as with thestress and the high g-loadsthat can affect pilots’ voice.But Dassault and Thales engi-neers overcame all hurdles,and two production Rafales,two-seaters B301 and B302,are currently equipped withthe direct voice input system.«These two aircraft allow usto push development even fur-ther», says Philippe Rebourg.«Numerous foreign test pilotshave evaluated the system,and they all praise i ts eff i -ciency: word recognition ratesare better than 95 percent,and, depending on the custo-
mer’s requirements, the systemboasts a vocabulary of bet-ween 50 and 300 words. Theresponse time is extremelyshort (less than 200 ms), andcritical voice command selec-tions are confirmed by visualfeedback.» Display manage-ment, navigation tasking andmode swi t ch ing are evenquicker. A typical example isradio and navigation aidsselection: a single pressureon a button on the throttle acti-vates the voice input system,and, with chosen code words,the pilot can instantly repro-gram the flight-plan or selectvarious autopilot modes orradio/IFF frequencies.«As an added bonus, the voicecommand system proves alsoextremely useful by reducinghigh pilot workload duringemergency situations», saysGérard Dail loux, DassaultFlight Safety Vice-President.
The direct voice input systemwill be available on exportR a f a l e B l o c k 0 5 s , a n d ,although Dassault has mainlyconcentrated on the Rafale sofar, i t could be adopted atsome stage on the Mirage2000-5 Mk2 and on the futureFalcon 7X long-range businessjet, helping reduce cost byincreasing series production.
FOXTHREE
From May 21 to June 2, 2001,the French Navy participatedfor the first time in a major trai-ning exercise with its state-of-the-art Dassault Aviation Rafalefighters. Trident d’Or (GoldenTrident) was one of the largestinternational exercises ever
held in the Mediterranean,involving warships from tennations. Among the vesselstaking part was the nuclear-powered a i r c ra f t - ca r r i e r
Charles de Gaulle, the FrenchN a v y f l a g s h i p . Wi t h i t sembarked a i r - g roup , t heCharles de Gaulle played apivotal role in this event, car-rying out air-defence, strike,combat SAR, and surveillancemissions.
O n M a y 1 8 ,2001, Flottille12F, t he f i r s tRa f a l e nava lf i gh t e r squa -dron, recreatedat Landivisiau.Just a few dayslater, the uni td e p l o y e d o nboard aircraft-carrier Charlesde Gaulle witht h e f i r s t s i xRa fa l e p i l o t sand the i r a i r -c ra f t . Du r i ngTr iden t d ’Or ,Flottille 12F per-sonnel trainedand evaluatedt h e f i g h t e r ’ s
weapon system. They encoun-tered AV-8B+ Harriers andF/A-18 Hornets, simulatinginterception profiles. Both theThales RBE2 electronic scan-
ning radar and the Spectraelectronic warfare suite wereextensively tested, and per-formed flawlessly. The Rafaleswere flown in various confi-gurations, sometimes heavilyloaded with external fuel tanks.To extend mission duration,the Rafales took advantageof the buddy-buddy refuellingcapabilities offered by the car-r ier-borne Super EtendardModernisé fighters. In-flightrefuellings from French AirF o r c e B o e i n g C - 1 3 5 F RStratotankers were also per-formed. Additionally, Frenchnaval aviators demonstratedthe Rafale hot refuelling pro-cedure during the exercise.At the time of writing, sevenRafales had been deliveredto the French Navy, and tenpilots had converted to thetype. Deliveries are continuing,and, by mid-2002, Flottille12F will be fully operationalw i th a comp lemen t o f 10Rafales.
RAFALE : MULTINATIONAL SUCCESS
N°3
GIE - Rafale International78, quai Marcel Dassault 92552 Saint-Cloud cedex 300 - France
www.dassault-aviation.comwww.snecma.com
www.thalesgroup.com
PEM
A 2
b -
Ph
oto
s F.
