Installation of an automatic air collision avoidance system that developers say will save a significant number of lives and "billions of dollars" in fighter service over the next two decades is underway on a U.S. Air Force F-16 testbed. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)-led ACAT (automatic collision avoidance technology) system senses proximity to terrain, warns pilots of impending danger and, if necessary, automatically maneuvers the aircraft to avoid ground collision. Upcoming flight tests on an F-16 at Edwards AFB, Calif., will clear the way for installation on Block 50 aircraft, followed by other F-16 variants, as well as the F-22 and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Developers say ACAT will be invaluable in situations where pilots temporarily lose the ability to judge distance to the ground, either through g-induced loss of consciousness (g-loc), disorien-tation, target fixation or other reasons. AFRL ACAT program manager, Donald Swihart, a long-time proponent of the safety feature, says implementation will "save hundreds of lives and billions of dollars in costs in the next 10 to 20 years."
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