AIRCRAFT AVIONICS

Abstract

The FY 2015 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 Project support research, development, and test efforts in the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phases of these systems. The Joint Tactical Radio System (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 certified radios with Link 16 and/or other advanced networking waveforms into the AH-64E and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Funding in FY 2015 continues integration activities to install and qualify JTRS certified networking radios on the AH-64E and Shadow UAS platforms and also supports continued development of common radio control software and qualified airborne JTRS antennas for use on multiple platforms. The Shadow UAS solution will be incorporated into the Shadow Communications Relay Payload (CRP) mission equipmment package. 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 transmit/receive terminal, the IDM provides radio connectivity to the ARC-201D/231, ARC-186, ARC-164, and the Blue Force Tracker 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 Doppler Global Positioning System Navigation System (DGNS) Upgrade program completes 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 map display. It also prepares Engineering Change Proposals (ECP) to the existing DGNS ASN-128D Line Replaceable Units (LRU) as a result of those trade studies. The effort also derives DGNS compliance matrices for current and planned Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) capabilities for the upcoming decade. The DGNS upgrade continues with execution of Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) for Computer Display Unit (CDU) and Signal Data Converter (SDC) LRU ECP packages. The ASN-128D CDU Upgrade replaces the current CDU faceplate with a touch screen display, provides a moving navigation map capability and optimized pilot interface to augment existing Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) capability and promote safer flight operations. The Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE), previously referred to as Apache Block III, is a set of standards jointly developed by government and industry consortium members; conformance to this standard is Army Aviation's conduit to compliance with the Common Operating Environment (COE) directive. This will be accomplished through the integration of the selected middleware into Army Aviation Platforms. This includes the non-recurring engineering for integration, test, and air worthiness qualification. As part of the Army's migration to a net-centric fighting force, it is necessary for aircraft to access certain critical services that enable seamless access and operation on the future force network. 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 and provide a comprehensive and fully integrated automated information system. ADEC provides a common and interoperable capability required to implement Military Flight Operations Quality Assurance processes. The Aircraft Notebook (ACN) will provide users with an aviation centric suite of software used to streamline the completion of aviation maintenance activities and its documentation. ACN will include The Army Maintenance Management System - Aviation (TAMMS-A) digital logbook functionality and will host and integrate with platform applications, such as Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals (IETM) and Ground Station Software (GSS) application. ACN will reduce the Information Technology footprint within an aviation unit by integrating multiple software tools onto one hardware platform. The Brownout Rotorcraft Enhancement System (BORES), previously referred to as Degraded Visual Environment (DVE), is required to reduce personnel and rotocraft losses while conducting both tactical and training missions in environments that restrict or severely reduce the aircrews visibility due to atmospheric obscurants. BORES will improve safety, reduce risk and add flexibility to aviation units by enhancing situational awareness through real-time detection and warning of terrain, obstacles and hazards. BORES will consist of integrated rotorcraft pilotage augmentation systems; sensor(s); software; software related hardware; and pilot to system interfaces and cueing devices. BORES will fuse a synthetic vision avionics backbone with aircraft state data and obscurant penetrating sensor(s) to provide a single rotorcraft capability for ground taxi, hover, takeoff and landing modes of flight. The Aviation Logistics Enterprise - Platform (ALE-P) will replace the Unit Level Logistics System-Aviation (Enhanced), which has transitioned into sustainment, and the Unmanned Aviation Systems-Initiative, which currently only provides automated logistics capabilities for the UAS community, providing a single Aviation Logistics Information System for all of Army aviation. ALE-P will provide the interface to the Global Combat Support System-Army and other enterprise systems at Logistics Support Activity (LOGSA), Aviation Missile Command (AMCOM), and Program Executive Office (PEO) Aviaton, as well as the ACN and ADEC at the unit level. ALE-P will be a system of software and hardware that maintains platform airworthiness records and delivers a Logistics Management and Decision Support System for commanders.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2015
• Source ID: 0604201A_5_2040_PB_2015
• Service Agency Name: Army

Entities

Organizations

• United States Army

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Autonomy
• Human Systems
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Aircrafts
• Army Aircraft
• Army Aviation
• Combat Support
• Decision Support Systems
• Engineering
• Global Positioning Systems
• Information Systems
• Logistics
• Logistics Management
• Maintenance
• Maintenance Management
• Navigation
• Radio Equipment
• Software Development
• Test And Evaluation
• Unmanned Aerial Systems

Fields of Study

• Engineering

Readers

• Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

• Autonomy
• Autonomy - UAVs
• Microelectronics
• Space