Honeywell advances technology for fighter pilots

Air August 8, 2025

Honeywell has developed and launched a new technology that allows military pilots of high-performance fighter jets to breathe easier under extreme conditions. Honeywell’s Connected Breathing Regulator and Anti-G (cBRAG) technology enhances breathing regulation to support pilots who are subjected to high G-forces during periods of high acceleration.

Exposure to high G-forces strains the body’s circulatory and respiratory functions, which can lead to a range of physiological conditions such as G-force induced loss of consciousness. Honeywell’s cBRAG helps to overcome this in extreme flight conditions through technology that incorporates an electro-mechanical anti-G valve and programmable pressure breathing schedules. These allow for precise adjustments of aircrew oxygenation and G-force protection based on real-time flight parameters.

“Honeywell has a longstanding legacy in delivering advanced life support systems for high-performance military aircraft, including the F-35, F-22, Eurofighter, and more,” said Mike Vallillo, vice-president, Sales, Defense & Space International, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “Our latest breathing regulator is a major leap forward in pilot life support technology.”

“Our control systems are designed to exceed current standards while advancing pilot experience and operational efficiency for a wide range of platforms,” said Rich DeGraff, President, Control Systems, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “The new advancement reflects an ongoing investment in innovation at Honeywell, consistently enhancing our technologies and practices to ensure we remain at the forefront of the aerospace industry.”

Built-in sensor-driven diagnostics offer real-time fault detection and data logging, allowing operators to conduct post-flight performance analysis to enhance mission readiness. The solution also features programmable pressure breathing schedules and a built-in self-charging mechanism to help lower maintenance costs.

The cBRAG solution has been flight cleared, which means it has completed Honeywell’s internal testing to demonstrate its suitability for flight under defined conditions. Research and development for the new technology new technology was led out of Honeywell’s Yeovil site in the United Kingdom. The HON cBRAG is free of US International Traffic in Arms Regulations restrictions (ITAR free), providing increased flexibility for international collaboration.

With its modular design, Honeywell’s cBRAG provides flexibility for fighter jet and military trainer original equipment manufacturers and operators of 5th and 6th-generation fighter jets, and reduced maintenance burden. This advancement has been designed to support both new platform development and retrofit programs, allowing broader use of this pilot safety and mission endurance technology in high-acceleration combat scenarios.

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