Information Overload in Tactical Aircraft

The purpose of this paper is to examine the issues of information overload in the data-rich environment of a 4th, 4.5thand 5th generation fighter aircraft's cockpit. The causes and inherent risks of this issue are reviewed. Different evolutionary solutions to this issue are reviewed, taking the SAAB JAS-39C Gripen, the Lockheed Martin F-35 and other aircraft as examples of how information overload is addressed in different aircraft generations. Concepts such as sensor control, data correlation and information fusion are explored. The qualitative shift in information dominance in 5th generation aircraft over legacy fighters is also explained.