Aviation | Soldier Systems Daily Soldier Systems Daily

Archive for the ‘Aviation’ Category

GA-ASI Completes Final Qualification Test for HFE 2.0 Engine

Thursday, November 21st, 2024

200-HP Heavy Fuel Engine Will Be Used for Gray Eagle 25M

SAN DIEGO – 19 November 2024 – On Nov. 13, 2024, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), completed its final qualification test for its new 200-horsepower heavy fuel engine at its El Mirage, California, flight facility. The Heavy Fuel Engine (HFE) 2.0 is a highly reliable low-maintenance engine with a 40 percent increase in service life providing longer maintenance-free operational periods. The engine will provide the horsepower and electrical power required to meet the demanding performance needs of the new Gray Eagle 25M for Multi-Domain Operations (MDO).

The three-week qualification test of the HFE 2.0 engine is aligned with the Federal Aviation Administration’s endurance test requirements (FAA 14 CFR 33.49) as the FAA’s primary performance standard for engines to be used in commercial aviation. Over the last 18 months, HFE 2.0 excelled in strenuous durability testing that included 2,450 full power cycles simulating high stress conditions during three extensive test profiles of 200, 400, and 651 hours. Additionally, the engine completed 50 hours of flight testing across the flight envelope.

“This test is the culmination of the extensive durability and flight test program for the HFE 2.0 engine,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “It’s been great to see the outstanding test results that have validated the design and development of the HFE 2.0 engine we have worked on so passionately for the past seven years and to bring this world-class engine to the Gray Eagle fleet.”

GA-ASI and its General Atomics Europe affiliate partnered with global leaders in high-performance engines — supported by propulsion technology innovator Cosworth — to develop an engine on the company’s internally funded research and development program. GA-ASI also brought in General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems to design and build the engine’s dual brushless generator, which will dramatically reduce field maintenance and is designed to be a drop-in replacement for the existing generator. The enhanced generator will deliver over 50 percent more electrical power to support newly available payloads for the MDO mission.

After completion of the FAA engine endurance test, next steps call for the U.S. Army certification process to allow authorization of the HFE 2.0 for use on the existing fleet of GA-ASI’s Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE ER) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) as a replacement for the 180-horsepower engine that is reaching its end of life. HFE 2.0 is also the cornerstone of the modernized Gray Eagle 25M (GE 25M) UAS currently being produced under a U.S. Army-funded program to support future MDO UAS missions.

Posted in Aviation, Press Release, UAS | Comments Off on GA-ASI Completes Final Qualification Test for HFE 2.0 Engine

ISTEC Delivers First Batch of Weapon Integration Mounts for the New USAF Grey Wolf Helicopter

Tuesday, November 19th, 2024

ISTEC Services Limited, the British company with 35 years of operationally proven experience in the design, manufacture and supply of complex weapon integration solutions for military platforms, is delivering the first production shipsets (a shipset is a left and right gun mount pair) for the new United States Air Force (USAF) Grey Wolf Helicopter. The USAF Grey Wolf helicopter is a Boeing led programme for the replacement of the famous, but aging, UH-1N Huey helicopter and is built on a Leonardo MH-139A platform. ISTEC has recently delivered the first shipsets to Leonardo and the USAF took delivery of the first low-rate production Grey Wolf helicopter in August 2024.

The Grey Wolf offers significant improvements in terms of speed, range, and payload capacity compared to the Huey. It also features modern avionics, defensive systems, and a more robust airframe, making it suitable for a wide range of missions. The ISTEC weapons mount contract was originally awarded in 2018 and following prototype design and customer testing, to ensure the maximum arcs, ease of use and air safety compliance, final design approval was granted in 2020. Full production started in 2023, and following the delivery of the first shipsets, the remainder of the contract will be aligned with the wider programme delivery schedule.

ISTEC has extensive experience in providing weapons integration solutions for the Land, Sea and Air domains. However, there were many additional elements to the Grey Wolf project such as an external mounting frame that required significant additional design input from the ISTEC team. All the Grey Wolf components are manufactured with a ‘cradle to grave’ traceability process to ensure all raw materials sourced are to aerospace release, with full audit back to the mill, regular composition testing to ensure material alloying elements are above specification and thereby ensuring that the gun mounts meet the rigorous manufacturing standards required to be classed as airworthy and type certified.

