USSOCOM’s manned and unmanned fixed wing aircraft provide the backbone for SOF airborne mobility, aerial refueling support, airborne precision engagement, and aerial surveillance capabilities. They provide critical infiltration and exfiltration capabilities for SOF into and from hostile territory through the MC-130E Combat Talon I, MC-130H Combat Talon II, and CV-22 Osprey aircraft. The A/C-130H and A/C-130U gunships provide critical precision engagement and close-air support. Real-time aerial surveillance of the battlefield is provided to meet the warfighters’ needs, from the individual soldier to the task force commander. Avionics improvement programs, such as the Silent Knight radar and the Directional Infrared Countermeasures program, provide common approaches to capabilities needed across the entire fleet.

The PEO-FW mission is to deliver superior SOF-unique manned and unmanned fixed wing airpower capabilities to the joint warfighter. To meet this mission, PEO-FW has partnered with the warfighter, development organizations, and support organizations to synchronize acquisition activities to field an array of advanced technology sensors, defensive countermeasures, and advanced avionics to ensure that SOF aircraft can accomplish their missions in expected threat environments and address supportability challenges of an aging legacy fleet.

The low-density, high-demand nature of the SOF fixed wing fleet is a key driver in the acquisition approaches used to continue to improve and sustain the force. The high operations tempo of these aircraft requires innovative means to incorporate capability and sustainment improvements while ensuring adequate aircraft availability. In addition, PEO-FW is executing several technology demonstration programs to posture special operations fixed wing forces to evaluate future courses of action for ensuring effective operations well into the future.

RC-26B Aircraft

USSOCOM partnered with the National Guard Bureau to support SOF objectives in support of OCO. Five RC-26B aircraft were expeditiously modified and fielded with a SOF-unique communication and sensor suite.

Non-Standard Aviation (NSAV)

The NSAV mission provides dedicated intra-theater airlift and contractor logistics support (CLS) in support of Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOC). The NSAV program delivers 20 light (10 Pilatus PC-12s and 10 M-28 Skytrucks) and 17 medium (to be determined) aircraft to support command mobility requirements worldwide. Light aircraft funding and deliveries began in FY 2008 and will continue through FY 2012. Of the 20 light aircraft, nine PC-12s have been procured and five have been delivered to the 318th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) at Cannon Air Force Base, NM. NSAV IOC was met when two of the PC-12s were successfully forward deployed with full CLS in mid 2008. Two M-28s are scheduled to be delivered in late 2009 and three more in 2010. The remaining PC-12s and M-28s are scheduled to be procured and delivered between 2010 and 2012. Funding for NSAV medium aircraft is programmed in FY 2010 through FY 2012. NSAV medium aircraft selection will be approved at the Milestone C briefing planned in May 2009, and the aircraft are scheduled to start delivering in 2010. As a gap fill until the medium aircraft can be delivered, four Q200 medium aircraft were leased in FY 2008 and FY 2009 and will be replaced by the procured medium aircraft in 2010.

C-130 – Backbone of the SOF Fixed Wing Fleet

In 2009, PEO-FW continues to face the mounting challenges of sustaining the low-density, high-demand SOF C-130 fleet while simultaneously satisfying road maps for modernization. PEO-FW manages numerous SOF C-130 sustainment, modification, and modernization programs. A few programs are highlighted below:

USSOCOM continues its partnership with the USAF to procure new MC-130J aircraft through a joint program with Air Combat Command’s Combat Search and Rescue Community. This effort will recapitalize the aging MC-130E/P tanker fleet.

MC-130W Combat Spear aircraft are being delivered to support specialized aerial refueling and mobility missions. The eighth aircraft of twelve has been delivered to Cannon Air Force Base, NM to support these missions. The remaining four aircraft are scheduled for delivery in FY 2009 (third quarter) and FY 2010 (first quarter).

MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft cargo delivery handling systems are being upgraded to a standardized dual rails system in FY 2009. This system will increase airdrop capability and reduce the number of sorties required to perform the SOF airlift mission.

