PEO FIXED WING
USSOCOM’s manned and unmanned fixed wing aircraft provide the backbone for SOF airborne mobility, aerial refueling support, airborne precision engagement and aerial surveillance capabilities. They provide critical infiltration and exfiltration capabilities for SOF into hostile territory through the MC-130E Combat Talon I, MC-130H Combat Talon II and CV-22 Osprey aircraft. The A/C- 130H and A/C-130U gunships provide critical precision engagement and close air support. Real time aerial surveillance of the battlefield is provided to meet the warfighters’ needs, from the individual soldier to the task force commander. Avionics improvement programs, such as the Silent Knight radar and the Directional Infrared Countermeasures program, provide common approaches to capabilities needs across the entire fleet, while activities such as the Standoff Precision Guided Munitions and Airborne Tactical Laser advanced concept technology demonstration programs evaluate cutting-edge technology options for the future.
Colonel James Geurts, USAF, is the Program Executive Officer for Fixed Wing Aircraft (PEO-FW). His mission is to deliver superior SOF-unique manned and unmanned fixed wing airpower capabilities to the joint warfighter. To meet this mission, PEO-FW has partnered with the warfighter, development organizations and support organizations to synchronize acquisition activities to field an array of advanced technology sensors, defensive countermeasures, and advanced avionics to ensure that SOF aircraft can accomplish their missions in the expected threat environments and address supportability challenges of an aging legacy fleet.
The low-density, high-demand nature of the SOF fixed wing fleet is a key driver in the acquisition approaches used to continue to improve and sustain the force. The high operations tempo of these aircraft requires innovative means to incorporate capability and sustainment improvements while ensuring adequate aircraft availability. In addition, PEO-FW is executing several technology demonstration programs to posture special operations fixed wing forces to evaluate future courses of action to ensure effective operations well into the future.
C-130—BACKBONE OF THE SOF FIXED WING FLEET
In 2007, PEO-FW aircraft continue to face the mounting challenges of sustaining the low-density, high-demand SOF C-130 fleet while simultaneously satisfying roadmaps for modernization. Deliveries of “new” SOF aircraft continue into 2007—converting older, “slick” C-130 aircraft for the SOF mission. The first new SOF C-130 mission design series in more than 10 years, the MC-130W specialized air refueling aircraft, are already on the ramp at Hurlburt Field, Fla. The first dual 30 mm-armed AC-130U gunships will be deployed this year.
Ongoing operations in support of the global war on terror have stressed the SOF C-130 fleet at ever-increasing rates. USSOCOM is waging a programming and acquisition battle to ensure sufficient funding, maintain congressional support, and swiftly execute our developmental programs for such sustainment upgrades as the MC-130H and AC-130U center wing box modifications. Due to the rugged SOF mission profile, these aircraft structures have aged prematurely. USSOCOM and our acquisition partners at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, Ga., are accelerating production and installation timelines for center wing replacement to minimize the time aircraft are kept away from the battlefront. These depot maintenance periods have become prime opportunities to install sensor and avionics upgrades.
In addition to obsolescence and diminishing manufacturing sources issues, USSOCOM plans on upgrading forward-looking infrared cameras to modern electro-optical/infrared sensor suites. Replacement of AC-130U, MC-130H and MC-130P infrared sensors enters production in 2007. Meanwhile, USSOCOM continues to monitor the USAF’s avionics modernization program and is developing strategies to fill gaps in the SOF C-130 avionics architecture until those upgrades are available. While numerous efforts are ongoing, sustainment has not detracted from USSOCOM’s target of aircraft modernization.
The fiscal year 2008 budget continues modernization with procurement of an entirely new medium-lift, fixed-wing aircraft to complement CV-22 deliveries now underway. Despite over 40 years of prominence, the mounting sustainment costs of USSOCOM’s MC- 130E Combat Talon I and MC-130P Combat Shadow fleets now outweigh the costs of recapitalization. Thus, USSOCOM is partnering with the USAF’s Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to procure new SOF medium-lift aircraft through a joint program with the USAF’s Air Combat Command’s combat searchand- rescue community. This program is rapidly gaining momentum toward a late-2007 production decision.
The cradle-to-grave outlook of PEO-FW at USSOCOM’s Acquisition and Logistics Center has enabled the juggling of numerous SOF C-130 sustainment, modification and modernization programs. Meeting airframe and avionics sustainment challenges, upgrading sensors to modern technologies, and recapitalization are the spotlights for SOF C-130s in 2007. These efforts will allow USSOCOM to keep the fleet in action well into the next decade and ensure an advantage in any fight.
CV-22 OSPREY – SOF’S NEWEST MOBILITY PLATFORM
The CV-22 provides special operations forces with a high-speed, long-range aircraft capable of penetrating politically or militarily denied areas in support of special operations missions. The CV-22 can self-deploy worldwide in order to maximize mission security, and it has an unrefueled combat range sufficient to satisfy current and emergent major combat operations scenarios from small scale contingences and national mission tasking through the global war on terrorism.
