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 will 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 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, 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. Follow-on improvements for H-1 aircraft sensors and weapons integration, avionics, and air vehicle components will address deficiencies, systems safety, obsolescence, reliability, supportability and cost growth issues. Improvements will include all associated System Configuration Set (SCS) updates as well as integration and testing related to the aircraft platforms.

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Document Details

Document Type
R2 Budgetary Justification
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2016
Source ID
0604245N_5_1319_PB_2016
Change Summary Explanation
Technical: Beginning in FY 2016, technical content of fleet-driven corrections of deficiencies and increased capabilities will be scaled to the reduced budget. Schedule: SCS 7.0, SCS 8.1, and SCS 8.2 deliveries extended to accommodate reduced budget profile. DT and OT extended to FY20 to allow for planned future test efforts including development & testing of upgrades to avionics, air vehicle, sensors & weapons, and system configuration set improvements.
Service Agency Name
Navy

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Navy

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Anti-Tank Missiles
  • Collision Avoidance
  • Control Systems
  • Detectors
  • Full Motion Video
  • Global Positioning Systems
  • Inertial Navigation
  • Inertial Navigation Systems
  • Navigation
  • Reliability
  • Software Development
  • Structural Components
  • Terrain Awareness And Warning Systems
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Warning Systems

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering

Technology Areas

  • Fully Networked C3
  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Microelectromechanical Systems

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