USAF awards 3D-audio contract for A-10s

The US Air Force (USAF) has contracted Terma North America to equip its Fairchild-Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II combat aircraft with 3D-audio to enhance the situational awareness of its pilots.

Once fielded, the Terma 3D-audio system will add to what is currently just a simple visual warning on a cockpit control panel with a directional audible sound in the pilot’s helmet, intuitively informing them where exactly the threat is coming from and enabling them to instinctively react to it. (US Air Force)

The USD60 million award, announced on 23 October, covers the procurement of 328 3D-audio systems for the A-10 aircraft. Work will be performed by a sub-contractor in the United States and Denmark, and will be complete by 28 February 2024.

As previously noted by the USAF, the overall acquisition strategy of the 3-Dimensional Audio Program is to deliver a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) system to drastically improve the spatial, battlespace, and situational awareness of its A-10C pilots by providing audio cues that are accurate to within 15° of both azimuth and elevation.

Already operational on Royal Danish Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft, the Terma 3D-audio system adds to what was previously just a simple visual warning on a cockpit control panel with a directional audible sound in the pilot’s helmet, intuitively informing them where exactly the threat is coming from and enabling them to instinctively react to it.

According to Terma, applications for 3D-audio cueing include missile warning system threats; radar warner receiver threats; laser warner system threats; threats from small arms detection systems; indication of terrain obstruction warning and cueing; and applying direction to audio cues to aircraft subsystems to link display and auditory information.