Rotary Wing Aviation
Abstract
This project develops/upgrades SOF rotary wing aircraft systems that operate in increasingly hostile 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 world-wide contingency operations and low-intensity conflicts, and 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. Sub-projects include: • A/MH-6M Block 3.0 Upgrade is necessary to restore structural, performance, and safety margins for the aircrews. An airframe structural modification will address recurring structural failures due to high intensity, high gross weight operations, and a decade of battle damage. A main/tail rotor drive train and engine control improvement efforts will reduce airframe loads and restore sufficient safety and performance margins. An avionics upgrade Non-Developmental Item/Commercial Off-the-Shelf will replace obsolescent components and provide improved battlefield situational awareness to the aircrews and customers necessary to support time sensitive mission requirements. This upgrade is critical in keeping the A/MH-6M aircraft operational through FY 2020 and beyond, or until a suitable replacement aircraft is available. The non-recurring effort supports development, fabrication of test hardware, qualification of components and systems, and data items to support issuance of Government airworthiness releases for structural and software modifications. • MH-60 SOF Modernization program provides for the recurring/non-recurring systems engineering and platform integration efforts, to include continued flight and qualification testing and test support. • Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) solution will fuse information from currently fielded aircraft sensors with emerging technology to display real-time reference points, obstacles, and landing zone information to the aviator. The DVE solution will provide MH-47/60 aircrews with visual cues for obstacle avoidance and aircraft control during all phases of flight and significantly increase crew and passenger survivability in DVE such as dirt and snow. • Future Vertical Lift (FVL) program provides for the long-term replacement of an aging fleet of aircraft and provides a significant increase in range, speed, payload, survivability, reliability, and maintainability of vertical lift aircraft to meet emerging mission requirements. USSOCOM will participate in the service-common development of a joint future vertical lift aircraft by injecting USSOCOM requirements and equities into the initial development and design efforts to minimize SOF-peculiar modifications to the common aircraft. • Infrared Countermeasure (IRCM) program provides a low Space, Weight, and Power (SWaP) capability suitable for the A/MH-6 Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB). The IRCM program will develop, integrate, qualify, and test a complete lightweight IRCM system to include a missile warning system and countermeasure capability. The A/MH-6 is the only tactical aircraft in the U.S. Army inventory without protection from IR guided, and other advanced Man Portable Air Defense missiles. • MH-47 Modifications and Upgrades program develops technologies to improve performance and safety of the MH-47G and decrease operational costs. Efforts include the Active Parallel Actuator System (APAS), Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and Engine Barrier Filter. • Mission Processor Upgrade (MPU) program provides for non-recurring engineering, systems engineering/testing, and future aircraft architecture studies that support the replacement and upgrade of the current mission and video processors for all Army Special Operations Aviation (ARSOA). Upgrading all internal processors increases the processing power to support critical functionality and emerging technologies that will be integrated into the Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS). This MPU provides the processing and memory resources required to incorporate the following functions into the General Purpose Processing Unit (GPPU): (1) Global Air Traffic Management replaces ground-based navigation aids with a capability that meets the international requirement that all aircraft be compliant with digital and space-based navigation systems; (2) Situational Awareness for Safe Aircraft Recovery provides passive survivability for flight operations in all weather conditions by providing three-dimensional displays with flight path guidance to increase battle space awareness in zero-visibility conditions; (3) Cognitive Decision Aiding System fuses information on threat, route, weather, terrain, and friendly forces, instantaneously adjusting an aircraft’s route to protect the flight crew in hazardous weather, low levels, and night conditions. This program is an FY 2015 new start. • Next Generation Forward Looking Infrared (NGFLIR) program is a pre-planned product improvement that incorporates a multispectral sensor (Shortwave Infrared, Image Intensifying TV, and Color Day TV) into the existing Q2 Electro-Optical Sensor System. This will improve targeting, tracking, and aircrew situational awareness. This program also maximizes the service life of the Q2 sensor by mitigating obsolescence and increasing functionality on the light and heavy assault platforms within the ARSOA fleet. This program is an FY 2015 new start.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2015
- Source ID
- D615_1160403BB_7_0400_PB_2015
Related Documents
- Root: Aviation Systems
- Child Accomplishment: A/MH-6M Block 3.0 Upgrade
- Child Accomplishment: MH-60 SOF Modernization Program
- Child Accomplishment: DVE
- Child Accomplishment: FVL
- Child Accomplishment: IRCM
- Child Accomplishment: MH-47 Modifications and Upgrades
- Child Accomplishment: MPU
- Child Accomplishment: NGFLIR