Mission Planning Systems
Abstract
Mission planning involves the creation of a flight plan based on threats, targets, terrain, weather, aircraft performance capability, and configuration. It is an essential task that must be completed prior to any fixed or rotary wing aircraft sortie. The planner must have the ability to plan weapon, cargo, passenger, and/or fuel delivery, calculate fuel requirements, and assess the route based on known enemy threat location and type. Mission planners must be able to optimize and de-conflict flight routes with other aircraft; review, print, and brief the mission plan; and download pertinent flight information to on-board aircraft avionics. The Mission Planning Systems (MPS) program is a collaborative program with the Army and Navy to leverage technical solutions and business practices for all Department of Defense (DoD) platforms. It provides automated mission-planning tools and support for fixed and rotary wing aircraft and guided munitions. It will replace two closed architecture legacy mission planning systems (Unix-based MPS (Unix-MPS) and the PC-based Portable Flight Planning Software (PFPS)), with a single multi-service open architecture system more commonly referred to as the Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS). MPS will compress the mission planning cycle by providing an improved integrated planning environment, reducing the time required to respond to changing situations and urgent needs such as striking time sensitive/critical targets and conducting combat search and rescue. The MPS development program will migrate a variety of Air Force aircraft, weapons, and airdrop payload systems from legacy mission planners to MPS. These systems include the A-10, B-1B, C-5, C-17, C-130, E-3, E-8, F-15, F-16, F-22A, KC-10, KC-135, RC-135, HH-60, and their associated weapons (e.g. Small Diameter Bomb (SDB), Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM), Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Munitions (JASSM), etc…) and airdrop payloads. In addition, basic MPS products have the potential to support all DoD fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft and will be shared with other AF programs as well as the Army and Navy. MPS will deliver significant benefits to command and control performance by enhancing information superiority for the warfighter and by providing unique capabilities in support of both precision engagement and dominant maneuver. Additionally, elements of Mission Planning Systems will be utilized to continue the development of a Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) in conjunction with the Army. The JPADS System of Systems (SoS) capability provides a planning and execution capability for DoD airdrop requirements. It is the primary airdrop mission planning and execution system when the mission profile or surface-to-air threat assessment warrants a high-altitude and/or standoff precision delivery. JPADS enables high-altitude, precise airdrop delivery to forward ground forces, mitigating surface-to-air threats, reducing risk of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) & insurgent attack on ground convoys. JPADS allows the warfighter to consider weather, terrain, aircraft capabilities, threat, etc…to accurately deliver payload. REASON OCO FUNDS ARE REQUIRED: Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) prototype hardware and software was rapidly fielded for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The prototype software for the weather component now needs to be re-factored to integrate into the AF C-130 and C-17 mission planning environment and provide extensibility and maintainability to meet increased ground force demands for airdrop missions in OEF. Airdrop requirements in OEF doubled in 2008 and are expected to continue at this pace (for the foreseeable future). Weather data modeling and calculations in JPADS software are at the very essence of the AF capability to expand airdrop and provide improved delivery accuracy in support of increased numbers of ground forces in OEF. OEF uniquely requires the AF to provide greater airdrop delivery accuracy because of the rough, varied high-altitude terrain and associated small drop zones. The key to improving airdrop accuracy is better weather data collection and processing in the computed air release point calculation in JPADS software. The Mission Planning Systems program is in Budget Activity 7 because it provides for development of technologies and capabilities to support and ultimately replace the currently fielded PFPS and Unix-MPS systems.
Document Details
- Document Type
- R2 Budgetary Justification
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2011
- Source ID
- 0208006F_7_3600_PB_2011
- Change Summary Explanation
- FY 2010 congressional reduction for MPS Increment IV delays on Tanker, Airlift, and Special Mission (TASM) development
- Service Agency Name
- Air Force
Entities
Organizations
- United States Air Force
Related Documents
- Child Project: Mission Planning Systems (MPS)
- Child Accomplishment: MAJOR THRUST: Continue contractor-executed software development and test activities to migrate selected platforms to new MPS Increment III mission planning capability.
- Child Accomplishment: MAJOR THRUST: Continue contractor-executed software development and test activities required to migrated selected CAF and MAF platforms to the new MPS Increment IV mission planning capability.
- Child Accomplishment: MAJOR THRUST: Continues development (i.e. modernization) of MPEs for previously migrated platforms to enable use of new capabilities being developed in the Operational Flight Programs (OFPs).
- Child Accomplishment: MAJOR THRUST: Continues Test, Training, and Certification (TT&C) activities to evaluate and ensure the operational performance of all newly developed and modernized MPS software and hardware.
- Child Accomplishment: MAJOR THRUST: Continues all program management office technical and administrative activities and operations necessary to support development and fielding of all MPS capabilities.
- Child Cost Item: 52d43dfd050dfc8b4ff335830e325c4c
- Child Cost Item: b248105ce702fcef902cc94f40bb8703
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- Child Cost Item: eba6a2c40169f7320c49e7284d3f248f
- Child Cost Item: 6b80096291bb16f66c0b8c1cb480305a
- Child Cost Item: d0bab72d18bc867d47f73f3074e4fbd7
- Child Cost Item: 131c4618d951efed1328bae3edc92067
- Child Cost Item: 6193c7dad0fb16a1f26ed043c89e6dd2
- Child Project: Mobility Air Forces (MAF) Planning Systems
- Child Accomplishment: MAJOR THRUST: Continue development of a Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) capability for precise, high altitude delivery of material to forward ground forces.
- Child Cost Item: ce785e44fa5cf1ed167f6249af1c2ae7
- Child Cost Item: fa822be86750912d0f1ccfeeb75ca023
- Child Cost Item: b810d62f2eadfde94596620c7d23860a
- Child Project: Combat Air Forces (CAF) Planning Systems
- Child Accomplishment: MAJOR THRUST: Continues development of MPS Increment IV Mission Planning Environments (MPE) for CAF platforms (e.g. F-15, F-16, F-22, B-1B)
- Child Accomplishment: MAJOR THRUST: Continues the modernization of CAF MPEs to plan the use of capabilities being developed in the Operational Flight Programs (OFPs) of multiple CAF platforms.
- Child Cost Item: 49289e44961e5d64d39796020131b091
- Child Cost Item: 70fdb07f3558b99f8426757a79cadf4c