The CV-22 delivers the ability to quickly mass forces and engage the enemy anywhere across a broad operational space. The CV-22 is the first operational tilt-rotor, vertical/short take-off and landing aircraft in the Air Force and USSOCOM inventory. The vertical lift capability, when combined with the CV-22’s advanced avionics, survivability, and mission performance, has transformed special operations capabilities, providing an unprecedented leap in operational depth and speed. The CV-22 fills a long-standing and well-documented USSOCOM and Air Force requirement to conduct long-range insertion and extraction missions in a single period of darkness.
The baseline CV-22 Block 0/10 configuration incorporates enhanced survivability by virtue of an electronic warfare suite specific to the SOF mission, including the AN/AAQ-24 infrared countermeasures system. The CV-22 also improves threat awareness via the suite of integrated radio frequency countermeasures (SIRFC) system. SIRFC can locate threats using missile-warning receivers, as well as incorporate near real-time threats from an intelligence broadcast receiver. The CV-22 can travel over 500 nautical miles in the terrain following, terrain avoidance (TF/TA) mode; locate a small landing zone; infiltrate or exfiltrate a special operations team; and then return to base. Other CV-22 capabilities include hoisting, fast rope infiltration, survivor locator system, and satellite communications.
The CV-22 development program is structured into a block upgrade approach to achieve full operational capability. Developmental and operational testing of the aircraft will continue at both Edwards AFB, Calif., and Hurlburt Field, Fla., through 2009. The CV-22 successfully completed an operational utility evaluation (OUE) in July 2006, and a cold weather OUE was scheduled for February 2007. Initial operational test and evaluation is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of FY08.
Four CV-22 aircraft have been delivered to the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland AFB, N.M., for advanced training of AFSOC pilots and aircrews. The first operational CV-22 has been delivered to AFSOC’s 8th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field. Procurement plans call for 50 CV-22s to be delivered to AFSOC by 2017. The first combat squadron will be ready for deployment by 2009.
SILENT KNIGHT – A COMMON RADAR FOR THE SOF AVIATION FLEET
The Silent Knight radar program will provide USSOCOM an affordable replacement for today’s aging TF/TA multi-mode radars employing “cold war” radar technology. The required capabilities of the Silent Knight radar include a terrain-following, terrain-avoidance capability with low probability of intercept and low probability of detection feature, color display of weather and weather intensity, a high resolution display of prominent terrain features, and detection and location of other aircraft and ships.
In December 2006, the Silent Knight radar program awarded a contract for system design and development of a common TF/TA radar system, integrate the system onto the MH-47G-class of aircraft, and conduct flight testing. USSOCOM anticipates benefiting from a total lower cost of ownership attained through a higher reliability typical of modern avionics systems and a high degree of commonality across the MH-47, MH-60, MC-130H and CV-22 aircraft.
PROTECTING THE FLEET—DIRECTIONAL INFRARED COUNTERMEASURES PROGRAM (DIRCM)
Infrared-guided missile systems have become the adversary’s weapon of choice due to their passive nature (low probability of detection prior to launch), simple operation, low cost and availability. At least 80 nations on six continents own infrared-guided surface-to-air missiles that can be carried and launched by one person. To address this evolving threat, USSOCOM teamed with the United Kingdom to execute a cooperative acquisition program having merged requirements. This was the first successful program of this type. The front-end production qualification and performance certification phase of the effort was completed in early 1999, and the final installation occurred in 2004.
The AN/AAQ-24 DIRCM system ensures fast, accurate threat location through on-board missile warning sensors. The threat information is passed through the system’s main computer to the externally mounted transmitters, which contain an infrared fine track sensor to slew the transmitter to the threat, as well as the IR lamp jamming energy source. The transmitter acquires and tracks the missile while maintaining a high power beam of modulated IR energy on target throughout its full range of maneuvering motion, with the engagement ending in the missile’s defeat. DIRCM was designed in modular fashion to allow multiple installation configurations on a wide range of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft.
The success of the DIRCM system is self evident. The USAF requirement has grown to well over 400 aircraft; resulting in the transition of program management and sustainment responsibilities for all common components to the USAF. USSOCOM will continue to sustain the SOF-unique components until upgrades to the laser-based system are completed.
U-28A
In response to an escalating need for intra-theater airlift, PEO-Fixed Wing procured six Pilatus PC-12 aircraft. These aircraft were modified with a suite of military communications and navigation equipment. They were subsequently fielded as the U-28A aircraft. The aircraft was selected for its versatile performance and ability to operate from short and unimproved runway surfaces.
UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) support many different requirements across each of the component commands, from the Army RQ-11 small unmanned aircraft system to the larger Air Force MQ-1 Predator system, which will begin fielding with the Air Force Special Operations Command in FY 2008. UAS are proving their value in a wide range of current combat operations by providing surveillance platforms, allowing SOF the ability to see over the next hill or corner without putting warfighters in harm’s way or providing eyes in the sky to protect SOF from improvised explosive devices. The “find” piece of the find-fix-finish direct action mission is critical to accomplish in the global war on terrorism, and UAS provide USSOCOM with a key capability to find and track terrorists. ♦