Rotary Wing Aviation

Abstract

This project develops/upgrades Special Operation Forces (SOF) rotary wing aircraft systems that operate in increasingly hostile environments. This project includes modifications to Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) and weapons systems to counter rapidly merging threats, improved lethality and enhanced aircraft self-protection. Rotary wing aircraft supported by this project include: A/MH-6M, MH-60M, and MH-47G. 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 and/or airframe replacement 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 will replace obsolescent components to the extent possible 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-60M Modification and Upgrades develops technologies to improve safety of the MH-60 and decrease operational costs. Efforts include, but are not limited to, DOD MH-60 engineering changes, product improvements to SOF unique equipment and munitions during testing. This sub-project also includes modifications to ASE and weapons systems to counter rapidly emerging threats, improve lethality and enhance aircraft self-protection. • MH-60M Block Upgrades provides the development, integration, and qualification efforts on the MH-60 helicopter to include flight test support, engineering analysis, documentation, and airworthiness substantiation. • 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 aircrew. 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 Degraded Visual Environments. This program addresses SOF-unique requirements for rapid fielding and weight limitations, capitalizes on the unique skills of the SOF aviator while integrating with SOF-unique avionics, and leverages existing sensors on SOF aircraft to the maximum extent possible. • 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-unique modifications to the common aircraft. • Infrared Countermeasure (IRCM) program provides a low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) capability suitable for the A/MH-6 Mission Enhanced Little Bird with potential use on the MH-60 and MH-47 aircraft. The IRCM program will integrate and test a complete lightweight IRCM system to include a missile warning system and countermeasure capability and infrared suppressor. The A/MH-6 is the only tactical aircraft in the SOF inventory without protection from infrared 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, but are not limited to, the Active Parallel Actuator System (APAS) and Engine Barrier Filter. This sub-project also includes modifications to ASE and weapons systems to counter rapidly emerging threats and enhance aircraft self-protection. • Mission Processor Upgrade (MPU) program provides for non-recurring engineering (NRE), 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. This MPU provides the processing and memory resources required to incorporate the following functions into the General Purpose Processing Unit: (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. • Next Generation Forward Looking Infrared (NGFLIR) program improves targeting, tracking, and aircrew situational awareness on ARSOA platforms. This program mitigates obsolescence and increases functionality on the light and heavy assault platforms within the ARSOA fleet. • The Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) Upgrades program develops, integrates, and tests critical active and passive SOF-unique aircraft survivability equipment to counter the acknowledged high proliferation of advanced Surface-to-Air (SA) threat systems for the A/MH-6, MH-60, and MH-47. Additionally, these threat systems are technically evolving at an unprecedented rate, requiring rapid counter system development and immediate spiraled improvements that will reduce the probability of successful engagement, increase the probability of detecting and countering threat systems, and improve the aircraft's ability to continue operating after sustained battle damage. This program includes development and testing of both new systems and pre-planned product improvements/upgrades of fielded survivability equipment, flares, and associated qualification testing. • Secure Real Time Video (SRTV) ensures that while en route to an objective, SOF aircrews and operators have access to the latest data collected on the objective enabling them to maintain situational awareness and improve survivability. This project will integrate and test software and hardware improvements to provide SOF helicopters with access to rapidly evolving, real-time full motion video intelligence.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2018
• Source ID: D615_1160403BB_7_0400_PB_2018

Tags

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering

Technology Areas

• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Space