Aerospace and Defense

Outshining Science Fiction

Between the sci-fi fantasy talks of “the Force,” and political machinations of a fictitious galaxy far, far away, the movie depicted an array of dazzling technology brought to life by George Lucas, and the creative and immensely talented workers of Industrial Light and Magic. With ships flying long journeys through space faster than light, the nail-biting finale of the movie hinges upon the apparently near impossibility of hitting a 2m wide exhaust port with computer-guided torpedoes fired from an X-wing fighter (Figure 1). It seems fairly disproportionate when compared to jumping to hyperspace or building planet-destroying space stations the size of a small moon. Only about the size of a womp rat, even the creative mind of George Lucas, limited by 1970s technology for his inspiration, concluded that such a shot was only possible via the supernatural guidance of “the Force.”

Not even 50 years later though, such a shot, while potentially difficult, could be reliably made with an AGM-114 hellfire missile, reliable to within one meter of its target. This led me to think about the other instances of technology being seemingly outdated in this fantasy space epic. For instance: The initial conflict of the movie arises as Princess Leia, the leader of the Rebel Alliance, must send two droids to hand deliver an approximately 10-second video message and plans for the Death Star. While sending data physically via mailed hard drives was very common in the latter half of the 20th century, and is still a necessity for large data transfers, surely this message and accompanying plans do not represent such a large dataset. These technological shortcomings, along with others presented through this beloved film, lead to only one conclusion: In many important—if not glamorous—ways, we have surpassed the technology presented in Star Wars. In this article, I shall demonstrate this fact with explanations of modern aerospace and defense technology, and comparisons to what is shown in the movie in regards to the capabilities of Imperial and Rebel technology.

Since the Greek myth of Icarus and Daedalus, engineers have been fascinated by the concept of human flight. With the launch of the Wright Flyer in Kitty Hawk, NC in 1903 by the Wright Brothers, humans had achieved this dream of powered flight. By World War II, Norden Mk. XV bomb sites (Figure 2), small mechanical computers, were being added to bombers to account for speed, direction, and other flight conditions when targeting a drop site with a then astonishing 46 meter circular error rate, while simultaneously acting as an autopilot for the plane. These bombsites were even used by bombardier Colonel Thomas Ferebee in the Enola Gay for the dropping of the Little Boy atomic bomb. Since then, the assistance offered to pilots and planes has grown smaller, become embedded onto chips, and become many thousands of times more powerful, growing into a $136 billion industry.

One scene in Star Wars that has always seemed troublesome to me happened during the conclusion: Darth Vader, second in command of the Empire and acclaimed pilot, is about to shoot down Luke Skywalker and prevent the destruction of the Death Star. He has Luke’s X-Wing locked in his sights and is about to pull the trigger when all of a sudden, The Millennium Falcon—a civilian ship the size of a small house—blindsides him with a shot from behind, knocking him off course and out of the fight. If even the fighter ship of the lord of the Empire can’t detect such an obvious attack, then can any ship in this whole galaxy detect enemy aircrafts? While the evil Empire may not be able to accomplish this feat, we have known of radar since the late 19th century, and have been using it to detect ships and aircraft since the early 20th century. The latest development in this technology, however, has been the integration of AI and machine learning (ML) by RTX’s new Raytheon system.

Using a Cognitive Algorithm Deployment System (CADS) integrated into Raytheon’s legacy RWR systems for AI and ML processing, Raytheon combines the latest Embedded Graphics Processing Unit with Deepwave Digital’s computing stack for developing AI for radio and wireless systems. The result of this is that CADS can deploy special cognitive methods to sense, identify, and prioritize threats in a manner never before seen, with the benefits of increasing air crew survivability, while facilitating the rapid and cost-effective mass deployment of modern AI and ML capabilities. Expected to go into use on USAF jets later this year, specifically on the F-16 Fighting Falcons used by the Air National Guard and the EC-130H Compass Call, but it can be integrated onto any plane using the ALR-69A radar warning receiver, the first digital warning receiver.

