The days where the pilot was forced to interpret multiple data streams simultaneously are over; the aircraft performs the synthesis now.
As anyone who has glanced inside the cockpit of an older aircraft can tell you: the cockpit used to be a clutter of gauges and switches, a schematic overload that could leave the layman disoriented. This effect was hardly isolated to the layman; the confusing gauge-filled cockpit was also a source of friction for the pilot, albeit one that could be somewhat mitigated through training and repetition.
The reduction of that friction—in effect the simplification of the cockpit—is one of the hallmarks of modern aircraft, particularly fighter jets in the fifth generation and beyond. The result is a human operator and an advanced machine that are integrated, with minimal friction, allowing for enhanced situational awareness and compressed decision-making time.
To achieve integration between man and machine, the cockpit itself has become more integrated. Sensors, weapons, and navigation inputs are fused into a single picture—a stark departure from the scattered displays of old, where one dial signaled oil pressure and another signaled vertical speed and another indicated altitude and so on. Today, that information is fused to form something like a coherent and real-time narrative for the pilot to digest instantly and intuitively. The days where the pilot was forced to interpret multiple data streams simultaneously are over; the aircraft performs the synthesis now, allowing the human to free up brain power for more important decisionmaking.
Much like modern cars with touchscreen dashboards, glass is the hallmark of new cockpits. Panoramic screens have replaced the rows upon rows of instruments, offering the pilot a fluid interface where information can be rearranged, resized, or prioritized in accordance with the mission phase or pilot preference. The effect is comparable to a tablet—albeit one that is resilient and redundant enough to operate in combat, under high Gs, and potentially through enemy electronic interference. New cockpit systems are highly flexible, with the ability to shift between modes (i.e., air-to-air and air-to-ground and electronic warfare) through touch. Increasingly, the cockpit also responds to voice recognition, or even eye-tracking. The result is an interface that is essentially in physical conversation with the pilot.
Enhancing the effect further is the modern fifth-generation helmet, featuring helmet-mounted display as a replacement for the traditional heads-up display (HUD) projected onto the canopy of traditional fighters. Now, fighter helmets allow the pilot to see symbology and targeting cues directly on the visor—or even “through” the aircraft, thanks to cameras embedded in the fuselage that allow the pilot to view the Earth scrolling beneath their seat as if the jet were transparent.
Indeed, the modern cockpit has changed the art of flying a fighter jet. Previously, pilots sat inside a cockpit; now, they can more thoroughly integrate with the cockpit. Of course, this is all part of a larger transition towards automation; eventually, the pilot-machine integration will not be necessary, and the cockpit will be removed from the equation altogether, leaving just the machine to operate of its own accord.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer at The National Interest. Kass is an attorney and former political candidate who joined the US Air Force as a pilot trainee before being medically discharged. He focuses on military strategy, aerospace, and global security affairs. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global Journalism and International Relations from NYU.
Image: Wikimedia Commons.
