Aviation Improvements

Mission — Aircraft Equipment Reliability/Maintainability Improvement Program (AERMIP) source

Aircraft Equipment Reliability/Maintainability Improvement Program (AERMIP) is the only Navy program which provides Research, Development, Test & Evaluation engineering support specifically for in-service, out-of-production aircraft equipment. AERMIP increases readiness through reliability, maintainability, and safety improvements to existing systems and equipment installed in Naval aircraft. It also provides a transition vehicle to deploy Total Ownership Cost reduction initiatives through flight-test support and Fleet Test & Evaluation. It meets affordable readiness objectives by providing a cost-effective solution to obsolescence problems encountered when service lives are extended. AERMIP promotes commonality and standardization across aircraft platform lines and among the services through extension of application and use of non-developmental items. AERMIP also decreases life cycle costs through reduced operational and support costs. AERMIP facilitates the Operational, Safety and Improvement Program by applying proven low-risk solutions to current fleet problems. AERMIP also funds high-priority flight testing which is not associated with any acquisition or development program under the Flight Test General task.

Mission — IFDIS fault detection source

Target efforts aimed at reducing intermittent faults in Electrical Wiring Interconnect System (EWIS) on aircraft to improve readiness and reduce related non-value-added maintenance costs. Conduct trade studies to determine the significance of intermittence, assess the effectivity of existing fielded test aircraft wiring test equipment to combat EWIS intermittence and to perform gap analyses between the causes of intermittence and the capabilities of equipment for detecting these issues.

Mission — Acft Handling & Service Equip source

Common Ground Equipment is a Naval Aviation Project to apply new technology to common support equipment due to obsolescence necessary to support multiple systems/aircraft within the Navy. The common support equipment items developed with this budget are briefed to the Air Force, Army and Coast Guard for possible use in joint procurement in the production phase. Recent transition has merged existing Portable Electronic Maintenance Aids (PEMA) and Standard PEMA Cyber Solution (SPEC) project lines under Aviation Maintenance Advancement Solutions (AMAS). Funding supports the evaluation, testing and integration to develop PEMA Commercial solution for portable device deployments across the Naval Aviation Enterprise. PEMA is a portable device utilized by maintainers with the implementation of digital maintenance capabilities (digital publications, Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals, Internet Protocol based data uploads, Binary digit data downloads, automated diagnostics, and planeside Naval Aviation Logistics Command/Management Information System. PEMAs are mandatory display devices supporting modern day Automated Maintenance Environment implemented for weapon systems. Future Readiness Initiative to Develop SPECS architecture for all PEMAs to standardize software across NAE, leverage existing enterprise tools, and to correct cyber shortfalls identified by the Cyber Warfare Detachment (CWD). A Cyber Risk Assessment (CRA) identified vulnerabilities on the PEMA system that could be exploited to threaten U.S. capabilities. A new software image and configuration management process has been identified to mitigate the top 60% of identified risk groups and 100% of penetration test findings from the CRA. Engine Test Instrumentation Replacement System (ETIRS) provides post maintenance Navy and Marine Corps Intermediate (I) - Level out-of-airframe test capability, for various aircraft engines. It will be used at shipboard and land-based engine test activities to support testing of turbofan, turboshaft and turboprop engines. ETIRS will include development of unique Engine Test Program Sets (TPSs). The Legacy ETI systems are reaching end of life and exhibiting significant obsolescence issues impacting sustainment.