Mick Coulson, Manager Director at ISTEC said, “This has been a significant project for ISTEC, supporting a major helicopter replacement programme for the USAF, that we have been privileged to have been involved with from the very start. ISTEC is well known for our universal gun mount systems, especially on vehicles and ships, but I am extremely proud of the design and engineering expertise that has gone into producing this aviation specific system for the Grey Wolf, clearly demonstrating the universal benefits of using our weapon integration systems across all domains.”

Posted in Air Force, Aviation, Contracts, Press Release, Weapon Accessories | 3 Comments »

Gentex SideKick ARC Mini Rails for HGU-56/P Helmet

Friday, November 15th, 2024

It was only a matter of time before the Ops-Core ARC (Accessory Rail Connector) would find its way on to a flight helmet.

The SideKick ARC Mini Rails offer a low-profile attachment point for additional technology, mounting them closer to the helmet, with a lower center of gravity. Additionally, accessories will breakaway at 8 ft/lbs in the event of a crash or snag.

SideKick ARC Rails are designed to be compatible with all fielded and future HGU-56/P style helmets, including RWH and ABH.

Available in Black.

shop.gentexcorp.com/sidekick-arc-mini-rail

Posted in Advertiser, Aviation, Helmets | No Comments »

Bell Textron Selects Integris Composites as Armor Supplier for U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA)

Thursday, November 14th, 2024

Integris Composites, Inc., a global leader in armor protection for the world’s elite military announces an agreement with Bell Textron Inc. to provide armor for the U.S. Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft.

Tysons Corner, Va. — Integris Composites, the global leader in armor protection for the world’s elite military units has been selected by Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, as a supplier of armor systems for the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA).

This tiltrotor aircraft is the U.S. Army’s selected platform for its FLRAA weapons system. It will provide advanced capability well beyond that of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter with increased speed, range and payloads.

ARMOR SYSTEM: Bell Textron, Inc. has selected Integris Composites to supply armor for the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA). The Bell V-280 Valor pictured here was chosen by the US Army as the winner of Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft Program. The new assault aircraft will fly twice as far and twice as fast as the current fleet. Photo by Danazar- Creative Commons.

“We are grateful to be selected by Bell,” said Andrew Bonham, president of Integris Composites, Inc., the U.S. component of Integris Composites which last year became the new name for TenCate Advanced Armour, continuing a quarter-century legacy as a resource for form, safety, dependability and survivability.

“All of us at Integris are extremely proud to be part of the team behind this innovative rotorcraft that is ushering in what will become the U.S. Army’s new long-range assault aircraft ensuring our nation’s warfighters have the decisive edge in any theater where they are operating,” Bonham continued.

“We are pleased to include Integris Composites on the team for its protective armor capabilities for the FLRAA,” said Ryan Ehinger, senior vice president and program director for FLRAA, Bell. “Bell and the FLRAA team are committed to delivering not just more speed and range to our soldiers, but more survivability and reliability as well,” Ehinger stated.

A Storied Legacy

“Integris becomes a part of the latest chapter in the storied legacy of utility aircraft, a lineage that traces its roots back to the iconic Vietnam-era ‘Huey’ (UH-1 Iroquois) and the present-day UH-60 Black Hawk, which has faithfully served as the Army’s Utility Tactical Transport Aircraft (UTTAS) since 1979,” said David Cordova, chief commercial officer for Integris, Inc.
“FLRAA is a marvel of engineering that promises to redefine the boundaries of speed, agility, operational versatility/survivability,” Cordova observed.

Advanced Armor from Integris on Land, Water and in the Air

“This is the latest armor contract for Integris in the airborne segment,” added Bonham. “It’s an exceptional achievement for both the Integris organization as well as commercial partners, such as the team at QinetiQ Group plc.”

Cordova said Integris is supporting several other aerospace companies. “We provide armored kits such as the H-125, MH-139 as well as the C-130J this last one, in partnership with QinetiQ. But Integris is also providing high-performance, lightweight, fit-for-purpose composite military armor on the ground and in the water as well as in the air,” said Cordova.

Integris is an engineering company and the manufacturer of composite armor for land vehicles, aircraft, naval craft, protection housing for optronics and other sensitive technology and personal protection gear. For more information go to: www.integriscomposites.com.

Posted in Armor, Aviation, Materials, Press Release | No Comments »

GA-ASI Completes Full-Scale Fatigue Test on MQ-9B for Second Lifetime

Friday, October 18th, 2024

SAN DIEGO – 14 October 2024 – On Sept. 30, 2024, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (G A-ASI) completed a major milestone with the full-scale fatigue testing of an MQ-9B Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). The team completed the “second lifetime” of fatigue testing, which is equivalent to 80,000 operating hours and represents an important step in validating the design of the airframe system. The testing is part of the aircraft certification to NATO standard STANAG 4671, where the aircraft will ultimately be tested through three lifetimes, thereby proving the 40,000-hour lifetime of the airframe.

