H-1 Upgrades

Abstract

The mission of the AH-1 attack helicopter is to provide rotary wing close air support, anti-armor, armed escort, armed/visual reconnaissance, survivability enhancements, and fire support coordination capabilities under day/night and adverse weather conditions. The mission of the UH-1 utility helicopter is to provide command and control and combat assault support under day/night and adverse weather conditions and special operations support; supporting arms coordination and aeromedical evacuation. Major modifications for both aircraft include 37 AH-1Ws converted to AH-1Zs, build 152 new AH-1Zs, remanufacture ten (10) H-1N helicopters and build 150 new UH-1Y models. AH-1Z and UH-1Y models include a 4-bladed, composite rotor system with semi-automatic bladefold, performance-matched transmissions, T700 Engine Digital Electronic Control Units, 4-bladed tail rotors and drive systems, more effective stabilizers, upgraded landing gear, and common, fully integrated cockpits and avionics systems. These upgrades add 10,000 flight hours to AH-1Z/UH-1Y airframes. The fully integrated cockpits reduce operator workload and improve situational awareness, thus increasing safety and reducing the rate of aircraft attrition. They provide considerable growth potential for future weapon systems and avionics to significantly increase mission effectiveness and survivability. The cockpits also include integration of onboard mission planning, communications, digital fire control, self-navigation, night navigation/targeting, air-to-ground missile and air-launched intercept missile weapon systems management in nearly identical crew stations, which significantly reduces training requirements. These upgrades maximize commonality between the two aircraft and provide needed improvements in crew and passenger survivability, payload, power available, endurance, range, airspeed, maneuverability and supportability. This budget is required for follow-on improvements to H-1 aircraft via integration of sensors and weapons, avionics, and air vehicle components that will address deficiencies, systems safety, obsolescence, readiness, reliability, supportability, and relevance in the battlespace. Improvements will include all associated System Configuration Set (SCS) updates as well as integration and testing related to the aircraft platforms. JUSTIFICATION FOR BUDGET ACTIVITY: This program is funded under OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT because it includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate funding in the current or subsequent fiscal years.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2020
• Source ID: 0604245M_5_1319_PB_2020
• Change Summary Explanation: FY 2019 includes a Congressional reduction of $3.777 million for unclear budget justification. The FY 2020 funding request was reduced by $6.00 million to account for the availability of prior year execution balances. The FY 2020 funding was reduced due to internal USMC re-prioritization of funding for higher priority service requirements. Funds increase from FY2019 to FY2020 due to flight testing for Target Sight System Block Upgrade with Optimized TopOwl improvements, specifically to address Transfer Alignment for weapons employment and Degraded Visual Environment (DVE)options; to support airworthiness integration of the AIM-9X, Jettison Testing of the Intrepid Tiger (IT-IIV3); correction of software issues associated with the Brite STAR II Laser Spot Tracker (LST); and Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasures (DAIRCM) software testing for putting the system under glass. Technical: None Schedule: System Configuration Sets (SCS) will be continuously developed and released in conjunction with required hardware obsolescence and capability improvements. Software development as a whole are accounted for separately on the R-3 and are apportioned into development efforts for Avionics and Sensors & Weapons on the R-2a. Software is no longer portrayed separately on the R-2a or R-4 since SCS builds are linked to the development of hardware. The Mission Description section for Avionics and Sensors and Weapons state that SCS is part of each of the projects.
• Service Agency Name: Navy

Entities

Organizations

• United States Navy

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Cyber
• Materials and Manufacturing Processes
• Sensors
• Space
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Aircrafts
• Airframes
• Anti-Tank Missiles
• Control Systems
• Electronic Warfare
• Full Motion Video
• Inertial Navigation
• Inertial Navigation Systems
• Navigation
• Precision-Guided Munitions
• Software Design
• Software Development
• Structural Components
• Systems Management
• Test And Evaluation
• Test Equipment
• Warfare

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering

Technology Areas

• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Microelectronics
• Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems