Cassidian has reached an important milestone in the delivery of the latest capability standard ASSTA 3.0 (Avionics System Software Tornado Ada) for the German Air Force fleet of Tornado combat aircraft.

The first ASSTA 3.0 production aircraft performed its functional maiden flight at Cassidian’s Manching site on 8 February.

Over the next few months, a concerted effort will be made to finalize and certify the ASSTA 3.0 software. The first Tornados upgraded will then be delivered to the German Air Force in mid-2012 as planned.

Besides the installation of MIDS (Multifunctional Information Distribution System /Link 16), the ASSTA 3.0 standard includes a state-of-the-art radio device, a digital video and voice recorder (DVDR), and the integrated Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) which can be guided to its target by means of satellite navigation or by laser. While activities for ASSTA 3.0 are ongoing, the development of version 3.1 has already begun. This involves replacing the old monochrome TV/tabs with color displays (L/RNHDD) and integrating the MIDS Basic Package with full Mission Control/Situation display and the video images from the Light Designator Pod and the Recce Light Pod.

On behalf of Panavia GmbH, Cassidian is responsible for the project management, development, manufacture and installation of the combat efficiency improvements for the German Tornados in close cooperation with Alenia Aeronautica in Italy and BAE Systems in the UK.

As an industrial partner in the tri-national Tornado program, Cassidian was in charge of developing and manufacturing all of the Tornado’s centre fuselage sections, and was also responsible for the avionics, the communication system, the flight control computer and the aircraft’s entire computer system.