SOF 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 worldwide 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 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 effort will reduce airframe loads and restore sufficient safety and performance margins. An avionics upgrade Non-Developmental Item/Commercial Off-The-Shelf (NDI/COTS) 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 A/MH-6M aircraft in the fight through the 2020’s and likely beyond until a suitable replacement aircraft is available. The non-recurring effort supports development, fabrication of test hardware, qualification of components and system data items to support issuance of Government airworthiness releases for structural and software modifications. • 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. • MH-60 SOF Modernization program provides for the 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.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2015
• Source ID: D615_1160482BB_7_0400_PB_2015

Tags

Fields of Study

• Engineering

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering
• Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
• Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.