AIRCRAFT AVIONICS

Abstract

The FY 2013 budget request funds the development of Aircraft Avionics systems required to horizontally and vertically integrate the battlefield and the integration of those systems into Army aircraft. Tasks in this PE support research, development, and test efforts in the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phases of these systems. Beginning in FY 2013, funding on this Program Element was split into Projects C97 Aircraft Avionics and VU3 Networking and Mission Planning. The JTRS is the transformational system that provides Army Aviation interoperability capability for Future Force and Joint Force operations. The JTRS integration effort provides for the non-recurring engineering required to integrate and qualify the JTRS compliant radios with Link 16 and/or other advanced networking waveforms into the AH-64D, Armed Aerial Scout (AAS), and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Funding in FY 2013 will continue the Apache Block 3 Link 16 integration to support ground and flight testing. Additional activities for FY 2013 include continuing development of common radio control software for use on multiple platform integrations, finalizing the qualification of JTRS antennas, and conducting platform antenna co-site and link quality analysis. The Improved Data Modem (IDM) is the common solution for digitizing Army Aviation. It performs as an internet controller and gateway to the Tactical Internet and Fire Support internet for Army aircraft. With interfaces supporting a six channel transmit/receive terminal, the IDM provides radio connectivity to the ARC-201D/231, ARC-186, ARC-164, and the Blue Force Tracker's MT-2011 and AVX-06/203 Transceivers. IDM provides a flexible, software driven digital messaging system that is interoperable with existing Army and Joint forces battlefield operating systems. The IDM provides Situational Awareness and Variable Message Format messages capability to the cockpit. The Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) is a precision approach and landing system providing joint operational capability for U.S. forces assigned to conventional and special operations missions including those operating from fixed base, ship, tactical, and special mission environments under a wide range of meteorological and jamming conditions. The Army plans to integrate JPALS capabilities as defined by the Navy (Shipboard operations) and the Air Force (Land-based operations) through the JPALS Army Risk Reduction (JARR) and the JPALS Common Avionics Technology Development (JCATD) efforts. JARR defined implementation alternatives for aircraft integration. JCATD continues the alternative analysis. The ASN-128D upgrade program conducts system engineering trade studies to reduce space, weight, and power with the introduction of new navigation support capabilities such as inertial sensor, MIL-STD-1553 interface card, and Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) map display, and prepares Engineering Change Proposals to the existing ASN-128D Line Replaceable Units as a result of those trade studies. The effort also derives ASN-128D GATM compliance matrices for current and planned GATM capabilities for the upcoming decade. ARC-220 radio improvements are required to increase operational capability and resolve emerging obsolescence issues. Software improvements will provide a quick Automatic Linking Process which will reduce the time for the radio to establish a communication link by more than 50%, improve secure voice reliability, and add automatic position reporting capability. FY 2011 funds will complete ARC-220 software and test system changes. The Aviation Mission Planning System (AMPS) interfaces with Army Mission Command Systems and initializes communication, navigation, situational awareness, and weapons systems on fleet aircraft. This effort will develop XPlan core mission planning software, integrate it into AMPS, and modify the Aircraft Weapons and Electronics modules that will interact with XPlan. A requirement exists for Apache Block III to be interoperable through the future force network. Funds are included for the integration of the selected middleware into the Apache Block III to support the Army Common Operating Environment convergence via the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE). This includes the non-recurring engineering for integration, test, and air worthiness qualification. The Aviation Data Exploitation Capability (ADEC) is an Army Aviation program to develop, integrate, and test specific capabilities needed at the Aviation unit level to implement and support improvements within aviation maintenance, operations, safety and training. ADEC will standardize data and information formats, consolidate disconnected and disparate systems containing redundant data and requiring duplicate data entry, and provide a comprehensive and fully integrated automated information system. ADEC provides a common and interoperable capability required to implement Condition Based Maintenance,

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Document Details

Document Type
R2 Budgetary Justification
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2013
Source ID
0604201A_5_2040_PB_2013
Change Summary Explanation
Service Agency Name
Army

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Army

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Application Software
  • Army Aircraft
  • Army Aviation
  • Combat Support
  • Condition Based Maintenance
  • Cost Analysis
  • Engineering
  • Information Systems
  • Navigation
  • Radio Equipment
  • Situational Awareness
  • Terrain Avoidance
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Warning Systems

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
  • Tactical Satellite Communications Systems Engineering.

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - UAVs
  • Microelectronics
  • Space

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