In the spirit of the rebel targeting computer heads up display (HUD) Honeywell Aerospace technologies has released the SmartView Synthetic Vision System (SVS) as seen in Figure 3. This system, which runs on Honeywell’s Primus Epic Integrated Flight Deck, integrates data from multiple onboard databases, GPS and inertial reference systems into a complete 3D rendering of the forward terrain, meaning that pilots no longer have to rely on eyesight, and can see a complete image of their environment, regardless of light or visibility conditions. Improving situational awareness and enhancing operational flexibility increases pilot safety during missions, and simplifies instrument flying in poor visibility conditions.

AI

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and embedded electronics is revolutionizing the aerospace and defense industry, driving advancements in both operational efficiency and strategic capabilities. In the aerospace sector, AI is being harnessed to enhance aircraft performance, safety, and maintenance. Embedded systems equipped with AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of data from sensors and other sources, enabling predictive maintenance, optimizing flight routes, and even automating certain flight tasks. This not only reduces operational costs but also enhances safety by identifying potential issues before they become critical. In the defense sector, AI-powered embedded systems are playing a crucial role in developing autonomous weapons systems, enhancing situational awareness, and improving decision-making processes. These systems can analyze battlefield data in real-time (Figure 4), identify threats, and even execute tactical maneuvers with minimal human intervention. Furthermore, the integration of embedded electronics with AI is enabling the development of advanced cybersecurity solutions for both aerospace and defense. These systems can monitor network traffic, identify potential threats, and respond to cyberattacks in real time, safeguarding critical infrastructure and sensitive data. As AI and embedded electronics continue to evolve, their role in the aerospace and defense industry will become even more critical, driving innovation, enhancing security, and shaping the future of warfare and air travel.

Another aerospace use of AI is in air traffic control (Figure 5). With an expected 30-fold increase in the volume of air traffic over large cities within the next 15-20 years, especially in the volume of drones and air taxis, much more control will be needed. With AI-driven air traffic control, air traffic can be routed in optimal paths decided by AI, with commands given directly to autonomously piloted vehicles in real time, directly from air traffic control, thus greatly reducing the possibility of accidents during takeoff and landing (the most probable time for accidents to occur.) With the ability to quickly process large datasets in real time and make decisions, AI is perfectly suited for this job.

32-BIT MCU

Further advancing the goal of integrated AI and ML capabilities is the new 32-bit PIC32A family from Microchip (Figure 6). This 200MHz family of chips features integrated high-speed analog peripherals, up to 40Msps 12-bit ADCs, high-speed 5ns comparators and 100MHz Gain Bandwidth Product (GBWP) op-amps for intelligent edge sensing so that when paired with a high-performance CPU, multiple functions may be performed on a single MCU. To ensure the safe execution of software, Microchip has integrated hardware safety and security features, such as Error Code Correction (ECC) on Flash and RAM, Memory Built-In Self-Test (MBIST), I/O integrity monitor, clock monitoring, immutable secure boot and Flash access control features. To handle data-intensive math processing applications, a 64-bit floating-point unit (FPU) assists developers in computationally heavy applications that require advanced performance in sensor interfacing and data processing. Not isolated in its usability, the PIC32A MCUs are supported by a number of development tools, including the MPLAB XC32 Compiler, MPLAB Harmony embedded software development framework and the dsPIC33A Curiosity Platform Development Board (EV74H48A) and PIC32AK1216GC41064 General-Purpose DIM (EV25Z08A). With an eye on feature expansion, the Curiosity Development Board provides mikroBUS and Xplained Pro interfaces to connect to Built-In Self-Test Xplained Pro (BIST XPRO) extension kits, sensors, and various Click boards.

STMicroelectronics’ STM32 series 32-bit microcontrollers (Figure 7) are increasingly prevalent in military applications, valued for their high performance, low power consumption, and extensive ecosystem. Their robust design and availability in various package types and memory configurations allow for flexible integration into diverse systems, from portable handheld devices to larger embedded systems within vehicles or aircraft.

The STM32’s proven reliability and adherence to stringent quality standards, including those relevant to military and aerospace, make them a suitable choice for demanding environments where dependability is paramount. Furthermore, the extensive software support, development tools, and readily available third-party libraries simplify the design process, reducing development time and costs while enhancing the overall performance and security of military systems.

