Boeing [BA] recently completed software qualification testing and systems integration testing, two important milestones for the Air Force’s Family of Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) program, according to a company statement.
Boeing also demonstrated FAB-T’s integration with the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) and Milstar mission control subsystem, which commands both communications satellite constellations. The AEHF and Milstar satellite constellations will relay FAB-T communications once FAB-T is operational. FAB-T is the Air Force’s next-generation command and control (C2) system for strategic nuclear forces.
During testing, FAB-T also transmitted data using both low-data-rate (LDR) and extended-data-rate (XDR) communications protocols. The system’s advanced XDR capability offers Internet-like functionality and improved speed compared with earlier systems and software.
Boeing spokesman Richard Esposito said Friday Function Qualification Testing (FQT) and Functional Configuration Audit/Physical Configuration Audit (FCA/PCA) are the next two important FAB-T production milestones for Boeing. Esposito said FQT involves running a number of tests, many that have already been conducted as part of Boeing’s own testing program, with government witnesses present. Boeing gets a score on these tests and must pass them to show FAB-T meets all of the contract requirements, including Presidential and National Voice Conferencing capability, according to Esposito. Esposito said Boeing has already conducted numerous flight tests using government aircraft and more tests are part of FQT.
FCA/PCA follows FQT, Esposito said, adding that Boeing will start this process this month and conclude in July. Esposito said FCA/PCA is a detailed process where Boeing demonstrates to the Air Force that FAB-T does all of the functions it is required to perform in all of the configurations and installations where it will be used. This process also concludes any analytical verification required where testing can’t be performed and the verification requires additional analysis performed to show compliance, according to Esposito.
Under the current FAB-T program, Boeing is tasked with developing nuclear-survivable terminals capable of using multiple waveforms and communicating with both the AEHF and Milstar satellite constellations. These development terminals will operate in fixed and transportable ground installations and aboard B-2 and B-52 bombers, RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft and the E-4B National Airborne Command Post and E-6B “Take Charge and Move Out” aircraft fleets. The B-2 is developed by Northrop Grumman [NOC] while Boeing built the B-52, RC-135, E-4B and E-6B (Defense Daily, Oct. 11).
The Air Force originally awarded the FAB-T production contract to Boeing over Raytheon [RTN] in 2002, but became concerned Boeing wouldn’t be able to deliver, so it re-opened the competition, allowing Raytheon to get back in the FAB-T business (Defense Daily, June 12).