Networking And Mission Planning

Abstract

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 budget estimate submission request funds the development of Networking and Mission Planning systems required to horizontally and vertically integrate the battlefield and the integration of those systems into Army aircraft. Tasks in this Project support research, development, and test efforts in the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phases of these systems. The Improved Data Modem (IDM) is the common solution for digitizing Army Aviation and is fielded on every modernized, rotary-wing Army aircraft, including the CH-47 Chinook, AH-64 Apache and UH-60 Black Hawk. The IDM provides the Army rotary wing fleet with critical communication capabilities, enables connectivity to multiple radios used by rotary-wing aircraft and the Blue Force Tracking transceiver, and provides the means for rapid data transfer. The Aviation Mission Common Server (AMCS) effort is a capability upgrade and replacement for the current Army IDM-401. The AMCS program will implement IDM and Common Operating Environment capabilities utilizing a flexible open systems architecture and distributed processing resources to perform an array of non-flight critical computing, data processing, radio and communications management, and graphics generation functions for the enduring and future Army Aviation fleet and de-couple non-flight critical mission system technology integration from flight critical components. The AMCS program will satisfy Army Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) requirements for hardware, software, and firmware and be able to satisfy cybersecurity requirements. The AMCS program will replace the current IDM-401 with a common server capability to support current IDM-401 functionality, provide enhanced data and graphics processing, and provide a FACE architecture through which Aviation platforms will be able to rapidly integrate technology upgrades required to keep pace with evolving threats. The AMCS program will enable the rapid insertion and update of capabilities into Army Aviation operations without requiring lengthy, costly and out of sync software updates to flight mission computers; resulting in affordable, synchronized integration and fielding of Aviation capabilities required for the Multi-Domain Battlefield. The AMCS program will be the center of the future Common Digital Backbone for the enduring and future Army Aviation fleets, and is the key enabler for Army Aviation Multi-Domain Operations. The Aviation Mission Planning System (AMPS) is a system used to conduct pre-mission and aircraft performance planning. It receives data from multiple sources and provides that data digitally to the aircraft to support aviation missions. AMPS is used for automated mission planning, risk assessment, and transfer of mission data to aviation platforms within an Aviation unit. This includes route generation, performance planning, communications planning, terrain analysis, data transfer, and mission rehearsal. These efforts include development and testing of a new underlying architecture to support the move of Army Aviation Mission Planning from the current structure to one that supports synchronization both vertically and horizontally between Aviation and Ground forces. It will allow aircrews to continually plan and update route, threat, and performance data throughout all phases of an Aviation mission. Development of a mobile aircraft performance planning/weight and balance calculator is currently underway and will be the first migration of AMPS capabilities to a mobile hardware agnostic environment.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2021
• Source ID: VU3_0604201A_5_2040_PB_2021

Tags

Readers

• Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
• Aviation Science / Aeronautics.
• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.

Technology Areas

• Cyber