Boosting the availability of special operations aircraft — whether they are helicopters, fixed-wing, or unmanned — has been called a top priority at U.S. Special Operations Command.
USSOCOM has a series of upgrades in the works, as well as a long list of needs that program officers say will make the missions of pilots and operators easier.
The program executive officer for fixed wing systems, Air Force Col. Duke Richardson, is preparing to recapitalize the special operations forces fleet of C-130 tankers and gunships. A total of 45 legacy C-130 aircraft are programmed for the recap, which will help to standardize the fleet.
The program is replacing all 37 SOF tankers with MC-130J aircraft beginning in fiscal 2011. Eight AC-130H gunships will be replaced by AC-130J models. An additional procurement of eight J-model aircraft will bring the fleet of AC-130J gunships to 16 beginning in fiscal 2015.
The program begins next year on a small scale and includes advanced procurement funding for the first aircraft in fiscal 2012.
Program officials intend to pursue a similar strategy for updating the rest of the gunship fleet, Richardson said. Recap of the 17 AC-130U gunships is not yet planned, but that remains a goal of U.S. Special Operations Command, said Air Force Maj. Denise Boyd, a command spokesperson. Ultimately, the total gunship fleet will increase to 33 gunships, comprising the 16 AC-130Js and the recapped 17 AC-130Us.
SOCOM needs to increase the availability of surveillance and strike aircraft for units in the field, said James “Hondo” Geurts, deputy director for acquisition. One solution was to retrofit existing C-130 cargo aircraft with new weapons and sensors, to create the MC-130W Combat Spear aircraft. A contract was awarded to L-3 Communications for eight planes, with an option for four more.
Geurts said engineers hung an F-15 weapons rack on the C-130 and outfitted it with small-diameter bombs. One team even went out to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan to pull an old T-43 navigator console from storage. Engineers took out the 1960s-era TV screen, put in a new commercial screen interface and mounted it on the plane.
Government-developed software linked the console to the bomb rack.
The aircraft dropped a live bomb within weeks to prove that the jury-rigged system would work. It was a cheaper alternative to spending $25 million modeling it for two years to prove feasibility before going out to test it, said Geurts.
Two aircraft were delivered to Cannon Air Force Base, N.M. Three are in production at L-3 Communications in Waco, Texas.
The MC-130W Dragon Spear joint task force effort to update 12 aircraft with precision strike capabilities is not only filling a near-term need for the battlefield, but it also is leading the way for the AC-130 recap program, Richardson said.
On the unmanned aircraft side, the office is looking to start another competition for a mid-endurance UAV. SOCOM currently outsources UAV operations to industry, but the command is quickly burning through the $250 million budgeted for this effort, Richardson said.
There are currently five UAV detachments providing 3,000 flight hours a month. The office is looking at awarding a five-year indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling of $500 million. The award is expected by the third quarter of 2012.
The program office also is expecting to buy $1 million worth of miniature aerial munitions for combat evaluation. The request for proposals is due out later this year. Such munitions can weigh as little as 2 pounds and can be launched from the smaller class UAVs.
The program executive officer for rotary wing systems, Army Col. Christopher Miller, said his office is seeking a hostile fire indicator system, lightweight transparent armor, brownout sensors and ways to reduce optical signature emissions.
Transparent armor is available, but it’s too heavy for helicopters. SOCOM wants armor that weighs less than 3.5 pounds per square foot, he said.
Brownouts are a problem for crews landing in desert areas, said Miller. The swirling dust and dirt engulfs helicopters during the final 100-foot descent, which creates adverse landing conditions even for experienced pilots. SOCOM has been testing an advanced infrared sensor that collects data from systems distributed around the aircraft and consolidates it into a virtual picture for the pilot. “It gives you an external view of the aircraft, so if I look down, I’m looking through the floor of the aircraft, and I see runway,” said Miller.
Another challenge is detecting cables and other obstacles that are not directly in the flight path of a rotary craft. If a helicopter is flying parallel to a wire, and the pilot forgets and suddenly makes a hard turn towards it, a mishap occurs, said Miller.