Mission — Aviation Improvements source

Project 0601 - Common Ground Equipment is a Naval Aviation Project to apply new technology to common support equipment due to obsolescence necessary to support multiple systems/aircraft within the Navy. Project 0852: Consolidated Automated Support System (CASS) Family of Testers (FoT) are standardized Automated Test Equipment (ATE) with computer assisted, multi-function capabilities to support the maintenance of aircraft weapons systems and missiles. Organizational Level (O-Level) testers are other types of standardized ATE with computer assisted, multi-function capabilities to support the maintenance of aircraft weapons systems. ATE host, and their Test Program Sets (TPS), along with associated ancillary are considered Automatic Test Systems (ATS). Project 1041 - Aircraft Equipment Reliability/Maintainability Improvement Program is the only Navy program that provides engineering support for in-service out-of-production aircraft equipment and provides increased readiness at reduced operational and support cost. Project 1355 - Aircraft Engine Component Improvement Program develops reliability and maintainability and safety enhancements for in-service Navy aircraft engines, transmissions, propellers, starters, auxiliary power units, electrical generating systems, fuel systems, fuels, and lubricants. Project 1356 - Corrosion Prevention Improvements funding will enable the NAE to establish a Center of Excellence for Corrosion and Finish (CoECF) Training focused on educating, training, and certifying qualified, proficient maintainers capable of performing: corrosion identification, corrosion inspection, corrosion prevention, corrosion repair and restoration. Qualified, proficient maintainers will improve material readiness through improved material condition, while also developing the knowledge & maintenance skills of Sailors and Marines. JUSTIFICATION FOR BUDGET ACTIVITY: This program is funded under OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT because it includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Mission — Corrosion Prevention Improvements source

Corrosion Prevention Improvements support efforts to improve existing and new weapon systems resilience to corrosion degradation, increasing operational availability. This funding will enable the NAE to: 1. Establish a Center of Excellence for Corrosion and Finish (CoECF) Training focused on educating, training, and certifying qualified, proficient maintainers capable of performing corrosion prevention and control inspection and maintenance. 2. Validate and demonstrate solid state structural (S3R) repair techniques to extend the service life of components damaged by corrosion, wear or other occurrences. 3. Validate and demonstrate novel cold spray powders to improve the corrosion prevention and durability of cold spray repairs. 4. Demonstrate the value of laser ablation capability to remove corrosion and coatings on aviation components.

Mission — Propulsion and Power Component Improvement Program source

The Propulsion and Power (P&P) Component Improvement Program (CIP) provides the only source of critical design and development engineering support to resolve safety, reliability and maintainability deficiencies of in-service Navy and Marine Corps aircraft propulsion systems. The highest priority issues P&P CIP addresses concern safety-of-flight deficiencies, which account for approximately 80% of P&P CIP efforts. The program also corrects service-revealed deficiencies, improves Operational Readiness and Reliability and Maintainability, and reduces platform Life Cycle Cost. Budgets are allocated across platform-specific teams and multi-platform product support teams based upon long term strategies to achieve safety and affordable readiness goals; the R-3 exhibit details annual portions of those long-term strategies. P&P CIP tasks have reduced the rate of in-flight aborts, safety incidents, non-mission capable rates, scheduled and unscheduled engine removals, maintenance work hours, and overall cost of ownership. This is accomplished through the maintenance and validation of specification performance, testing to qualify engineering changes, verifying life limits, and improving the inherent reliability of the propulsion and power systems as an integral part of Reliability Centered Maintenance initiatives. Historically, the missions, tactics, and environmental exposure of military aircraft systems change to meet new threats or operational demands, and often result in unforeseen problems, which if not corrected, can cause critical safety/readiness degradation, such as those experienced during OPERATIONS DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM, ENDURING FREEDOM, and IRAQI FREEDOM due to sand erosion. In addition, new problems arise through actual fleet deployment and usage of the aircraft. System development programs, while geared to resolve as many problems as possible before deployment, cannot duplicate actual operations or account for the vast array of environmental and usage variables, particularly when aircraft missions vary from those that the aircraft was designed to perform. Therefore, it has been found that P&P CIP can provide an immediate engineering response to these flight-critical problems and accelerated engine testing can avoid potential problems. P&P CIP starts after development and Navy acceptance of the first production article and addresses usage and life problems not covered by warranties. P&P CIP addresses engines, transmissions, propellers, starters, auxiliary power units, electrical generating systems, aircraft wiring, and fuel and lubricant systems. These efforts continue over the system's life, gradually decreasing to a minimum level sufficient to maintain the reliability, and decrease the operating costs, of older inventory. P&P CIP is a highly leveraged and cooperative tri-service program with Foreign Military Sales participation.

