“ The future is all zeros and ones . It is all about the software ,” said David Shelley , F / A-18 and EA-18G missions systems director . “ The open hardware and infrastructure within a Block III will allow us to develop software and ultimately deploy capabilities faster , saving huge amounts of time and cost .”
Additionally , this capability unlocks the potential of the Common Tactical Picture ( CTP ), which gives all pilots in the fight the same view of the battle space . The Block III ’ s sensors and other data-gathering mechanisms fuse the data into one space shared across all cockpits . This capability greatly increases pilot situational awareness and decision-making time .
22 NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS