Aviation Systems

Abstract

Aviation Systems Advanced Development: This project provides for the development, demonstration, and integration of current and maturing technologies for Special Operations Forces (SOF)-unique aviation and training requirements. Timely application of SOF-unique technology is critical and necessary to meet requirements in such areas as: SOF specific avionics; Low Probability of Intercept/Low Probability of Detection (LPI/LPD) Terrain Following/Terrain Avoidance (TF/TA) radar; Defensive Countermeasures; Electronic Warfare (EW) - Radio Frequency Countermeasures (RFCM); Precision Strike Package (PSP); PSP High Energy Laser (HEL); AC-130H, AC-130W, and AC-130U Recapitalization, and other SOF airborne platforms; digital terrain elevation data and electronic order of battle; digital maps; Airborne Mission Networking (AbMN); near-real-time Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR); data fusion; threat detection and avoidance; navigation, target detection, and identification technologies; weapons integration; digital broadcast capabilities; aerial refueling; survivability; and ISR payload technological improvements with size, weight, power and integration onto all SOF unmanned aircraft system (UAS) ISR platforms. CV-22 Development: The CV-22 is a SOF variant of the V-22 vertical medium lift, multi-mission aircraft. The CV-22 project provides long range, high speed, infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply to Special Forces teams in hostile, denied, and politically sensitive areas. This is a capability not currently provided by other existing aircraft. The funding in this project supports integration, design, development, and test to provide improved capabilities to include, but not limited to, more robust performance in situational awareness, ISR, weapons, avionics, survivability, maneuverability, mission deployment and improved reliability and maintainability of the CV platform. CV-22 SOF Common TF/TA (Silent Knight) radar program provides long-range, night/adverse weather, clandestine penetration of medium-to-high threat areas to infill, exfill, and resupply SOF forces. Provides more sustainable/capable replacement to obsolescing and tech limited terrain following/avoidance radar. Mission Training and Preparation Systems: The Special Operations Mission Planning and Execution (SOMPE) project funds the definition, design, development, prototyping, integration, and testing of SOMPE systems to support mission planning, rehearsal, and execution requirements to meet SOF-unique mission requirements and correct deficiencies in current mission planning, rehearsal, and execution capabilities. The Mission Training and Preparation Systems (MTPS) project also includes program management, systems engineering, configuration management, architecture development, risk reduction, and trade study initiatives, as well as initiatives to assure interoperability and commonality between diverse mission planning, rehearsal, and execution systems. AC/MC-130J: The AC/MC-130J project funds core SOF-unique modifications to replace aging/retired AC-130H Spectre, AC-130W Stinger II, AC-130U Spooky, MC-130E Combat Talon I, MC-130P Combat Shadow, MC-130H Combat Talon II aircraft. The 8 AC-130H Spectre, 12 AC-130W Stinger II and 17 AC-130U Spooky airframes will be replaced with MC-130J aircraft modified with the PSP to achieve the AC-130J configuration. The AC-130J aircraft will provide close air support, air interdiction, and armed reconnaissance capability. The 14 MC-130E Talon I, 23 MC-130P Combat Shadow, and 20 MC-130H Talon II airframes will be replaced by MC-130J Commando II aircraft with SOF mission modifications. The MC-130J Commando II aircraft perform clandestine or low visibility, single or multi-ship low-level missions intruding politically-sensitive or hostile territories; provide air refueling for special operations helicopters and CV-22 aircraft; and airdrop of leaflets, small special operations teams, resupply bundles and combat rubber raiding craft. The Air Force will procure and field basic aircraft, common support equipment, and trainers for USSOCOM. An incremental upgrade approach will be used to incorporate SOF capabilities onto the aircraft and training systems. Rotary Wing Aviation: This project develops SOF-unique modifications and upgrades to SOF rotary wing aircraft that operate in increasingly hostile environments. This project also includes modifications to Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) and weapons systems to counter rapidly emerging threats, improve lethality and enhance aircraft self-protection. Rotary wing aircraft supported by this project include: MH-60M, MH-47G, and A/MH-6M. These aircraft provide aviation support to SOF in worldwide contingency operations and low-intensity conflicts. They must be capable of rapid deployment, undetected penetration of hostile areas, and operating at extended ranges under adverse weather conditions to infiltrate, provide logistics for, reinforce, and extract SOF. The threat is characterized by an extensive and sophisticated ground based air defense system and an upgraded air-to-air capability targeted against helicopters.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2018
• Source ID: 1160403BB_7_0400_PB_2018
• Change Summary Explanation: Funding: FY 2016: Decrease of -$6.169 million is due to a transfer of funds to Small Business Innovative Research/Small Business Technology Transfer programs. FY 2017: Increase of $4.400 million in Project D615, Rotary Wing Aviation is due to an FY 2017 Request for Additional Appropriations to continue research, development, test and evaluation of new and modified detection and defeat countermeasures systems to improve aircraft survivability capabilities and address emerging threats to SOF rotary wing aircraft. FY 2018: Increase of $103.967 million is to complete flight testing efforts for A/MH-6M aircraft Block 3.0 upgrades ($11.839 million); research, develop and evaluate new and modified detection and defeat countermeasure systems and improve SOF rotary wing aircraft survivability ($13.700 million); development, integration and test to provide EW capability against RF threats on AC/MC-130J aircraft ($15.009 million); prepare for testing of the AbMN capability of near-real-time intelligence reporting to the SOF MC-130J fleet ($0.692 million); provides for risk reduction testing of the PSP HEL weapon onto AC-130J aircraft ($15.650 million); systems engineering, analysis, development, and enhancement of the baseline PSP integration and test on SOF platforms ($3.000 million); supports Engineering and Manufacturing Development, qualification, and operational flight testing of a SOF Common TF/TA (Silent Knight) radar on the MC-130J ($44.077 million). Schedule: SOF Common TF/TA (Silent Knight) radar Initial Operational Test and Evaluation has been delayed until 2nd Quarter FY 2017, after an interoperability assessment revealed shortcomings in flight suitability and effectiveness. Another software version must be developed to address these shortcomings. EC-130J SOF-Unique 7.0/8.1 development slip was due to a delay in the 7.0/8.1 Air Force modification contract. C-130 SOF Common TF/TA (Silent Knight) radar trial kit installs were delayed due to subcontractor negotiations and resulted in a slip to contract award. No change in development start. Technical: None.
• Service Agency Name: United States Special Operations Command

Entities

Organizations

• United States Special Operations Command

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• C4I
• Ground and Sea Platforms
• Human Systems
• Sensors
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Air Defense
• Air Force
• Aircraft Equipment
• Aircrafts
• Airframes
• Application Software
• Attack Helicopters
• Collision Avoidance
• Defense Systems
• Deployment
• Guidance
• Rotary Wing Aircraft
• Systems Engineering
• Test And Evaluation
• Unmanned Aerial Systems
• Warfare
• Warning Systems

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering

Technology Areas

• Autonomy
• Autonomy - UAVs
• Directed Energy
• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Microelectronics