H-1 Upgrades

Abstract

The mission of the AH-1W 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-1N 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 168 AH-1Ws converted to AH-1Zs, build 58 new AH-1Zs, remanufacture ten (10) H-1N helicopters and build 113 new UH-1Y models. Upgrades include: a new 4-bladed, composite rotor system with semi-automatic bladefold, new performance matched transmissions, T700 Engine Digital Electronic Control Units (DECUs), new 4-bladed tail rotors and drive systems, more effective stabilizers, upgraded landing gear, tail pylon structural modifications, and common, fully integrated cockpits and avionics systems. These upgrades will add 10,000 flight hours to AH-1Z/UH-1Y airframes. The fully integrated cockpits will reduce operator workload and improve situational awareness, thus increasing safety and reducing the rate of aircraft attrition. They will provide considerable growth potential for future weapon systems and avionics, which will significantly increase mission effectiveness and survivability. The cockpits will also include integration of onboard mission planning, communications, digital fire control, self-navigation, night navigation/targeting, and 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.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2012
• Source ID: 0604245N_5_1319_PB_2012
• Change Summary Explanation: Technical: Not applicable. Schedule: Updated the Software Configuration Set (SCS) schedule from PB2011 to PB2012 budget submits for SCS 6.0 through SCS 8.0 to more accurately represent the entire 2 to 3 year software cycle which includes the requirements definition, design, development, verification, validation, test & evaluation, and delivery phases. Lot 5 - Changes from 2Q10 to 3Q10 for first aircraft (AC) delivery due to a 1-month slip in contract award. Lot 6 - Changes from 4Q11 to 4Q12 for AC delivery completions due to late receipt and award of FY09 and FY10 OCO and Supplemental funding. Lot 7 - Changes from 2Q10 to 3Q10 for contract award due to delays associated with AH-1Z Low Rate Initial Production Acquisition Decision Memorandum approval. Lot 7 - Changes from 3Q12 to 3Q14 for AC delivery completions due to late receipt and award of FY09 and FY10 OCO and Supplemental funding. Lot 8 - Changes from 1Q13 to 4Q12 for first AC delivery due to current AC deliveries slightly ahead of schedule. Lot 8 - Changes from 4Q13 to 4Q14 for AC delivery completion, Lot 9 - Changes from 1Q14 to 1Q15 for first AC delivery, and 1Q15 to 4Q15 for delivery completion due to HMLA force structure realignment as stated in the 2011 USMC Aviation Plan (AVPLAN). The overall procurement objective of 349 AC remains the same.
• Service Agency Name: Navy

Entities

Organizations

• United States Navy

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Aeromedical Evacuation
• Aircraft Equipment
• Aircrafts
• Airframes
• Attack Helicopters
• Contracts
• Control Systems
• Digital Maps
• Engineering
• Fire Support
• Helicopters
• Product Development
• Software Development
• Tail Rotors
• Test And Evaluation
• Utility Aircraft
• Weapon Systems

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering

Technology Areas

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