ACIS ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

This project conducts Engineering and Manufacturing Development for Army aircrew safety, survivability, and human performance. These funds complete the Engineering and Manufacturing Development of the Air Warrior Encrypted Aircraft Wireless Intercom System and initiates Air Soldier System (Air SS) development and integration. The Air SS addresses Air Warrior capability gaps identified during combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan including the effects of weight and bulk, lack of situational awareness, and lack of functionally integrated aircrew member life support equipment. Currently Army aircrews must trade off Air Warrior life support capabilities to ensure compatibility with the confined space of rotary wing crew stations. The Air SS will address these and other gaps defined in the Air SS Increment I CDD using a Soldier as a System approach to provide improved situational awareness; provide terrain, weather, threat, and obstacle avoidance information that can prevent aircraft mishaps and fatalities; resolve the lack of a common aircrew helmet with modern Head-Up display technologies; increase the Soldier's ability to operate safely in degraded visual environments and extreme environmental conditions; and deliver the capability to perform missions in excess of 5.3 (up to current goal of 11.0) hours in hot/humid environments under Chemical/Biological threat conditions. The first delivery of Air SS capability is identified as sub-increment 1a and will provide optimized survival equipment and integrated lightweight body armor directly contributing reduced bulk and increased mobility and crew member performance; a replacement flight helmet that transitions to a Modular Aircrew Common Helmet with improved crash energy attenuation; increased laser eye protection to align with current laser threats; and a Wearable Environmental Control System with integrated portable power that increases crew member mobility and reduces airframe space, weight and power requirements. The second delivery of capability is sub-increment 1b, which builds upon the initial sub-increment and further reduces bulk through a layered clothing ensemble with active thermal regulation, chemical/biological protection, and waste collection fully integrated into the duty uniform; an integrated Soldier-worn electronics suite that combines the functionality of bulky and separate situational/spatial awareness and life support systems and their separate batteries. These funds also initiate development and integration efforts for the eventual delivery of sub-increment 1c, the final and full Air SS capability delivery that completely replaces the legacy Air Warrior system. This is the full integration of Air Soldier capabilities necessary to meet the Air SS KPP threshold requirement for a 25% weight and bulk reduction over the legacy Air Warrior Aviation Life Support Equipment system. Sub-increment 1c provides improved safety and soldier survivability, increased situational awareness, and reduced pilot/crew member workload through an integrated protective ensemble that optimizes the Air SS capabilities delivered under sub-increments 1a and 1b. This final delivery of capability also enhances the previous Air SS integrated electronics suite by adding a wireless aircraft and survival and evasion communications capability; a Modular Aircrew Common Helmet and Display System with fully integrated chem/bio eye and respiratory protection; a digital day/night Heads Up Display common to all aircraft platforms; and optimized laser eye protection. This program does not duplicate any aircraft platform program efforts.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2012
• Source ID: S61_0604601A_5_2040_PB_2012

Tags

Readers

• Aerospace Engineering
• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Materials Science

Technology Areas

• Directed Energy
• Microelectronics
• Space