The full-scale fatigue test simulates the aircraft’s design service through the application of repeated structural loading on the assembled airframe. The testing identifies any potential structural deficiencies ahead of fleet usage and assists in developing inspection and maintenance schedules for the airframe. The results of the test will be used as part of the documentation for certification and will form the basis for in-service inspections of structural components.

MQ-9B is GA-ASI’s most advanced RPA and includes the SkyGuardian® and SeaGuardian® models as well as the new Protector RG Mk1 that is currently being delivered to the United Kingdom Royal Air Force (RAF).

“Full-scale fatigue testing is an integral part of validating the airframe design and a key input for the certification of the airframe prior to entering service,” said Chris Dusseault, vice president of MQ-9B in Europe. “The completion of the fatigue test builds confidence for our MQ-9B customers that the SkyGuardian/SeaGuardian meets the stringent design rigor and is mature at Entry into Service.”

The testing is the validation of years of design and analysis efforts. This is the second of three lifetimes of testing for the airframe. Two of the lifetimes simulate the operation of an aircraft under normal conditions, and the third has intentional damage inflicted on the airframe’s critical components to demonstrate its resistance to operational damage that may occur over the lifetime of the air vehicle.

Testing was conducted from Jan. 31, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2024, at Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research in Wichita, Kansas. The airframe tested is a production airframe purpose-built to support the test campaign.

In addition to the RAF, contracts have been signed for MQ-9B with Belgium, Canada, Japan, Taiwan and the U.S. Air Force in support of the Special Operations Command. The Japan Coast Guard is currently operating the SeaGuardian for maritime operations, and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) selected SeaGuardian for its Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) RPA System Trial Operation Project.

Posted in Aviation, Press Release, UAS | No Comments »

The Army’s Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System Program Achieves Two Major Milestones

Friday, September 13th, 2024

REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – The U.S. Army recently achieved two major milestones in the development of the Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System Program, when the two competitors completed Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) conformance evaluations and flight demonstrations of their prototype aircraft.

The MOSA conformance evaluations were conducted in May, with Griffon Aerospace in Madison, Ala. and Textron Systems in Huntsville, Ala. Conducted collaboratively, the evaluation consisted of replacing the vendor prototype mission computers with a third-party surrogate mission computer and a mix of third-party and vendor software. Swapping the hardware and software allowed an independent assessor to measure the openness and modularity of the prototype systems to determine the extent to which MOSA objectives were satisfied. This MOSA conformance verification demonstrated early implementation of and alignment with required MOSA functional boundaries and will serve as a model for follow-on MOSA evaluations.

Following MOSA verifications, the FTUAS team executed flight demonstrations with both vendor prototypes at the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center (RTC), a subordinate command of the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command. Griffon Aerospace and Textron Systems conducted multiple flights at RTC demonstrating key system characteristics including Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL), reduced acoustic signature, On-The-Move (OTM) command and control, rapid emplacement, system integration, and flight performance. Each vendor will continue prototype development, incorporate feedback and lessons learned, and deliver production representative prototypes for use in future Government-led testing at RTC ultimately informing the Army’s selection for a Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System program of record.

FTUAS will provide Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) with an organic capability to conduct reconnaissance and surveillance operations that collect, develop, and report actionable intelligence, allowing the BCT commander to maintain dominance during Multi-Domain Operations.

FTUAS transformational capabilities include VTOL for runway independence, OTM command and control, and Soldier led, field-level maintenance. FTUAS’s Modular Open Systems Approach allows the system to keep pace with technology through rapid capability insertions.

The Program Executive Office (PEO) for Aviation at Redstone Arsenal, Ala. is responsible for modernizing the Army Aviation fleet of crewed and uncrewed aircraft to maintain the Army’s asymmetric advantage of peer adversaries in large scale combat operations. PEO Aviation’s Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Project Office is dedicated to rapidly fielding transformational UAS capabilities at echelon to Army formations.

