Raytheon’s Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) guides aircraft onto carriers and amphibious assault ships in all weather and surface conditions by using high-integrity GPS navigation. Its anti-jam encrypted datalink helps the aircraft communicate securely with an array of GPS sensors, antennas and shipboard equipment. Without JPALS, landing on an aircraft carrier in rough seas or with low visibility is extremely challenging; potentially impossible.
JPALS was recently deployed for the first time on two international aircraft carriers: the Italian ITS Cavour and the UK’s HMS Queen Elizabeth. Both deployment tests were successful, and the inclusion of JPALS supports both navies to safely land their F-35s on deck in even the most severe conditions. The U.S. Marine Corps will be performing joint exercises with the UK’s Royal Navy on the HMS Queen Elizabeth for a year.
JPALS expands mission availability and operational capability across the globe. Access to a landing system with up to 99.9% reliability enables more frequent, regardless of location or weather conditions. The system uses globally available GPS satellite data –even in the equatorial region and near Antarctica. That continuous coverage and access to a safe landing in zero visibility in use by Italy and the UK reflects an unprecedented interoperability between allied forces.
The possibilities for joint activity don’t end on the high seas: eJPALS is the expeditionary version of JPALS. The system can be set up and operational in remote locations and inhospitable terrain in less than 90 minutes. It provides the same type of precise guided landing in zero-visibility situations on land, such as swirling dust or on temporary runways. Major exercises that engage multiple types of aircraft, winged and rotary, can be more easily executed. The system’s redundancies and data integrity offer robust capability for safer landings.