Ro
bin
eau
- D
assa
ult
Avi
atio
n -
Ala
in E
rno
ult
- a
ero
pic
ture
.co
m -
Ch
rist
ian
Bo
isse
lon
.
p.2/3 p.4
Maintenance VoiceMagics
Thanks to advanced technolo-gies, the Rafale’s supportabi-lity will be boosted by about30 percent compared with thatof the Mirage 2000. Dassaultengineers have developed avery simple fighter with fixedair intakes and no dedicatedairbrake, helping reduce main-tenance requirements.«The Rafale has been conceivedfor naval operations, and eventhe Air Force ground-basedvariants benefit from the navalcharacteristics: rugged air-frame, excellent corrosion pro-tection, and aircraft-carrier elec-
tromagnetic compatibility»,explains Xavier Labourdette,International Support Manager.The Rafale has been built tolast, and features a fully auto-matic, non-dedicated structuralmonitoring system which pro-vides individual follow-up ofairframe components, facili-tating fatigue index surveillancethroughout the 7,000 flyinghour service life.Fault detection is a key aspectof modern aircraft maintaina-bility, and all Rafale systemsare monitored in real-time bythe IHUMS - Integrated Healthand Usage Monitoring System- which ensures clean and unam-biguous failure detection. Thisunique and fully automatic moni-toring system helps reduce turnaround times by easing trou-bleshooting and repair, dras-tically minimising the need forground support equipment.Testability targets call for a 95percent fault detection, plus theabil i ty to detect al l safety-critical failures.With the Rafale, Dassault haspioneered the use of revolu-tionary advances such as the
fully redundant, very high pres-sure (350 bar / 5,000 PSI)hydraul ic systems and thevariable frequency alternatorswhich all boost reliability andsafety. These advances haveproved so successful that theyhave been adopted as stan-dard by other aircraft manu-facturers, and, for instance,they have been specified forthe Airbus A380.A single test bench capable ofdealing with all electronic equip-ment has been developed, allo-wing specialists to determinewhich component in a LineReplaceable Unit (LRU) is defec-tive. The first one is alreadyfully operational with the FrenchNavy. A similar bench has beenselected for the Tiger and NH90helicopters, and for the FrenchE-2C Hawkeye. It is also thebaseline for that of the FrenchArmy Leclerc main battle tank.The selection of the upratedSnecma M88-3 engine and ofa state-of-the-art Active ElectronicScanning Antenna (AESA) forthe Thales RBE2 radar alsocontributes to the overall impro-vement of aircraft reliability.
In the past 30 years, the FrenchArmed Forces have partici-pated in countless operationsfar from their national supportinfrastructure, gaining consi-derable experience in forward
deployments. As a directresult, the French requirementfor the Rafale called for signi-ficant built-in deployabilityand self-supportability, andDassault and its partners havetaken advantage of thei rundispu ted know-how todevelop a f ighter with anextremely low logistic foot-print. This is a crucial advan-tage which will prove lessconstraining for strategic air-lift assets as only four C-130Hercules loads are necessaryto carry equipment and sparesfor 20 Rafales for 30 days. Forexample, no integral enginetest cell is required for theM88 turbofans. Additionally,thanks to unrivalled manu-facturing and assembly tech-niques, there is no need tocheck equipment boresigh-ting after replacement, and nocomplex external testers arerequired for Flight Line orOrganisational level main-tenance.For self-supportability, theRafale is designed to require
the minimum of ground sup-port equipment: it is equippedwith an on-board oxygen gene-ra t ion sys tem, and wi th aclosed-loop cooling fluid system
for on-board coolanol andnitrogen circuits. The built-inauxiliary power unit providese lec t r i ca l power un t i l theengine-driven generators comeon line.
Fo r f u t u re ope ra to r s , t heRafale’s unmatched reliabi-lity, maintainability and tes-tability will ensure an extre-mely high availability, allowingsorties to be conducted at asustained tempo for extendedperiods of time. Full scale in-country maintenance will becarried out by customers, andthe local industry will benefitfrom technology transfers:French authorities have alreadyapproved source codes trans-fers, and even radar cross sec-tion reduction material will bemaintained locally. The elec-tronic warfare suite can beprogrammed by indigenousexperts, and new weaponscan be easily integrated. Thisfacilitates transparent deci-sion making process and sup-port through the life of the air-craft.
