By Army News Service on Thursday, June 20th, 2013
Army updates ‘eyes’ of Apache helicopters
The Army is incorporating a brand new sensor capability into its Apache helicopters.
The Apache Sensors Product Office has accepted delivery of the recent Modernized Day Sensor Assembly Laser Rangefinder Designator, or LRFD, the primary section of be fielded inside the Modernized Day Sensor Assembly.
The laser represents increased capability to the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor, often called the “eyes of the Apache.”
“This laser kit, what we call M-DSA phase one, is an investment by the military and this system Executive Office for Aviation, and we’re anticipating the reliability and maintainability improvements that this laser will bring to the MTADS system,” Lt. Col. Steven Van Riper, product manager for Apache Sensors, said during a media teleconference June 6. “The maintainers may have less of a burden on the subject of keeping the system up and completely operational, while our aircrews might be in a position to benefit from the performance improvements.”
Van Riper added that the point of interest with M-DSA is the Apache Sensors Product Office’s obsolescence mitigation program, which started about three years ago.
The modernized LRFD is the primary phase of upgrades for the M-DSA program. The modernized LRFD mitigates obsolescence and offers enhanced performance to the MTADS/PNVS system.
The legacy laser, built with 1970s/1980s technology, was developed with a tactical wavelength within the system, and involves a high maintenance cost for the military. The hot laser features a second EyeSafe wavelength, the latest technology available. It replaces the old flash lamp technology to a more reliable, more robust diode pump laser technology.
The diode pump is the main driver of accelerating the Army’s reliability and maintainability numbers, thereby reducing the load on flight line maintainers. The military expects to have a smaller footprint, thereby reducing operations and sustainment costs by up to 50 percent during the life cycle of the overall kit. Which means that the military might want to buy fewer spare parts, because of the new system’s reliability.
Phase one can be fielded later this year and should be fully capable by 2016, based on Matt Hoffman, director of MTADS/PNVS programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.
“The MDSA is the manager targeting aide for the Apache and establishes range-to-target for accurate weapons engagement,” Hoffman said.
Completion of the second one phase, scheduled to start in 2016, will include all of the remaining elements within the DSA corresponding to a high definition color television, laser pointer marker, upgraded laser spot tracker, and a state-of-the-art inertia measuring unit for stability and extended range inside the system.
“We are meeting all of our milestones when it comes to production ramp rate, moving towards maintaining our production rate of over 20 lasers per 30 days,” Van Riper said. “We’re stepping as much as that incrementally using a truly deliberate production engineering process.”
The M-DSA may have an analogous fit and form because the legacy laser to make sure that the military has a retrofittable laser into all its legacy systems.
The Army’s goal is to retrofit the M-DSA and equip the AH-64E Apache units first.
“We’re going to head during the fleet as quickly as we are able to in keeping with our battalion fielding plan,” Van Riper said. Fielding would be in accordance with rotational and deployment schedules of these units.
“When we’re in a position to have an entire kit of MLRFDs to hide all aircraft assigned to a battalion, we will be able to take a fielding team to the situation and execute the fielding as quickly as possible without disrupting that unit’s operational tempo and coaching plan,” Van Riper explained.
The first unit to be equipped is scheduled for June 2014.
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