EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, California -- The 411th Flight Test Squadron in conjunction with the 412th Range Squadron achieved the first successful flight of the Common Range Integrated Instrumentation System (CRIIS) at Edwards Air Force Base, California, Aug. 5. This event marked the first flight of the CRIIS at the Edwards Flight Test Range, and it was also the first flight on a fifth-generation fighter platform.
“This successful CRIIS flight test ensures that the 412th Range Squadron will achieve Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for CRIIS and continue the legacy of providing leading edge Time-Space-Position Information (TSPI) capability for Edwards Flight Test Range customers that was started almost 30 years ago with the IOC of the nation’s first Advance Range Data System (ARDS) Global Position System,” said Randall Heiling, 412th Range Squadron’s master architect.
CRIIS is a tri-service Test and Evaluation range system designed to replace the aging ARDS. The CRIIS system can downlink and relay aircraft TSPI, as well as other aircraft data to a test range ground station.
“CRIIS will enable F-22 flight testing for the foreseeable future,” said Zachary Rumble, 775th Test Squadron, and F-22 Navigation Subject Matter Expert. “In initial testing, CRIIS appears to be more accurate than the legacy ARDS plate, with more room for growth.”
Recent CRIIS flight testing has proven the ability of the system to record highly accurate TSPI on board the F-22. A live stream test of CRIIS data from an F-22 to a mission control room is on track for later this summer.
“The CRIIS is truly a needed upgrade for the test enterprise,” said Lt. Col. David Schmitt, 411th FLTS and F-22 Combined Test Flight Director of Operations. “The ability to record and utilize TSPI in real-time is a foundational piece of what we do. It is a critical enabler, which unlocks many of the tools the experts use to verify the performance of everything from fire control radars, to datalinks, to new or upgraded munitions. This was the first flight at Edwards of what will hopefully be a long legacy of CRIIS performance across the test enterprise.”
CRIIS is currently in the final stages of achieving IOC at Edwards, Eglin AFB, Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) Aircraft Division Patuxent River, Nellis AFB with the Nevada Test and Training Range, NAWC Weapons Division (WD) China Lake, NAWCWD Point Mugu, and White Sands Test Center. CRIIS is being deployed on aircraft platforms such as the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and F/A-18 Super Hornet. The CRIIS is expected to set a new tri-service standard for test range TSPI instrumentation.