ATARS - USAF - Aircrew Training and Rehearsal System Project Title: ATARS MH-53M IDAS/MATT WST Upgrade Project Customer: United States Air Force / Lockheed Martin Information Systems was Prime Contractor.

United States Air Force Special Forces MH-60

USAF MH-53 Cockpit of Flight Simulator at Kirtland AFB, NM

Project Overview: Lockheed-Martin Information Services (L-M) is the prime contractor for a comprehensive Air Force contractor logistic support (CLS) contract for the Special Operations Forces called ATARS, Prime Contract# F42630-00-C-0206. The CLS support is for the Air Force Special Operations training centers at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, and Hurlburt Field, Florida. The two centers have numerous fixed and rotary wing simulators as well as other types of simulators. ACME is a prime subcontractor to Lockheed-Martin in the support and modification of the trainers at Kirtland AFB.

ACME Services Used: Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Systems Engineering, CAD Services, Technical Documentation, Courseware Segment, Site Analysis Consulting.

Project Details: The trainers at Kirtland AFB (KAFB) are sophisticated, complex simulators equivalent to commercial Level D simulators.  All of the trainers are considered either Operational Flight Trainers (OFTs) or Weapons System Trainers (WSTs), which are used for pilot/crew training and for mission rehearsal.  The trainers represent UH-1N, MH-53J, MH-60G, V-22, and C-130 aircraft.  The trainers are linked together with a high speed, broad band network allowing multi-simulator training.  In addition to the usual aircraft aerodynamic and aircraft systems models, the trainers are typically equipped with multi-channel visual systems, FLIR imagery, multi-mode radar systems, extensive navigation and communication systems, and a comprehensive threat environment.  They are also capable of training in-flight refueling.  Almost all of the trainers utilize 60” stroke 6-DOF motion systems.  Because all of the cockpits are side-by-side seating, the trainers utilize a collimated, WIDE type visual display (typically 220° horizontal FOV). 

ACME has been a long-term prime subcontractor (over ten years) to L-M in supporting these trainers.  ACME engineers have been instrumental in several major modifications to the training devices at Kirtland AFB and Hurlburt Field.

The current contract involves the modification to the MH-60G Operational Flight Trainer and the MH-60G Weapons Systems Trainer.  The trainers are being modified to match the current design basis aircraft. The aircraft configuration changes include upgraded communications and threat detection systems.  ACME engineers have also improved the trainer’s capabilities by adding a complete Flight Engineer (FE) station to both simulators which will eventually include an extra visual display channel for the FE.  A COMSEC load station has been added to the simulators thereby reducing flight line training for this function.  These simulator improvements will be completed by the end of 2005 on the OFT and 2006 on the WST.

The previous subcontract was initiated when the IDAS/MATT trainer modification component of the ATARS contract was executed in October 2001.  The primary reason why ACME has helped support these trainers is that many of the ACME personnel helped develop these trainers prior to working for ACME.  The IDAS/MATT trainer modification program was a project that converted the cockpit of the TH-53A OFT from old style round gauges to a glass cockpit. The new designation for this aircraft is the MH-53M WST. This simulator is the only MH-53M WST with IDAS/MATT capabilities in the fleet. 

For this subcontract, ACME engineers operated at the L-M facilities on KAFB using L-M processes and procedures.  ACME provided hardware design engineers, software engineers, and technical publications personnel.  The ACME mechanical and electrical hardware engineers designed the cockpit and subsystem modifications.  These modifications included an instrument panel which utilizes color multi-function displays (CMFD’s), a glareshield, cockpit lighting, cockpit panels including circuit breaker panels, an interface to the signal input/output system, power distribution, and a new on-board instructor operator station.  The software engineers are involved in modifying the existing trainer code to interface to the avionics using additional proprietary equipment and MIL-STD-1553 data buses, re-writing instrumentation software modules, and re-hosting the host computer from a legacy Encore computer to Power PCs.  The ACME technical documentation experts were responsible for developing the modification-related technical document package.  The documents in this package include numerous software description documents, user manuals for the computer systems and instructor operator station, and the compilation of the vendor equipment documents.

Because the effort is at KAFB at L-M facilities, ACME personnel use L-M operating procedures for: 

a)  Drawing format, review, and submittal 

b)  Coding standards and software configuration control 

c)  Source data configuration management  The present contract structure is a task order, level of effort type contract.  L-M identifies an engineering skill and ACME provides the personnel.  This type of contract has been very successful for both ACME and L-M in support of the KAFB and Hurlburt Field trainers. 

Previous efforts for L-M have included: 

a)  A complete update of the TH-53A OFT, which included an electric control  loading system, cockpit, instructor operator station, aural cue/intercom  system, and new host computer and signal input/output system. 

b) Numerous updates to the MH-60G WST trainer for visual system upgrades, avionics, throttle quadrant, and parking brake. 

c)  Numerous updates to the MH-60 OFT for visual system performance enhancements as well as avionics. 

d)  Prior updates to the MH-53J WST for visual and computer system upgrades.

e)  Upgrades to the inter-simulator network and combined operations center used during networked mission rehearsal. 

f)   Upgrades and modifications to the Aerial Gunner Simulation System (AGSS), the UH-1N ROFT, the Training Observation Center (TOC) as well as several other site and trainer improvements and repairs.

Delivery Date: Ongoing Support

Customer Comments: ACME was a great asset to the project from their experienced engineers to their cost-effective designs, saving Lockheed time and money on a successful installation.