DVR Phase II is an ANG 2013 Weapons Systems Modernization Priorities essential upgrade for F-16. The proposed replacement recorder is field proven on F-15C/D and E aircraft and has been used as the basis for a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) upgrade that can record unclassified maintenance information and classified mission data in separate Removable Memory Modules (RMMs). In addition, this DVR has already been used on F-15C/D to integrate an advanced capability color LCD cockpit display and a SATCOM link to upload and download encrypted video images at a fraction of the cost and schedule normally required for such integrations. The USAF has source control of the firmware that executes in a dedicated DVR processor with significant resources available to support similar low-cost rapid-turn integrations of critical, essential, and desired upgrades to the F-16 fleet, such as the new high resolution display with transmit, receive and data processing, a variety of EW improvements, 3D audio control, TGP data link, and TGP color video. Modifying the DVR processor firmware, which can have access to all of the various buses on the jet, enables the USAF to integrate upgrades without the normally extensive changes that are otherwise required to the jet’s central computer OFP.
These new capabilities and resources are not achievable with the existing recorder hardware, and the replacement cost of the recorders is more than offset by the savings that can be realized by using the recorders to integrate identified critical and essential upgrades to the jet. If we do not fund this program the primary impact will be the tremendous increase in cost and schedule to implement other critical, essential, and desired upgrades to the jet. The ANG has estimated that the use of the DVR/FDR to integrate the Sniper ATP, a color LCD cockpit display, and a SATCOM image link on F-15s saved on the order of $150M over the estimated costs from the aircraft prime, and the initial flight tests of all three features were completed in six months from project start, which will get these upgrades to the warfighter years earlier.

To attain these critical upgrades we need to fund the upgrade of 420 DVR units and 840 RMM units. The total cost of these upgrades will be 15,500 per unit for the DVR's and 3,300 for the RMM's. The cost of this program would be around 9.3 million which will produce a vast long term program savings.