G LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS (G-LOC) DETECTION WARNING AND RECOVERY FOR TACTICAL AIRCRAFT IN THE COMBAT SCENARIO

INCIDENTS OF G-INDUCED LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS (G-LOC) OCCUR WITH ALARMING FREQUENCY IN TODAY'S HIGH PERFORMANCE TACTICAL AIRCRAFT AND POSE A SIGNIFICANT HAZARD TO FLIGHT SAFETY. IT IS CLEAR THAT THE NUMBER OF G-LOC RELATED MISHAPS NOW OCCURING IN THE PEACE-TIME TRAINING ENVIRONMENT IS ONLY A FRACTION OF WHAT MIGHT BE EXPECTED IN COMBAT OR WITH ADVANCED FIGHTERS WITH IMPROVED MANEUVERING PERFORMANCE. THE ABILITY OF MILITARY AIRCREWS TO FUNCTION UNDER HIGH G AND G ONSET RATES DIRECTLY IMPACTS THE SAFETY, MISSION EFFECTIVENESS, AND MANEUVERING CAPABILITY OF CURRENT TACTICAL AIRCRAFT. PREVIOUS STUDY AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS HAVE SOUGHT SOLUTIONS TO THE G-LOC PROBLEM THROUGH PREVENTATIVE MEASURES AND HAVE FOCUSED ONLY ON THE PEACE TIME TRAINING OR TEST ENVIRONMENT. THIS PROJECT IS BASED UPON THE ULTIMATE REQUIREMENT FOR SOLUTION WITH APPLICATIONS IN COMBAT AND WHERE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES HAVE FAILED. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS STUDY INCLUDE THE DEFINITION AND EVALUATION OF G-LOC DETECTION, WARNING AND RECOVERY SYSTEM.