The CDU operates in parallel with the F-16’s native operational flight program (OFP) software — it works with either SCU F-16s (gov-owned and developed OFP often used in older F-16s) and MMC F-16s (vendor locked OFP in the newest F-16s).
The CDU itself runs on gov-owned software, which permits Airmen at Hill's 309th Software Engineering Group to write software and apps that run on it.
The F-16 also had a new Gen V ARC-210 radio, which permits Variable Message Format (VMF) data-link and UHF SATCOM. So, the data packets were in VMF but transmitted through UHF SATCOM.
For those not keeping up: The F-16 was 369 miles away from the lab that sent the software update, but the data traveled 40,000 miles because it was bounced off a satellite in GEO. And because it was a broadcast message, any F-16 flying anywhere in the world would have also instantly gotten the update. Just like a Tesla.
An app was developed for the CDU that unpacked data, told the jet where to store it and where to send it later from the push of a button.
So What
CDU-equipped F-16s represent the only real open-mission system (OMS) currently in the active US fighter fleet and it shows a sliver of what is possible when platforms start to shift to OMS (ahem, F-15EX Lot 2).
OBTW: This bar napkin idea took just 8 months and ~$5K (That’s a K, not an M), which is only possible because it was gov-owned software. #novenderlock
What Now
There are a series of experiments being planned. The focus in these is to expand the pipe and get highspeed data rates using Starlink. This would open the possibilities to transferring imagery, mission planning files, over-the-air crypto updates, and much more.
The Air Force has demoed this already with larger transport aircraft under the Global Lightning initiative, so the trick here is to 1) build a Starlink app for the F-16, and 2) figure out how to build and integrate a smaller antenna.
Or, they could tap the company that recently helped the B-52 do something strikingly similar (see Saved Rounds at the bottom).
* We took no money from the Viper Mafia to write this
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