Aviation Systems

Abstract

SF100 Aviation Systems Advanced Development: This project provides for the development, rapid prototyping, 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 common avionics; Terrain Following/Terrain Avoidance (TF/TA) radar, best known as Silent Knight radar or AN/APQ-187; Defensive Countermeasures; Electronic Warfare (EW) - Radio Frequency Countermeasures (RFCM); Precision Strike Package (PSP); PSP High Energy Laser; AC-130H/W/U and MC-130E/H/P 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. SF200 CV-22 Development/Test and Evaluation: 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, rapid prototyping, 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 or AN/APQ-187, 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 technology limited TF/TA radar. There is a plan to develop a Forward Defensive Weapon System (FDWS), which in combination with the ramp-mounted gun, provides a ~360 degree field of fire to suppress/eliminate enemy targets. The FDWS integrates the fielded GAU-17 belly gun system currently employed on the USMC MV-22 aircraft with the SOF peculiar color helmet mounted display (CHMD) and cockpit firing controls for pilot operation. S750 Mission Training and Preparation Systems: The Special Operations Mission Planning and Execution (SOMPE) project funds the definition, design, development, rapid 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 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. S875 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 Combat Talon I, 23 MC-130P Combat Shadow, and 20 MC-130H Combat 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, insert small special operations teams, resupply bundles and combat rubber raiding craft. The Air Force procures and fields the basic aircraft, common support equipment, and trainers for USSOCOM. An incremental upgrade approach will be used to rapidly prototype and integrate SOF capabilities onto the aircraft. SOF capabilities include, but are not limited to, Airborne Mission Networking, data fusion, threat detection and avoidance, integrated terrain following/terrain avoidance, electronic warfare, and embedded training. Integrating and automating SOF mission systems that deliver these capabilities is critical to fielding SOF-capable AC/MC-130J aircraft to recapitalize Air Force Special Operations Command’s legacy C-130 fleet. D615 Rotary Wing Aviation: This project provides for the development, rapid prototyping, demonstration, and integration of current and maturing technologies for Special Operations Forces (SOF)-unique rotary wing aviation and training requirements. This project also includes modifications to Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) avionics and weapons systems to counter rapidly emerging threats, address cyber security, improve lethality and enhance aircraft self-protection in contested environments. 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 operations at extended ranges under adverse weather conditions to infiltrate, provide logistics for, reinforce, and extract SOF. The anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) threat is characterized by an extensive and sophisticated ground based air defense system and an upgraded air-to-air capability targeted against helicopters. When possible, Middle-Tier Acquisition (2016 NDAA Section 804) may also be used to accommodate rapid prototyping in the above projects to develop, demonstrate and evaluate residual operational capabilities.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2020
• Source ID: 1160403BB_7_0400_PB_2020
• Change Summary Explanation: Funding: FY 2018: Net decrease of -$9.282 million is due to a transfer of funds to Small Business Innovative Research/Small Business Technology Transfer programs (-$9.525 million), a congressional reduction for excess product development for EW-RFCM (-$7.500 million), a congressional reduction for poor justification materials for CV-22 (-$1.500 million), a congressional reduction for ASE (-$4.000 million), a congressional transfer from Procurement for SOF Common TF/TA (Silent Knight) radar ($7.500 million), a congressional transfer from Procurement for Degraded Visual Environment ($6.000 million) and a decrease for higher command priorities (-$0.257 million). FY 2019: Net decrease of -9.131 million is due to a congressional reduction for insufficient budget justification for EC-130J risk reduction (-1.252 million), a congressional reduction for C-130 SOF Common TF/TA training system development early to need (-$3.879 million), a congressional reduction for PSP High Energy Laser program (-$7.000 million), and a congressional add for VTOL UAS research ($3.000 million). FY 2020: Net increase of $108.553 million is for interoperability/compatibility, consolidated testing and airworthiness release for MC-130J AbMN ($2.688 million), for interoperability/compatibility development testing for Integrated Tactical Mission System ($5.438 million), for deficiency resolution and to begin spiral 1 development for EW-RFCM ($30.253 million), for all weather on PSP and Infrared Suppression Systems for SOF C-130s ($17.948 million), for continued development of PSP High Energy Laser ($23.227 million), interoperability/compatibility, consolidated testing and airworthiness release for C-130 SOF Common TF/TA (Silent Knight) radar ($11.363 million), Rotary Wing Aircraft Survivability increase ($11.425 million) for upgrades to RFCM to address emerging Radio Frequency threats, MH-60 Modifications increase ($4.351 million) for Upturned Exhaust System to reduce vulnerability to IR threats, MH-47 Modifications increase continue Active Parallel Actuator System development, including integration and testing with MH-47G subsystems ($1.860 million). Schedule: Silent Knight Radar: Raytheon Tiger Team investigation of Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) II 2A failures concluded in April 2018; LRIP Radar production resumed in June 2018. Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) successfully completed in November 2018. Fielding decision projected in Q2 FY 2019. Initial Operational Capability (IOC) remains in late Q2 FY 2019. EC-130J SOF-Unique 7.0/8.1 development delay was due to a delay in the 7.0/8.1 Air Force modification contract. Technical: None.
• Service Agency Name: United States Special Operations Command

Entities

Organizations

• United States Special Operations Command

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Autonomy
• C4I
• Ground and Sea Platforms
• Sensors
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

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

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering
• Irregular Warfare and Special Operations Cyberspace Operations against Adversarial Threats.

Technology Areas

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