IAI producing C4 systems for Israeli F-35s

BEN GURION INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Israel, April 4 (UPI) -- Israel Aerospace Industries reports it is producing command, control, communications and computing systems for F-35 aircraft ordered from the United States.

The announcement follows completion of the systems definition, prototyping and testing phases of the C4 system.

"Using generic communications infrastructure based on the latest Software Defined Radios, IAI new C4 system developed for the Adir [F-35 aircraft] will provide the backbone of the IAF future airborne communications network," the company said. "This network will dramatically improve over legacy systems currently operating with the current fleet of 4th Generation aircraft [F-16, F-15]."

The C4 system was developed by IAI's LAHAV Division. It is based on open-systems architecture to enable rapid software and hardware development cycles to meet changing operating environments.

"This cutting edge avionic system represents an 'operational quantum leap' in the capability of air power to conduct networked-centric air warfare," said Benni Cohen, general manager of IAI's LAHAV division. "It is part of a major change that takes place once in a decade, which includes the upgrading of 4th Generation systems. This program will be critical to our national security as it represents a shift in the air forces' concepts of operations and operational capabilities."