BLACK HAWK RECAPITALIZATION/MODERNIZATION

Abstract

The UH-60 Black Hawk is the workhorse of Army Aviation, flying more than 49% of the Army's annual flying hours. The system has been in production for over 30 years and provides a common platform with the versatility to perform multiple missions, ranging from air assault to command and control to medical evacuation/search and rescue. While the Black Hawk is the Army's newest helicopter, it was designed with a twenty-year service life. Today, two-fifths of the Army's Black Hawk fleet (721 aircraft) is comprised of H-60L aircraft with an average age of 13 years. The older H-60A models (918 aircraft) have an average age exceeding 23 years. To counter the older UH-60A's declining readiness rates, increased operations and support costs and to meet Future Force interoperability requirements, the Utility Helicopters Project Office established a program to replace existing UH-60 helicopters and provide capabilities needed on the future battlefield. The resulting configuration of the new UH-60M enhances the commander's ability to conduct non-linear, simultaneous, fully integrated operations in order to decisively mass the effects of the Army's warfighting assets. The UH-60M configuration provides digital connectivity for enhanced situational awareness and improved lift, range, deployability, and survivability to further increase the commander's ability to conduct operations across the entire spectrum of the battle space. An Operational Requirements Document (ORD) for recapitalization of the Black Hawk fleet was approved by the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) in March, 2001. The ORD described an evolutionary, block approach to transform the utility helicopter force to one that is more deployable, responsive, and less expensive to operate. A revised ORD was signed by the JROC on July 24, 2006, which updated key performance parameters for survivability and force protection. RDTE funds are required to develop, integrate, test and qualify the UH-60M Upgrade configuration. FY05 funded the initial efforts to move the UH-60M program to an Upgrade configuration which included Fly-By-Wire (FBW) technology, Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) and the Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS), which is the common cockpit to be used by UH-60M, CH-47 and Special Operations aircraft. Incorporation of CAAS will minimize future sustainment costs for these aircraft platforms. A successful UH-60M Upgrade IPR decision was obtained in January 2006. On May 18, 2007, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Overarching Integrated Product Team (OIPT) approved the Army request for advanced procurement for seven UH-60M Upgrade aircraft and recommended a paper Defense Acquisition Board (DAB). On October 15, 2009, based on increasing demands for helicopters to support Army Force Generation Model (AFORGEN) requirements, the Configuration Steering Board (CSB) recommended a restructure of the UH-60 Modernization Program to the Defense Acquisition Executive (DAE). The recommendation included three parts: 1) produce UH-60M baseline aircraft only; 2) complete Development Test (DT) on FBW aircraft; and 3) migrate selected technologies from the upgrade development efforts to the baseline configuration. The recommendation was approved by the DAE on February 18, 2010, in a signed Acquisition Decision Memorandum (ADM). The ADM also directed the program to rebaseline. The Improved Turbine Engine Program (ITEP) develops, tests and qualifies a nominal three thousand (3000) shaft horsepower (shp) class turboshaft engine with 25% better specific fuel consumption (SFC) as compared to other equivalent horsepower category engines. The engine will be designed to fit in the same engine envelope as a T700 engine for the Black Hawk and Apache aircraft. Other goals of the program are 65 % greater horsepower to weight ratio, 35% less production and maintenance cost and 20% greater design life. The program consists of system engineering and program management, detailed design engineering, design assurance hardware manufacturing and testing, component and module level development and testing, system level testing and qualification as well as initial integration testing into the airframe. FY10 funded development of the FADEC integration program, CAAS, and efforts for the development and test of the UH-60M Upgrade aircraft. FY10 also funded Development Testing of FBW technology in a rotary wing flight environment. FY11 funds continue Development Testing of FBW technology in a rotary wing flight environment. FY12 funds ITEP System Engineering/Program Management leading to MS B. FY13 funds ITEP Systems Engineering/Program Management MS B requirements leading to down select, contract award and initial component design and fabrication. FY14 funds ITEP component design, fabrication and rig tests, preliminary design review (PDR), engine level assembly and mechanical system checkout. FY15 funds ITEP critical design review, detailed system and component level design, component and module level testing, and engine level development testing. FY16 funds ITEP design assurance and qualification engine level testing, preliminary flight testing requirements, software testing and initial airframe integration.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2012
• Source ID: 504_0203744A_7_2040_PB_2012

Tags

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering
• Defense Acquisition Program Management
• Naval Mine Countermeasure Systems Development.

Technology Areas

• AI & ML
• AI & ML - Autonomous Systems
• AI & ML - DoD AI Strategy
• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Space