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3rd Annual Conference COM) made public that they intended to order three Beechcraft 350ER King Airs as Manned Airborne Intelligence, Sur- veillance and Reconnaissance (MAISR) aircraft. These King Airs were ordered through the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program and are similar to those employed in allied air forces. The agree- ment with the US Government was final- ized in April 2019 and has a total value of $247M (Cdn) ($187M USD). The civilian pattern design will be con- figured with military-grade advanced sen- sors (on par or better than the current CP-140 Aurora capability), along with secure communications equipment. These MAISR aircraft will have the capacity to be deployed on short notice and will help to enhance the ability of the special op- erations forces by improving their under- standing and overall situational awareness of their operational environment. In November 2020, the DND awarded L3Harris Technologies a firm-fixed price contract of an undisclosed amount to modify these King Air 350ERs into intel- ligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft are currently with L3 Harris in the United States for systems in- tegration work and final painting. Deliv- ery of these MAISR aircraft to Canada is scheduled for the 2023 / 2024 timeframe and will provide another significant boost in Canadian Forces ISR capabilities. F-35's to provide the next ISR leap With the selection by the RCAF of the F-35 Lightning II as its next generation fighter aircraft, the RCAF's ISR capability will take yet another leap forward. While the F-35 is termed a fifth-generation fighter aircraft, it should perhaps be better understood as the next generation capabil- ity for ISR infrastructure in an integrated and distributed force. A key aspect of the F-35 comprises the onboard combat sys- tems and data fusion capabilities within the aircraft. Because its software is upgradable and concomitant hardware changes have been made to facilitate major software upgrades, its combat systems are also subject to fur- ther innovation and regular upgrades. A key example is the Communications, Nav- igation and Identification (CNI) system According to Lockheed Martin: "The CNI system is the most advanced integrated avionics system ever engineered. The integrated CNI has been developed by Northrop Grumman and affords F-35 pilots capabilities [typically] derived from more than 27 avionics functions. Through software-defined radio technology, the CNI allows for simultaneous operation of multiple critical functions, such as iden- tification of friend or foe, precision navi- gation, and various voice and data com- munications, while greatly reducing size, weight, and power demands." For example, the F-35 does not have separate avionic systems for UHF, VHF, IFF, ILS, etc., etc. The aircraft has none of these items that both transmit and receive as found on traditional fighters. Instead, it has two CNI com and navigation racks. The pilot instructs the aircraft: I would like to transmit in the UHF waveform; it gen- erates that waveform and transmits in the UHF waveband, which is itself a complex activity, because there is actually no UHF radio on the airplane. The heart of the F-35 avionics capability, however, is its data fusion prowess; the so- phisticated and complex sensors onboard the aircraft can simultaneously communi- cate tremendous volumes of information not only to the pilot but also to other us- ers, whether they're on other aircraft, on the ground or at sea, which they can, in turn, leverage to build a comprehensive ISR picture. And as the infrastructure for ISR evolves and transforms, the planned upgrades on the F-35 can benefit both from those changes as well as generate them. And so, the F-35's introduction into RCAF service will represent yet another significant im- provement in ISR capabilities. Sources: • Royal Canadian Air Force Doctrine: In- telligence, Surveillance and Reconnais- sance, B-GA-401-002/FP-001, 2017. • Mayne, Richard, Cinderella's Star: The CP 140 Aurora and the Evolution of the Royal Canadian Air Force's Modern Long Range Patrol Capability, 1939- 2015, Canadian Military History, Vol- ume 30, Issue 1, 2021 • Laird, Robin, The F-35, CNI Evolution, and Evolving the Combat Force, SLD- Info.com, 2019. • https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/app- acq/amd-dp/air/snac-nfps/renseigne- ment-airborne-eng.html Terry Leversedge is a retired senior RCAF officer, published author and amateur his- torian. His career in military aerospace en- gineering encompassed a wide number of positions at both field units and within the headquarters of the RCAF, before he re- tired as a Brigadier General aer 35 years of service. 20 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2023 www.vanguardcanada.com The CF is procuring three Beechcra 350ER King Airs (as seen above) as Manned Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (MAISR) aircra. These aircra are currently being modified to MAISR standard in the United States and should be delivered later this year. Photo: DND I S R

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