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 weapons, 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, but are not limited to the: A-10, B-1B, C-5, C-17, C-130, E-3, E-8, F-15, F-16, F-22A, 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 for all ballistic airdrop mission as well as precision guided airdrops that are required 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 payloads to keep the warfighter supplied and in the fight. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2013
• Source ID: 0208006F_7_3600_PB_2013
• Change Summary Explanation: FY2012 request reduced by 6.5M due to MPS Increment IV critical change delays. FY2013 reduced by 2.66M due to higher Air Force priorities.
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Counter IED
• Human Systems
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Aerial Delivery
• Air Drop Operations
• Air Force
• Air Traffic
• Aircrafts
• Command And Control
• Command And Control Systems
• Communication Systems
• Control Systems
• Explosive Devices
• High Altitude
• Improvised Explosive Devices
• Munitions
• Rotary Wing Aircraft
• Satellite Guided Weapons
• Warfare

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering

Technology Areas

• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control