Airbase of the future: Indra presents the technologies that will reinforce the operability of Spanish fighter jets

Indra will present the digital technologies that will allow the Spanish Air and Space Force to drastically increase the operational availability of its aircraft, the control of its operations and the efficiency with which it carries out its maintenance activities during the technological demonstration days of the Sustainable and Intelligent Connected Air Base (BACSI), which will be held in Albacete from 18 to 20 October. 

The aim is to prepare Spanish air bases for a scenario in which artificial intelligence and data will become the key factor in ensuring the maximum possible operability of aircraft and extending their life cycle. Aftermarket Business Development Manager Pelayo Alvaredo explains that "Indra's proposal is fully aligned with the Air and Space Army's vision of moving towards bases where people, tools and processes are fully connected to streamline work, applying artificial intelligence to facilitate planning and decision-making and to ensure an optimal use of resources, in a more environmentally friendly way". 

In this sense, and taking the aircraft as the central asset, Indra has developed a recording system or PMDS (Portable Maintenance Data Store) that collects parameters of the Eurofighter's systems in flight. 

As soon as the aircraft lands, the data will be transmitted wirelessly to the Sherpa system, developed by Indra according to Air Force and Space requirements, which uses artificial intelligence to detect possible failures in a predictive way. This information will be sent immediately to the specialists, who can access it directly from their smartwatches or tablets on the runway.  

The faults, once confirmed by the specialist, are automatically transferred to the maintenance system of the Maestranzas del Ejército del Aire, Maesweb, along with the appropriate evidence captured through an innovative system of augmented reality glasses, so that all diagnostic activity is recorded and shared with the following levels of maintenance, avoiding the slightest loss of knowledge. 

In the hangar, the entire maintenance operation is perfectly synchronised and supported by digital tools. Each part, tool and mechanic will be perfectly identified and geolocated by means of electronic labels and tags, thanks to a high-precision real-time location system (RTLS), which facilitates better work planning, more efficient stock control and supports the work of the mechanics, allowing them to detect if any resource is missing.  

Each mechanic will be equipped with Hololens augmented reality glasses that provide contextual information about the systems to be repaired and give him access to the technical documentation necessary to guide him. In addition, with these glasses, he can request remote support from other specialists, who will see the same as the mechanic, a function that is particularly useful in international missions.  

The technological challenge posed by the BACSI project makes Indra the best possible technological partner. The company has developed some of the key avionics systems for the Eurofighter and the F18. It has also developed the automated test benches that are currently used to maintain the avionics of these aircraft. Its professionals also provide support in the Air Force and Space Army's workshops and workshops.