FIXED WING AIRCRAFT IN ARMY AVIATION USAACE NCOA SSG (P) Dennis A. Frazee 15TSLC 15-002 SFC Johnson Army Aviation is an evolving, and ever-changing organization. The future of Army aviation fixed-wing, focusing mainly on the potential for the ‘Tilt-Rotor” variation of fixed wing aircraft, which are being looked at as an option for a future airframe in the Army, as well as the potential to increase Army aviation’s effectiveness and the impact that it would have on the Army and the economy. The Army’s Fixed Wing Aviation program is an ever changing organization whose main goals include improving the speed, effectiveness and safety of operations in Army Aviation. As Aviation in general progresses, the Army must adapt …show more content…
By 2008, $27 billion had been spent on the program and another $27.2 billion was required to complete planned production numbers. Between 2008 and 2011, the estimated lifetime cost for maintaining the V-22 grew by 61 percent, mostly allocated to maintenance and support. With current budget cuts and spending plans the Army will have to make an informed decision on where it will go with the future of Army Aviation fixed wings. Doubling the budget for development is no longer an option as draw downs and spending restraints …show more content…
The flight endurance and non-capability for the average Army aircraft to be fueled mid-air, poses risk and delay to mission accomplishment in certain instances. The need and desire for Army fixed wing aviation is on the rise and is undoubtedly becoming a necessity in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as countless other missions throughout the world. The ability to be able to in-service task fixed wing units for a mission will enhance the readiness and effectiveness of units throughout the Army. Whether it’s re-supplying an infantry unit at a remote forward operating base (FOB) or a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) that needs to go further than the UH-60’s typical endurance allows, the use of the tilt-rotor fixed wing has the potential to greatly improve those and many other
In 2008 I served as an AH-64D Maintenance Test Pilot /Battalion Maintenance Officer in Delta Company 4-227TH Aviation Regiment in Camp Taji, Iraq. Delta Company was responsible for supervising Dyna Corp. Contractors at Camp Taji were conducting all AH-64 scheduled phase maintenance in theater. While there, the company ran into challenges meeting phase deadlines assigned by the Brigade Aviation Maintenance Officer due to the amount of flight time being flown and manpower assigned to complete phases.
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
The Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) is a network of select aircraft from several commercial airlines that are all committed in various amounts to the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide airlift resources when the capability of U.S. military aircraft is exceeded. This system is designed so that these carriers can provide military cargo movement and troop transportation to anywhere in the world on short notice in the event of a military conflict. In order for airlines to join the CRAF, they must commit at least 30 percent of their long-range passenger fleet and 15 percent of their long-range cargo planes (Fact Sheet, 2004). These aircraft must also be U.S. registered, capable of over water operations, and have at least four complete crews assigned for each aircraft (Fact Sheet, 2004). Airlines that participate in CRAF have provided vital support to our military since the Korean War (Graham, David, 2003). The Persian Gulf War was the first official activation of the CRAF, where two thirds of the troops and one quarter of the air cargo was moved by commercial airplanes (Graham, 2003). Though not officially activated, the CRAF is currently supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, providing nearly double the amount of aircraft that the DoD has estimated for its most demanding war strategies. This paper will provide a brief explanation of the purpose of the CRAF, its history, the effectiveness of the program, and a quick look towards the future of the CRAF.
Thesis. Air War College, 1987. http://www.airwar.edu//a>. Maxwell, Alabama: United States Air Force, 1987. DTIC Online -.
This paper will not bore with the definition of a profession. The United States Army is about more than words, it is about action. The action of over 238 years of tradition and service. The Army is a profession. A profession requires its members to adhere to prolonged training and learn specialized skills. A member of a profession must wholly commit himself and his skills to a calling which is entrusted by the public. A profession provides its members with intrinsic value which motivates beyond financial gain. The Army is a higher calling which demands all of these qualities and more.
For my General Aviation Value Analysis, I decided to use my position as a Marine Corps aviation maintenance program inspector as my model. I was homebased in Okinawa, Japan and often traveled to Iwakuni, Japan and Marine Corps Base Hawaii Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii to conduct inspections. These “business trips” lasted for a week with us departing for our destinations on Sunday and returning on Friday. For “business aircraft”, I will use two types of military aircraft, dependent on destination. I will use a C-130 for travel to Iwakuni, Japan and a C-17 for travel to Marine Corps Base Hawaii. I chose these two aircraft because they travel to those locations on standard, but scheduled, routes. I did not include
The future of the aerospace industry will involve gradual changes in the near term, with the prospect of more radical shifts in the decades t...
In 1968, the United States Army activated the 123rd Aviation Battalion, creating a remarkable unit that was comprised of several Army assets. The design of the battalion revolutionized how assets could be combined to complete many missions by mixing infantry, signal, aviation, and support units. The 123rd’s mission ranged from was to collect intelligence, deliver supplies, insert and extract infantrymen, and provide air support. In addition to their primary mission they also participated in medical evacuation, an invaluable asset on the battlefields of Vietnam.
The Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) is a United States military term for remote weapon station systems for use within armored vehicles. The US military has fielded both the M101 CROWS and M153 CROWS II systems. The CROWS system provides an operator with the ability to acquire and engage targets while inside a vehicle, protected by its armor. It is designed to mount on a variety of vehicle platforms and supports the Mk 19 grenade launcher, M2 .50 Caliber Machine Gun, M240B Machine Gun, and M249 Squad Automatic Weapon. This paper will discuss the operation system of the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) and its uses within the military forces as it relates to today’s society.
An airborne force like the 82nd Airborne Division does have its limitations. An airborne planner or commander must recognize the limitations. Each leader should plan accordingly to adjust the planning concept and make the necessary changes. The Airforce is a key player in the Army airborne mission. The weather, type of aircraft dictates the airborne unit mission range and scope of time of the operation. Some policy-makers think that the airborne operation is obsolete due to technology. “Retired Col. Doug Macgregor has materialized as a vocal Army critic since retiring from the Army in 2004. The former 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry commander, holds a Ph.D. in international relations and calls large-scale airborne operations outdated
The helicopter has demonstrated in the combat role to be a great benefit in the battlefield. Throughout history, helicopters has been modified to support several missions such as supply, close air support, medical extraction, surveillance, extraction and infiltration of armed forces members. The apache helicopter has proven to be a major asset in the US Army in combat. Since its first flight in 1975, the apache has shown its versatility and capability in the combat field.
- - -, dir. “Tactical Air Control Party Specialist (TACP).” U.S. Air Force. U.S. Air Force, n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. .
Imagine a plane that flew through the sky with ease and acted like a bird, well in recent years, there has been an increasing number of academic, governmental, and industrial interest in the Morphing Project. The Morphing Project at the National Aeronautics and Space Agency’s (NASA) Langley Research Center (LaRC) is part of the breakthrough Vehicle Technologies Project and Vehicle Systems Program that conducts fundamental research on advanced technologies for future flight vehicles. The objectives of the Morphing Project are to develop and assess the advanced technologies and integrated component concepts to enable efficient, multi-point adaptability(morphing) in flight vehicles. The project is directed towards long-term,high-risk,high-payoff
Flight has been a dream of mankind, after the completion of the first powered airplane flight initiative from the Wright brothers, aviation technology is changing rapidly. From ancient light aircraft to a hundred tons airliner or even a fighter jet that flexible than eagle, flying technology has become one of the amazing achievement in science and technology.
“The Air Force has been trying to replace its aged aerial refueling tanker fleet (the average age of the aircraft is almost fifty years) for more than a dec...