AV-8B Aircraft - Engine Dev

Abstract

The program provides for AV-8B Design, Development, Integration, and Test of various platform improvements such as: Engine Life Management Program (ELMP), Escape Systems, Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS), and Block upgrades to various mission systems and software Operational Flight Programs (OFPs) to include JMPS integration, avionics and communications systems, navigation equipment, weapons carriage and countermeasures, studies and analyses of future capability expansion and unique flight testing, and the Obsolescence Replacement (OR)/Readiness Management Plan (RMP) including structural, hydraulic, electrical, environmental, and mechanical systems. OR/RMP represents all engineering activities for development and design to support aircraft safety flight clearances, concept explorations, responses to evolving threats, and developments to support Program Objective Memorandum. The program's Evolutionary Acquisition Strategy includes Design, Development, Integration, and Test activities under the consolidated effort of Block Developments: H6.2 and follow-on block upgrades, to include a H7.0 block upgrade that will be required to implement full Link 16 capability, provide weapon improvements and integrate AIM-9X and Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW). An H6.2 update included the Common Avionics Program, provided AV-8B a self-contained Global Positioning System navigation capability that is required to access preferred airspaces, including a Litening OFP V3, and initial Link 16 Precise Participant Location and Identification capability, which provided interoperability, digital combat identification and increased situational awareness on the battlefield. Link 16 is a Top 10 item in the Operational Advisory and Systems Safety Groups. The H7.0 OFP will fully implement the Harrier Link 16 integration, which will provide information sharing capabilities, integration of an increased number of Link 16 J-series messages and the ability to act on shared target track information. Connection to the Link 16 network is vital to the AV-8B's ability to operate within some Command and Control situations and Operational Plans, as designed today, as well as provide a tactical capability for the more effective and safe prosecution of both airborne and ground targets. Continued AV-8B combat relevance and ability to respond to evolving and emergent threats through end of service is critical to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force's ability to generate aviation combat power throughout the transition to F-35B. J-series, K-series, Tactical Targeting Network Technology, and other emerging datalink technology messages, as well as compliance with crypto modernization requirements and ability to use GPS-modernized weapons, are required to support current and future mission threats. Linked performance on par with current tactical platforms as well as design to communicate with F-35 is required for the AV-8B to remain tactically relevant to transition. H7.0 will also include the integration and test of weapons and sensors such as, but not limited to, AIM-9X, JSOW and Litening OFP V4, and will integrate required Display Computer processing improvements to enable H7.0 functionality. Integration of these weapons, to include continued use of current weapons as they are upgraded to modernized GPS capability, is vital to the Harrier's continued combat relevance to the Marine Expeditionary Unit and Global Response Force Combatant Commanders particularly as obsolete AIM-9M inventory dwindles. Additionally, software integration and stores expansion testing will be required for systems to include a Helmet Mounted Cueing System (HMCS), Unique Weapons, survivability and Countermeasures, Second Generation Anti-jam Tactical UHF Radio for NATO (SATURN) communication waveform and associated radio and communication systems upgrades, Advanced Precision Kill Weapons System (APKWS), AIM-9X, ALE-43, survivability upgrades, standoff weapons such as JSOW, Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) and AIM-120 unique platform flight test which will be required to utilize updated AIM-120C variants on the AV-8B as well as test of emergent tactical requirements, and test of crypto modernization compliance. AV-8B funding also supports peculiar flight test requirements to include weapons integration/carriage and avionics, software/firmware upgrades, and avionics hardware component redesign activity. Studies and analyses will be conducted on systems such as survivability systems, HMCS, SATURN Communications and associated radio and communication systems upgrades, and Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) to assess feasibility of integrating on the AV-8B. The ELMP is a comprehensive plan to increase and maintain safety of flight and operational readiness of the AV-8B F402-RR-408 Engine and accessories. The program will accomplish this mission by conducting Engineering Project Description investigations to develop engineering solutions that address emergent safety, obsolescence, foreign object debris detection and prevention, fatigue life and maintenance issues. The OR/RMP is required to ensure the AV-8B air vehicle's sustained mission availability, and safe and reliable operational readiness until end of service. Air vehicle sustainment requires component and system analyses, technical planning, identification, prioritization, and diagnosis of emergent problems and the allocation of resources for the development, testing and flight clearance of engineering solutions in the areas of flight, crew safety, and escape systems and structural integrity, obsolescence, systems reliability and maintainability, inventory preservation, alternative mission development, or other emergent material or equipment conditions affecting AV-8B systems readiness. Activities include research/analysis for system safety deficiency corrections, fuel system safety improvements, structural analyses, monitoring and integrity analysis, component compatibility, component and materials obsolescence analyses and mitigation development, explorations for aging equipment, reliability improvement analyses and design developments.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2022
• Source ID: 0604214M_5_1319_PB_2022
• Change Summary Explanation: The FY2022 funding request was reduced for the following: $2.802 million to account for the availability of prior year execution balances; $4.791M is due to USMC comprehensive assessment of Force Design focusing on modernization of the fleet and balance between legacy sustainment and TACAIR transition. The funding of all programs was assessed and reallocated to best support the Commandant's Planning Guidance for the future USMC force; and $0.133M for miscellaneous rate adjustments.
• Service Agency Name: Navy

Entities

Organizations

• United States Navy

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Human Systems
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Aircraft Engines
• Aircrafts
• Airframes
• Command And Control
• Communication Systems
• Engine Components
• Fuel Systems
• Global Positioning Systems
• Line Of Sight
• Navigation
• Operational Readiness
• Production Engineering
• Satellite Guided Weapons
• Software Development
• Systems Engineering
• Test And Evaluation

Fields of Study

• Engineering

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering

Technology Areas

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