Unrivalled deployability
Excellent supportability
Unmatched AffordabilityAn extremely reliable and easily maintainable fighter invariably translates intoconsiderably lower maintenance costs. Numerous maintenance/support aspectscontribute to the Rafale’s incredibly low life-cycle costs:- There is no complete airframe or engine depot level inspection required throughout theaircraft service life, and only specific components such as Shop Replaceable Units (SRUs)are returned for maintenance/repair. This is a remarkable achievement that will reducethe amount of time during which the aircraft is not available. The same philosophyapplies to the M88 turbofan composed of 21 modules, interchangeable without needingfull balancing and re-calibration. For maintenance and repair, only modules or parts arereturned to the depot/manufacturer.- The minimum spare part requirements allow a reduction in spares inventory, and thevery high commonality between variants minimises the number of spare items. Similarly,changing, at flight-line level, printed circuit boards within a LRU instead of replacing theLRU itself lessens the need for complete spare units (radar, Spectra, modular computers).- The fighter is extremely reliable, and easy to maintain and repair, ensuring reducedmanning levels (minus 30 percent compared with the Mirage 2000), and lowered mecha-nics training requirements. For instance, the side opening canopy facilitates ejection-seatremoval.
Capitalising on the Mirage 2000 impeccable track record, Dassault Aviation,
Snecma and Thales have designed the Rafale omnirole fighter to offer unprece-
dented reliability, supportability, testability, sustainability and deployability levels.
Customer and product support considerations have influenced the design of the air-
craft from the outset, and the Rafale will undoubtedly set new reliability and main-
tainability standards.
Stringent carrier requirements have had apositive impact on Rafalemaintainability.
SUSTAININGTHE EFFORT
Thanks to advanced technolo-gies, the Rafale’s supportabi-lity will be boosted by about30 percent compared with thatof the Mirage 2000. Dassaultengineers have developed avery simple fighter with fixedair intakes and no dedicatedairbrake, helping reduce main-tenance requirements.«The Rafale has been conceivedfor naval operations, and eventhe Air Force ground-basedvariants benefit from the navalcharacteristics: rugged air-frame, excellent corrosion pro-tection, and aircraft-carrier elec-
tromagnetic compatibility»,explains Xavier Labourdette,International Support Manager.The Rafale has been built tolast, and features a fully auto-matic, non-dedicated structuralmonitoring system which pro-vides individual follow-up ofairframe components, facili-tating fatigue index surveillancethroughout the 7,000 flyinghour service life.Fault detection is a key aspectof modern aircraft maintaina-bility, and all Rafale systemsare monitored in real-time bythe IHUMS - Integrated Healthand Usage Monitoring System- which ensures clean and unam-biguous failure detection. Thisunique and fully automatic moni-toring system helps reduce turnaround times by easing trou-bleshooting and repair, dras-tically minimising the need forground support equipment.Testability targets call for a 95percent fault detection, plus theabil i ty to detect al l safety-critical failures.With the Rafale, Dassault haspioneered the use of revolu-tionary advances such as the
fully redundant, very high pres-sure (350 bar / 5,000 PSI)hydraul ic systems and thevariable frequency alternatorswhich all boost reliability andsafety. These advances haveproved so successful that theyhave been adopted as stan-dard by other aircraft manu-facturers, and, for instance,they have been specified forthe Airbus A380.A single test bench capable ofdealing with all electronic equip-ment has been developed, allo-wing specialists to determinewhich component in a LineReplaceable Unit (LRU) is defec-tive. The first one is alreadyfully operational with the FrenchNavy. A similar bench has beenselected for the Tiger and NH90helicopters, and for the FrenchE-2C Hawkeye. It is also thebaseline for that of the FrenchArmy Leclerc main battle tank.The selection of the upratedSnecma M88-3 engine and ofa state-of-the-art Active ElectronicScanning Antenna (AESA) forthe Thales RBE2 radar alsocontributes to the overall impro-vement of aircraft reliability.