Texas Instruments’ Tiva C Series microcontrollers offer a compelling alternative (Figure 8), particularly where high-performance signal processing and real-time control are paramount. The Tiva C Series, based on the ARM Cortex-M4F processor, provides a powerful FPU crucial for computationally intensive tasks such as advanced signal processing in radar systems or sophisticated guidance algorithms for munitions. Its integrated peripherals, including advanced timers and communication interfaces like SPI and I²C, facilitate seamless integration with various sensors and actuators commonly found in military systems.

Furthermore, the Tiva C Series’ robust design, coupled with TI’s extensive support for functional safety and security standards, makes it suitable for mission-critical applications requiring high reliability and data integrity. This combination of processing power, integrated peripherals, and robust design makes the Tiva C Series a strong contender for demanding military applications where precise control and high-speed signal processing are essential.

SatCom

As I mentioned before, the inciting conflict of the Star Wars movie is the transfer of a brief video message, and plans for the Death Star. Although above the planet to which the message must be sent, and in easy range for any wireless communication, the message is downloaded to a hard disk and hand delivered by two droids. I have often thought that they would have benefited from some form of satellite communication: the ability to send information in a straight path to a point in orbit around a planet, which acts as a repeater for the message as seen in Figure 9.

Thales has been working on just that with its secure multi-orbit Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), High Earth Orbit (HEO), and Geostationary Orbit (GEO), and its multi-band SatCom communication terminals. With end-to-end encryption, and anti-jamming measures, this satellite communication is perfect for mission critical data to be sent and received securely, confidentially, and uninterrupted, even in the most remote of environments, thus eliminating the risks and inefficiencies that come with older forms of communication such as radio and telecommunications, not to mention two inept droids.

ROBOTICS

Today, many sectors of the Aerospace industry incorporate robotics, enhancing efficiency, reducing safety concerns, and improved consistency. Robotic welding, drilling, fastening, and painting are just a few of the roles robotics improve the automation process. Sensors technology has advanced to the point where mission critical inspections are preformed by robots (Figure 10).

One of the more overlooked parts of aerospace and defense technology is the operation and failure of supply chains. When a supply chain fails, it creates cost overruns and delays, and sometimes prevents mission critical equipment from getting to where it needs to go. Unlike the highly connected automotive industry, the aerospace and defense industries lack the cooperation to manage and fix supply chain interruptions quickly and easily. For this reason, preventing supply chain interruptions is even more critical. By using general-purpose collaborative robots (cobots) that can work alongside humans on factory floors and in production lines, trackable automation can be introduced at a much lower cost, as retooling the production process will not be required. These cobots, driven by AI, can adapt to new tasks with simple instructions, and do not require the same intense level of programming required by traditionally programmed robots.

Final Transmission

While much of the technology seen in this classic movie is still in the realm of science fiction—I’m still waiting on my lightsaber—we have caught up to, and in many ways surpassed what has been shown to be the technological capabilities of this galaxy far, far away. With Thales SatCom technology, we can send and receive data across great distances to even high orbits safely and securely, thus eliminating the need for droid data carriers. With Honeywell’s SmartView Synthetic Vision System, we can produce better renderings of terrain than simple graphics of rebel targeting computers. The capabilities of RTX Raytheon’s CAD System embarrass the complete lack of warning systems seen on Imperial fighter crafts. In less than 50 years, we have surpassed a whole generation’s ideas of science fiction through the same dedication and imagination that first sent man into the sky on spruce and cotton. 

RESOURCES
Deepwave Digital | www.deepwavedigital.com
General Dynamics Information Technology | www.gdit.com
Honeywell Aerospace | https://aerospace.honeywell.com
Infineon | www.infineon.com
Microchip | www.microchip.com
NVIDIA | www.nvidia.com
NXP Semiconductor | www.nxp.com
RTX Raytheon | www.rtx.com/raytheon
STMicroelectronics | www.st.com
Texas Instruments | www.ti.com
Thales | www.thalesgroup.com
Tordex | www.tordex.com

PUBLISHED IN CIRCUIT CELLAR MAGAZINE •MAY 2025 #418 – Get a PDF of the issue

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