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systems during more complex flight manoeu- and algorithms, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) with human
vres with the simulator capturing crucial data in the loop. With modern air defence systems being increasingly
about how the jet will handle and perform, capable with long-range radar and missiles, overcoming such
years before its first flight. adversary air defences, requires collaboration between each
element of a pack of effectors delivering surface attack, thereby
Aerodynamic engine testing is also being enhancing survivability of effectors and increasing efficiency on
carried out by engineers, harnessing new targets.
advanced manufacturing processes to pro-
duce an engine duct which is uniquely shaped
to slow the air from supersonic to sub-sonic ISANKE & ICS
speeds at the engine face. The intake has With the inking of the collaboration agreement at DSEI, work
fewer moving parts than a traditional fighter is accelerating on the development of the advanced avionics
jet design, enhancing the aircraft’s stealthy needed for GCAP. It will be developed together by Mitsubishi
design. UK crew escape specialist, Martin Electric representing Japan, Leonardo UK representing the UK
Baker, a team of BAE Systems engineers has and both Leonardo and Elettronica representing Italy. The three
been undertaking ejection seat trials, using a companies are working on a permanent industrial construct that
rocket-propelled sled travelling at speeds of will allow them to forge a closer business relationship and assess
more than 500mph. appropriate commercial and international operating models.

ISANKE will unlock the potential of sixth generation tactical
Collaborative sensing, transitioning from the traditional combat air model of
Combat Effectors individual airborne sensors to instead providing a fully integrated
MBDA will demonstrate its collaborative sensing, fusion and self-protection capability, that draws on a
spider’s web of sensing and effecting nodes across each plat-
combat effectors solution, ORCHESTRIKE form. The ICS will allow ISANKE to operate as a network across
for the first time at the Paris Airshow. Packs formations of crewed and uncrewed aircraft, especially as part
of collaborative effectors acting as one will of each nations’ wider, multi-domain system-of-systems.
constitute an essential part of the “Common
Armament Layer” of future combat air sys- This will ensure that the three GCAP nations can interoperate
tems. Collaborative effectors are missile with allies in joint operations. Integrated across the five domains:
systems capable of sharing information air, land, sea, space and cyber, the GCAP core platform will rap-
about the battlespace as they approach idly manage a large amount of data, providing aircrew with the
targets, coordinating their actions to over- information superiority they will need to succeed in complex and
match adversaries. According to an MBDA contested battlespaces, as well as contributing valuable intelli-
release, for the first time in Europe, an inter- gence to other operators. When installed on an operational 6th
active demonstrator will allow military users gen fighter, the ISANKE & ICS will be substantially more capable
to immerse themselves in a unique simulated as compared to previous generation operational capabilities.
raid using network enabled effectors, linked to
each other, reacting live to the developments The three GCAP defence electronics partners already have exten-
of a tactical situation. sive experience of working on complex defence programmes.
Leonardo UK is a founding member of the UK’s Tempest project,
The ORCHESTRIKE Collaborative Combat formed in 2018 to develop 6th generation combat air technolo-
Effectors demonstrator at the airshow will gies. Together, the three-nation team will collaborate to form the
embed spectators in a live simulated raid ISANKE & ICS domain, responsible for the advanced electronics
by connected effectors, which includes on-board the GCAP platform. This will provide the aircrew with
glide and powered missiles and expendable information advantage and advanced self-protection capabilities.
Remote Carriers working closely together.
The demonstration highlights three essential Leonardo UK and Mitsubishi Electric have been working since
collaborative functions: pop-up threat avoid- 2018 on the UK-Japan JAGUAR radar technology programme.
ance, collaborative targeting, and automatic Mitsubishi Electric played a key role in Japan’s F-2 fighter pro-
target reallocation. The demonstrator will also gramme, while Leonardo is a partner in the Eurofighter Typhoon
compare real time the operational benefits programme. Leonardo’s UK and Italian teams have worked on
brought by the pack of collaborative effec- the E-scan radar for the aircraft as part of the EuroRADAR con-
tors against a pack of unconnected effectors, sortium, while Leonardo UK and Elettronica already collaborate
demonstrating how ORCHESTRIKE makes a to deliver the defensive aids sub system for the Typhoon as
difference in the combat space. design authorities in the EuroDASS consortium. Leonardo and
Elettronica have been involved in maturing cutting-edge future
MBDA is actively developing the technolo- combat multi-domain technologies including sensors, commu-
gies to deliver collaborative effectors, which nications and data/information fusion as part of the Italian
include connectivity, software architecture Defence Technology Initiative.

32 | PARIS AIRSHOW 2023 INSIGHT ∙ JUNE 2023 WWW.GBP.COM.SG