In the past 30 years, the FrenchArmed Forces have partici-pated in countless operationsfar from their national supportinfrastructure, gaining consi-derable experience in forward
deployments. As a directresult, the French requirementfor the Rafale called for signi-ficant built-in deployabilityand self-supportability, andDassault and its partners havetaken advantage of thei rundispu ted know-how todevelop a f ighter with anextremely low logistic foot-print. This is a crucial advan-tage which will prove lessconstraining for strategic air-lift assets as only four C-130Hercules loads are necessaryto carry equipment and sparesfor 20 Rafales for 30 days. Forexample, no integral enginetest cell is required for theM88 turbofans. Additionally,thanks to unrivalled manu-facturing and assembly tech-niques, there is no need tocheck equipment boresigh-ting after replacement, and nocomplex external testers arerequired for Flight Line orOrganisational level main-tenance.For self-supportability, theRafale is designed to require
the minimum of ground sup-port equipment: it is equippedwith an on-board oxygen gene-ra t ion sys tem, and wi th aclosed-loop cooling fluid system
for on-board coolanol andnitrogen circuits. The built-inauxiliary power unit providese lec t r i ca l power un t i l theengine-driven generators comeon line.
Fo r f u t u re ope ra to r s , t heRafale’s unmatched reliabi-lity, maintainability and tes-tability will ensure an extre-mely high availability, allowingsorties to be conducted at asustained tempo for extendedperiods of time. Full scale in-country maintenance will becarried out by customers, andthe local industry will benefitfrom technology transfers:French authorities have alreadyapproved source codes trans-fers, and even radar cross sec-tion reduction material will bemaintained locally. The elec-tronic warfare suite can beprogrammed by indigenousexperts, and new weaponscan be easily integrated. Thisfacilitates transparent deci-sion making process and sup-port through the life of the air-craft.
Unrivalled deployability
Excellent supportability
Unmatched AffordabilityAn extremely reliable and easily maintainable fighter invariably translates intoconsiderably lower maintenance costs. Numerous maintenance/support aspectscontribute to the Rafale’s incredibly low life-cycle costs:- There is no complete airframe or engine depot level inspection required throughout theaircraft service life, and only specific components such as Shop Replaceable Units (SRUs)are returned for maintenance/repair. This is a remarkable achievement that will reducethe amount of time during which the aircraft is not available. The same philosophyapplies to the M88 turbofan composed of 21 modules, interchangeable without needingfull balancing and re-calibration. For maintenance and repair, only modules or parts arereturned to the depot/manufacturer.- The minimum spare part requirements allow a reduction in spares inventory, and thevery high commonality between variants minimises the number of spare items. Similarly,changing, at flight-line level, printed circuit boards within a LRU instead of replacing theLRU itself lessens the need for complete spare units (radar, Spectra, modular computers).- The fighter is extremely reliable, and easy to maintain and repair, ensuring reducedmanning levels (minus 30 percent compared with the Mirage 2000), and lowered mecha-nics training requirements. For instance, the side opening canopy facilitates ejection-seatremoval.
Capitalising on the Mirage 2000 impeccable track record, Dassault Aviation,
Snecma and Thales have designed the Rafale omnirole fighter to offer unprece-
dented reliability, supportability, testability, sustainability and deployability levels.
Customer and product support considerations have influenced the design of the air-
craft from the outset, and the Rafale will undoubtedly set new reliability and main-
tainability standards.
Stringent carrier requirements have had apositive impact on Rafalemaintainability.