Mission — Consolidated Auto Support System source

The electronic Consolidated Automated Support System (eCASS) project is the system design and development of the latest generation of the US Navy's CASS family of automatic test systems and is the replacement system for legacy CASS systems, which provides Naval aircraft avionics component maintenance and repair support at Intermediate and Depot maintenance facilities both shore-based and afloat. As a CASS replacement program, the eCASS program objectives remain the same as that of CASS. Specifically: (1) increase material readiness; (2) reduce life cycle costs; (3) improve tester sustainability at depot and intermediate maintenance levels; (4) reduce proliferation of unique test equipment, and (5) provide test capability for existing and emerging avionics/electronics aircraft weapon systems. The Test Technology development project includes analysis, application, maturation, integration and testing of emerging electronic, mechanical, and optical test technologies for potential military utility for emerging requirements or obsolescence resolution in support of Naval avionics testing and repair. Specifically included are next-generation, electro-optics, synthetic instruments, high-speed bus technologies, inertial device technologies, and various other elements of modernization for legacy Electronic Warfare (EW) and Communication, Navigation and Identification (CNI) test systems, as well as the Consolidated Automated Support System (CASS) family of testers and other Automatic Test Systems (ATS) Support Equipment (SE) which supports the testing and repair of any Naval aviation equipment, including associated Test Program Sets (TPSs), and ancillary equipment. Automatic Test Systems (ATS) Modernization project includes efforts to address modernization and required obsolescence analysis and updates for legacy Electronic Warfare (EW) and Communication, Navigation and Identification (CNI) test systems, as well as the Consolidated Automated Support System (CASS) family of testers as ATS. The ATS encompasses both software and hardware updates. Modernization required to support emerging T/M/S technologies such as next-generation electro-optics, synthetic instruments, high-speed bus technologies, inertial device technologies needed for ATS support. Efforts cover the Electronic Warfare (EW) Testers, eCASS, their ancillary and any required Test Program Sets (TPSs) and ancillary equipment. The Fourth Generation Electro-Optical (EO4) development project consists of the design and development of the latest generation electro-optic test console for use with the electronic CASS (eCASS) automatic test system. The EO4 system will replace the legacy Third Generation Electro-Optical (EO3) system, which is facing imminent obsolescence, in providing test, repair, and maintenance capability for Naval and Marine Corps electro-optic weapon systems at both shore-based and afloat sites. As an EO3 replacement program, the EO4 program objectives remain the same as EO3. Specifically: (1) provide test capability for existing and emerging electro-optic weapon systems and components; (2) reduce life-cycle costs; (3) improve sustainability at intermediate and depot levels of maintenance; and (4) reduce proliferation of unique test equipment. The Avionics CASS Test Programs Sets project consists of analysis, design, development and testing of common interface hardware and software technologies used to connect avionics test articles to common ATE SE for emerging and common application of directing test functions. This includes software for fault detection and isolation, diagnosis, and condition certification of the unit under test as well as hardware consisting of interface devices, cables, probes, and holding fixtures. The Organizational Level Testers project consists of the design, development, and testing of a common single replacement O-Level test capability used for flight line Electronic Warfare, Communication, Navigation, and Identification testing and is the replacement for the Joint Service Electronic Combat Systems Tester (JSECST) and the Signal Generator Test Set currently at the of their life and exhibiting sustainment, obsolescence, and accuracy repeatability challenges. The Organizational Level Testers project consists of the design, development, and testing of a common single replacement O-Level test capability used for flight line Electronic Warfare, Communication, Navigation, and Identification testing and is the replacement for the Joint Service Electronic Combat Systems Tester (JSECST) and the Signal Generator Test Set currently at the of their life and exhibiting sustainment, obsolescence, and accuracy repeatability challenges.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (7)