–Program Executive Office, Aviation

Posted in Army, Aviation, Guest Post, UAS | Comments Off on The Army’s Future Tactical Uncrewed Aircraft System Program Achieves Two Major Milestones

BAE Systems Awarded $4 Million from DARPA for Tactical Autonomy Program

Thursday, September 12th, 2024

Artificial Intelligence Reinforcement (AIR) program to advance autonomous air combat

MERRIMACK, N.H., Sept. 10, 2024 — The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded BAE Systems’ (LON:BA) FAST Labs™research and development organization a $4 millioncontract for Phase 1 of the Artificial Intelligence Reinforcements (AIR) program.

To overcome the fast-paced and uncertain environment that is inherent to air combat and presented a challenge for autonomous agents, the DARPA AIR program aims to advance dominant tactical autonomy for beyond visual range air combat missions. Autonomy solutions will be developed and demonstrated on F-16 testbeds.

“Generating reliable, consistent air combat performance requires a vast amount of data and rapid, robust testing cycles,” said Michael Planer, scientist and principal investigator at BAE Systems’ FAST Labs. “Using machine learning, we will train the models used to make dynamic decisions – ensuring that the Artificial Intelligence (AI) pilot is tested and trusted by human pilots.”

Under the AIR contract, BAE Systems will use machine learning (ML) to innovate simulation models of existing sensors, electronic warfare systems, and weapons within dynamic and operationally representative environments. ML techniques will also capture the underlying physics of aerial maneuvers and systems. The company will then create the processes needed to rapidly design, test, and deliver future iterations of AIR software products.

Work on the AIR program, which is part of BAE Systems’ autonomy portfolio, will take place in Arlington, Virginiaand Burlington, Massachusetts.

Posted in AI / ML, Aviation, Contracts, Press Release, Research | Comments Off on BAE Systems Awarded $4 Million from DARPA for Tactical Autonomy Program

GAO Issues Summary of Armed Overwatch Reports

Thursday, September 12th, 2024

Last week the Government Accounting Office released “Special Operations Forces: Summary of Armed Overwatch Reports” which summarizes a series of previous reports on USSOCOM’s offer to acquire and field the OA-1K aircraft which they have selected for the Armed Overwatch role. This summary includes data from a restricted report entitled “Special Operations Forces: DOD Should Reassess Its Need to Acquire Armed Overwatch Aircraft, GAO-24-106993C, September 4” which is based on a classified study.

The initial plan was to field 75 of the AT-802U Sky Warden aircraft to conduct Close Air Support, precision strike; and Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance missions. The aircraft were to be operated by Air Force Special Operations Command and organized into five squadrons, four operational and one for training.

But based on a GAO report from last December, DoD directed SOCOM to justify their planned number of 75 aircraft and they have since dropped the number to 62, almost a full squadron’s worth of capability, but have claimed it is due to budgetary realities and not Congressional direction. To be sure, USSOCOM is a very expensive aviation force, but they haven’t had a dedicated ground attack capability, aside from AC130 gunships, since the Vietnam war.

Congress is still shrill about the program, under some sort of impression that we aren’t going to conduct anymore low intensity conflicts in the future. DoD has the same notion, relegating anything short of major theater war to just “countering violent extremist organizations.” This remains short sighted and requires systems intended for Large l-Scale Combat Operations (aka war) to be expended against threats which they are way overmatched against.

From the summary report:

RELEVANT GAO WORK

GAO issued two reports on the Armed Overwatch program and identified issues to support decision-makers in Congress and the Department of Defense.

Analysis of needs. GAO found in December 2023 that SOCOM did not complete analyses of its operational needs to justify its purchase of 75 Armed Overwatch aircraft. SOCOM reduced that amount to 62 aircraft in March 2024, but as of September 2024 had not completed these analyses.

Plans for divested aircraft. SOCOM plans to divest two ISR platforms. Subsequently, some personnel and resources from the platforms will be used to support Armed Overwatch. However, GAO found that SOCOM has not taken steps to plan for, or add, critical ISR capabilities provided by soon-to-be divested aircraft. Also, SOCOM has not addressed risks associated with the loss of these capabilities if the new aircraft does not provide them.

Operational challenges. Special operations commands identified logistical and operational challenges that could inhibit SOCOM’s ability to effectively deploy and operate the aircraft as intended. Users said that the Armed Overwatch aircraft may not meet their mission needs because of these challenges.

Based on these reports, GAO made seven recommendations to the Department of Defense to address challenges that face the Armed Overwatch program.

Of the seven recommendations, DoD has concurred on one and partially concurred on the other six.

Meanwhile, the Armed Overwatch program continues to slip to the right while we remain engaged with violent extremists around the world.

Posted in Air Force, Aviation, SOF | 1 Comment »