UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

United States Army Special Operations Aviation

Command(USASOAC)

AAAA Aircraft Survivability Equipment

Symposium

BG John R. Evans, Jr.USASOAC Commanding General

14 | November | 2017

Overall Classification: UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO//ORCON

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUOSpecial Operations AviationSpecial Operations Aviation

Video Link

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUOAgenda• Technology Roadmap• Fleet Configuration• Signature Management• Hostile Fire (IR/RF/Small Arms)

• CMWS/IRCM• RF CM• AOBPS/Weight savings

• Future ASE Development and Integration• Multi-Spectral (UV, IR) • Airborne Mission Networking

• Advanced Tactics, Education, and Training• GAP• Advanced Education and Training Concept

Agenda

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUOTechnology Roadmap

Increased Effectiveness, Suitability, and Survivability Enroute and on the Objective

Tech Path

SIGNATURE MANAGEMENTReduce Detection Radius, Disrupt 

Aiming

THREAT DETECTIONDetect/Defeat Threat Weapons, Disable 

Shooters

DEGRADED VISUAL ENVIRONMENT SYSTEM 

Operate Safely in Brownout, Whiteout, and IMC

INTEGRATED AIRBORNE  NETWORKING SYSTEMHolistic Waveform Management

Current Capability

Exhaust Suppression (Infrared) Detect and counter guided munitions with expendables

Flight Instruments, CAAS cueing Federated Rover 6 and PRC‐117, PRC 152 PRC – 154 (Carry‐On)

TW‐400 , Case‐by‐case MANET

Redu

ctionof visua

l signa

ture

Redu

ctionof ra

dar signa

ture; 

agile

 and

 coo

perativ

e jamming

Redu

ction of acoustic

 sign

ature Detect unguided projectiles, 

geolocate source, slave sensorsDAFCS, synthetic vision for increased 

control and cueingIntegrated  Waveforms

& MANETFederated Link 16

Detect aimed optics, rifle barrels;  directed energy replaces 

expendables

Fusion of DTED with imagery or EO, integrated cable warning and obstacle 

avoidance

Hybrid Optical/RF air‐to‐air links, Msn Planning,

Airborne Mesh,Integrated Link 16

Dazzle shooters and potential shooters, disable RPG fuses prior to 

impact

DTED, imagery, EO, RF, and laser image via HUD

Software Programmable Radios supporting  single integration multi‐

solution set cross domain

Objective Capability

Active signature manipulation; electromagnetic spectrum 

exploited for feints, saturation and surprise

Disable guided and fused weapons prior to launch; surface fire feeds 

AOR targeting systems

Integrated Synthetic vision via HUD, expand portion of available of EM spectrum & data available to Crew 

Members

Fully Displayable, Modular, Air vehicle OFP de‐synced  Dynamic Tactical Airborne Network with Anti‐Cognitive Jamming

Technology Roadmap

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUOCurrent Fleet

All ASE systems integrated through Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) using a single Dedicated Electronic Warfare Display (DEWD)

SOA CAAS

MH-60M

SIRFCCMWS/ICMD

AVR-2B

MH-47G

Current Fleet

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUOIR Suppression• MH47G: IES-47

• SOF unique• Fully fielded

• MH60M: UES• Army common with UH-60M

Reduce signatures to enhance CM effectiveness

Infrared (IR) Suppression

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUOInfrared Countermeasures (IRCM)• Reduced Optical Signature Emissions Solution

(ROSES)• Low visibility flare• Extensive captive seeker testing and modeling• 2 x Flare solution fielded• Ongoing work to improve solution

Effectiveness with lower optical signature

Infrared Countermeasures (IRCM)

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

• Suite of Integrated Radio Frequency Countermeasures (SIRFC) • Fielding complete, continuing to upgrade capability• Premier rotary wing Radar Warning Receiver (RWR)• Premier rotary wing Radio Frequency Counter Measures (RFCM)• Comprehensive RF solution (RWR and Countermeasure)

• Replaces four federated legacy systems– APR‐39, APR‐44, ALQ‐136, ALQ‐162

• Hosts CMWS, AAQ – 24, and AVR-2B Interface, HFI correlation and sensor fusion

• Common ASE display• Threat data• System status

The foundation of the 160th SOAR integrated ASE suite

Radio Frequency Countermeasures (RFCM)

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUOAircraft Armor• Aircraft Occupant Ballistic Protection

System (AOBPS)• Fielding complete• Provides focused protection• Almost half the weight of steel, equivalent protection,

1366 lb savings with MH-47 crew and pax set installed• Fielded to all 3 airframes

MH-47G

Protect our crews and customers

MH-60A/MH-6

Aircraft Armor

• Multi-hit Transparent Armor System (MITAS)• Fielding complete (Fielded only to the MH-

60M fleet) • Improved protection while providing

improved visibility

MH-60 MITAS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

10

• Multi-Spectral (UV, IR) • Maximize the use of existing sensors and processors• Minimize weight penalty• Integrate into SIRFC for crew interface, real time reporting small arms,

RPG, and AAA with no impact to MWS• Ultimate goal is to provide a countermeasure and geo-location

Future ASE Development and Integration

ASE Joint Urgent Operational Need

Statement (JUONS)

Expedite Situational Awareness

Airborne Mission Networking • Airborne Mission Networking• Networked Common Operating Picture (COP)• Networked ASE Data

• A/MH-6M Solution(s)

• Networked DVE DataDegraded Visual Environment Pilotage

System (DVEPS)

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

• GAP• Special Operations Aviation lacks the

capability to conduct Advanced Tactical Education and Training.• No SOF Peculiar Aviation Mission Survivability Officer

(AMSO) Course• No Aviation Advanced Tactics Course (Academic /

Simulation / Flight)

11

Advanced Tactics Education and Training Gap

• Requirement• Strategic level demand for and advanced

aviation support capability in an Anti Access Area Denial (A2AD) environment. • Recent missions, ongoing and future requirements• Denied areas are expanding and trend towards

layered, networked, and technologically advanced enemy.

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

• Formalize Advanced Training and SOP• Develop SOF Peculiar AMSO POI (Academic / Simulation) – Advanced • Develop SOA Tactics POI (Academic / Simulation / Flight) – Graduate

• A2AD Focus– Denied Area Planning– Denied Area Execution– Personnel Recovery

• Integrate Intel support and Electronic Warfare (EW) SOF Aviation peculiar education and training into SOA

Advanced Tactics, Education, and Training Concept

• Special Operations Aviation Mission Survivability (SOAMS) Team• Intelligence personnel trained to support requirements for

A2/AD planning• EW personnel cross trained in rotor wing (RW) planning

methods and ASE capabilities

• Aviation Mission Survivability personnel cross trained in EW IOT integrate in the EW plan

160th SOAMS TEAM CONCEPT

The Aviation Mission Survivability Team is a tactically sound, mission focused group, designated by the command as the denied area planning specialists, comprised ofAviation Mission Survivability (AMS) and Electronic Warfare (EW) subject matter experts.

Transition from “we own the night” to “we own the spectrum”

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUO

USASOAC | VOLARE OPTIMOS

UNCLASSIFIED//FOUOQuestions