SUSTAININGTHE EFFORT
VOICEMAGICSCompared with earlier gene-ration systems fitted to otherfighters, the Rafale’s Man-Machine Interface has beentuned to considerably reduceaircrew workload. One of themost innovative choices madeby Dassault Aviation is theintroduction of the combinedVoice, Throttle and Stick (VTAS)system which drastically eases
data entry and systems selec-tions.«As an alternative to usingmanual methods, the directvoice input technology allowsthe pilot to activate data entryfunctions, and select non-safety-c r i t i ca l modes», exp la insPhilippe Rebourg, DassaultChief Test Pilot for MilitaryAircraft. «In some demandingcombat scenarios, manualactions can prove painfullyslow, and the voice commandsystem increases overall effec-tiveness: the pilot does nothave to look into the cockpit anymore. That enables him to focuson the mission and on systemsoperation.»Developing such an advancedtool was a challenge since thevarious speech recognitionalgorithms had to cope withthe noises of the cockpit envi-ronment as well as with thestress and the high g-loadsthat can affect pilots’ voice.But Dassault and Thales engi-neers overcame all hurdles,and two production Rafales,two-seaters B301 and B302,are currently equipped withthe direct voice input system.«These two aircraft allow usto push development even fur-ther», says Philippe Rebourg.«Numerous foreign test pilotshave evaluated the system,and they all praise i ts eff i -ciency: word recognition ratesare better than 95 percent,and, depending on the custo-
mer’s requirements, the systemboasts a vocabulary of bet-ween 50 and 300 words. Theresponse time is extremelyshort (less than 200 ms), andcritical voice command selec-tions are confirmed by visualfeedback.» Display manage-ment, navigation tasking andmode swi t ch ing are evenquicker. A typical example isradio and navigation aidsselection: a single pressureon a button on the throttle acti-vates the voice input system,and, with chosen code words,the pilot can instantly repro-gram the flight-plan or selectvarious autopilot modes orradio/IFF frequencies.«As an added bonus, the voicecommand system proves alsoextremely useful by reducinghigh pilot workload duringemergency situations», saysGérard Dail loux, DassaultFlight Safety Vice-President.
The direct voice input systemwill be available on exportR a f a l e B l o c k 0 5 s , a n d ,although Dassault has mainlyconcentrated on the Rafale sofar, i t could be adopted atsome stage on the Mirage2000-5 Mk2 and on the futureFalcon 7X long-range businessjet, helping reduce cost byincreasing series production.
FOXTHREE
From May 21 to June 2, 2001,the French Navy participatedfor the first time in a major trai-ning exercise with its state-of-the-art Dassault Aviation Rafalefighters. Trident d’Or (GoldenTrident) was one of the largestinternational exercises ever
held in the Mediterranean,involving warships from tennations. Among the vesselstaking part was the nuclear-powered a i r c ra f t - ca r r i e r
Charles de Gaulle, the FrenchN a v y f l a g s h i p . Wi t h i t sembarked a i r - g roup , t heCharles de Gaulle played apivotal role in this event, car-rying out air-defence, strike,combat SAR, and surveillancemissions.
O n M a y 1 8 ,2001, Flottille12F, t he f i r s tRa f a l e nava lf i gh t e r squa -dron, recreatedat Landivisiau.Just a few dayslater, the uni td e p l o y e d o nboard aircraft-carrier Charlesde Gaulle witht h e f i r s t s i xRa fa l e p i l o t sand the i r a i r -c ra f t . Du r i ngTr iden t d ’Or ,Flottille 12F per-sonnel trainedand evaluatedt h e f i g h t e r ’ s
weapon system. They encoun-tered AV-8B+ Harriers andF/A-18 Hornets, simulatinginterception profiles. Both theThales RBE2 electronic scan-
ning radar and the Spectraelectronic warfare suite wereextensively tested, and per-formed flawlessly. The Rafaleswere flown in various confi-gurations, sometimes heavilyloaded with external fuel tanks.To extend mission duration,the Rafales took advantageof the buddy-buddy refuellingcapabilities offered by the car-r ier-borne Super EtendardModernisé fighters. In-flightrefuellings from French AirF o r c e B o e i n g C - 1 3 5 F RStratotankers were also per-formed. Additionally, Frenchnaval aviators demonstratedthe Rafale hot refuelling pro-cedure during the exercise.At the time of writing, sevenRafales had been deliveredto the French Navy, and tenpilots had converted to thetype. Deliveries are continuing,and, by mid-2002, Flottille12F will be fully operationalw i th a comp lemen t o f 10Rafales.
RAFALE : MULTINATIONAL SUCCESS
N°3
GIE - Rafale International78, quai Marcel Dassault 92552 Saint-Cloud cedex 300 - France
www.dassault-aviation.comwww.snecma.com
www.thalesgroup.com
PEM
A 2
b -
Ph
oto
s F.
Ro
bin
eau
- D
assa
ult
Avi
atio
n -
Ala
in E
rno
ult
- a
ero
pic
ture
.co
m -
Ch
rist
ian
Bo
isse
lon
.
p.2/3 p.4
Maintenance VoiceMagics
