KC-10S

Abstract

The KC-10A Extender is an aerial refueling asset built on the commercial DC-10 airframe. The aircraft creates an air bridge enabling rapid global mobility and global strike missions. There are 59 KC-10A aircraft in the USAF tanker fleet. RDT&E funds throughout the FYDP will be used to support the Communications, Navigation and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM), Boom Control Unit (BCU) and Mode 5 modification efforts. The KC-10 Communications, Navigation, and Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) program provides worldwide airspace accessibility by FY2015 for the fleet of 59 KC-10 aircraft. FAA airworthiness certification following the modification is required. An upgrade of the current Flight Management System (FMS) and Inertial Navigation System (INS) is required to meet the 2015 CNS/ATM requirements and address associated INS and FMS obsolescence issues. This capability gap is well documented in both RAND KC-10 Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) and Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) Studies. Avionics components shall use either Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) or Military Off-The-Shelf (MOTS) software and hardware. CNS/ATM requirements include: Required Navigation Performance (RNP-4) Oceanic/Remote for enroute Oceanic Airspace with either 50/50 Nautical Miles (NM) or 30/30 NM separations; Basic Area Navigation (BRNAV) for enroute European Airspace (9,500ft & up); RNP 2 & 1 for enroute & terminal airspace operations; Precision-RNAV (P-RNAV) for Preferred terminal area routes in Europe (1 NM Accuracy); RNP-4 & RNP-1 for reduced separations enroute, and terminal airspace; Time of Arrival Control for Refuel rendezvous (within 30 sec); Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) Out for enhanced air and ground surveillance; Global Positioning System (GPS) for enhanced navigation capability; Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) for Global Positioning System (GPS) Security; Satellite Data Link for Air Traffic Systems (ATS) and Command and Control (C2) Communications for flight in Oceanic Airspace (FL310-410); Satellite Voice for Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) Pilot - Controller Communications C2 Operations; and Very-High Frequency Data Link (VDL) Mode-2 for Line of Sight (LOS) Pilot - Controller Communications and C2 Operations. The KC-10 Boom Control Unit (BCU), responsible for the operation of the KC-10's primary air refueling mission, will be unsupportable due to parts obsolescence as early as 2010. Once the BCU spares pool is exhausted (estimated 2012 +/- 2 years), any KC-10 requiring a BCU repair or replacement will not be capable of performing its primary air refueling mission (boom refueling) until a BCU replacement unit is fielded. This modification effort replaces the current BCU to overcome these parts obsolescence issues, to improve diagnostics, and add the capability to provide boom position information to an external recording device (planned future recording capability). The Advanced BCU (A-BCU) will also add the capability to accept inputs from the existing, or next generation Central Air Data Computer (CADC). The A-BCU will be form, fit, function, and interface identically to the existing unit so as to be fully interchangeable. The Mode 5 modification is a DoD-mandated (JROCOM 047-07, 5 Mar 07 directs KC-10 IOC by 2014, FOC by 2020) upgrade to the KC-10's Identify Friend or Foe (IFF) system (the primary means of aircraft identification during Air Defense operations). The Mode 5 upgrade increases anti-spoofing and exploitation capabilities, and lowers the possibility of aircraft/aircrew loss due to misidentification of friendly aircraft. The modification includes a new Mode 5 crypto appliqué, new IFF control panel, a circuit card upgrade to the APX-119 transponder, support equipment upgrades and replacement/relocation of the data loader from the avionics bay to the flight deck. The KC-10 program has associated APAF funding in Program Elements 0401219F and 0401897F. The program funding includes reductions for Overhead Reduction efficiencies that are not intended to impact program content. The efficiency reductions total $0.117M in FY12. 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, 2012
• Source ID: 0401219F_7_3600_PB_2012
• Change Summary Explanation: The program has been funded to the latest cost estimate, less efficiencies. FY12 adjustments reflect a $923K reduction for efficiencies which is not intended to impact program content, and a $17.077M Zero-Balance-Transfer (ZBT) for an Internal Air Force transfer from APAF (Procurement) funding to RDT&E from within this same KC-10 Program Code 0401219F.
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Air Traffic
• Aircrafts
• Antispoofing
• Artificial Satellites
• Contracts
• Cost Analysis
• Cost Estimates
• Costs
• Data Links
• Engineering
• Global Positioning Systems
• Line Of Sight
• Navigation
• Refueling
• Refueling In Flight
• Tanker Aircraft
• Test And Evaluation

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering
• Aviation Safety and Air Traffic Management

Technology Areas

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