Ongoing operations continue to stress the SOF C-130 fleet at ever increasing rates. USSOCOM and our acquisition partners at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, GA, continue to accelerate production and installation time lines for Center Wing Replacement to minimize the time aircraft are kept away from the battlefront.

A consolidated, low cost modification program continues in FY 2009 to address ongoing obsolescence and other sustainment issues across the SOF C-130 fleet. USSOCOM is working with United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and our acquisition partners at Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, GA, to prioritize and quickly address these issues. The sustainment and modernization of our SOF C-130 sensor systems continues throughout FY 2009.

Requests for information or proposals for future upgrades will be announced via normal federal business channels.

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)

UAS, from the Army RQ-11 Small UAS (SUAS) to the larger Air Force MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper systems, support many different requirements across each of the component commands. An All Environment Capable Variant of the SUAS will be fielded in FY 2009 to expand the operational environment of the current SUAS and provide SOF units with enhanced capability. UAS are proving their value in a wide range of current combat operations by providing surveillance platforms, allowing SOF the ability to see over the next hill or corner without putting warfighters in harm’s way or by providing “eyes in the sky” to protect SOF from improvised explosive devices (IED). The “find” piece of the “find-infiltrate-finish” direct action mission is a function that is critical in the OCO, and UAS provides SOF with a key capability to find and track terrorists.

U-28A

In response to an escalating need for intra-theater airlift, PEO-FW procured six Pilatus PC-12 aircraft in 2005. These aircraft were modified with a suite of military communications and navigation equipment. They were subsequently fielded as the U-28A aircraft in 2006. The aircraft was selected for its versatile performance and ability to operate from short and unimproved runway surfaces. A weight-reduction modification and a mission-enhancement modification were implemented on these aircraft in 2007, extending their operational range and operational effectiveness. Nine additional aircraft were procured in 2007 for subsequent delivery during 2008. Additional DOD supplemental funding was provided in 2008 for an additional six aircraft to meet increased operational demands, as well as for upgrading and standardizing the entire fleet. The additional aircraft deliveries will occur by the end of summer 2009, and the fleet-wide modifications, performed both in and out of the continental United States (CONUS), will be complete by winter 2010.

CV-22 Osprey – SOF’s Long-Range Insertion Platform

The CV-22 fulfills the requirement for high-speed, long-range insertion and extraction of SOF forces in hostile or denied territory in a single period of darkness. The range, altitude, and speed of the CV-22 provide flexibility, unpredictability, and less dependence on staging bases or refueling assets. As a result, the CV-22 can self-deploy worldwide to satisfy current combat operations and higher authority taskings. As such, in October 2008, four CV-22 aircraft from the 8th Special Operations Squadron, Hurlburt Field, FL, completed the first CV-22 self-deployment to Mali, Africa, in support of Exercise FLINTLOCK09. During the exercise, the unit logged 105.3 flight hours (172.7 overall) and flew 10,000 nautical miles round-trip across the Atlantic Ocean, accomplishing two scheduled aerial refuelings each way.

The unique characteristic of the CV-22 is the ability to take off and land like a helicopter, but once airborne, its engine nacelles tilt to convert the aircraft into a high-speed, high-altitude turboprop airplane. The CV-22 is tailored for special operations missions through an enhanced electronic warfare suite, specifically the AN/AAQ-24 Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM), the AN/ALQ-211 Suite of Integrated Radio Frequency Countermeasures (SIRFC), and the AN/APQ-186 Terrain Following/Terrain Avoidance (TF/TA) Multi-Mode Radar (MMR). The DIRCM system provides active jamming of infrared (IR) homing missiles. SIRFC counters threats through its missile warning receivers and jammers and provides real-time threat information to the aircrew through a dedicated display unit in the cockpit. The TF/TA radar provides the aircrew with the ability to mask the aircraft by flying low and taking advantage of surrounding terrain.

To further enhance aircraft and crew survivability the CV-22 now boasts a .50 caliber ramp-mounted weapon system along with an interim 360-degree coverage, 7.62mm GAU-2B belly gun. The belly gun system, known as the Interim Defensive Weapon System (IDWS), is a mission kit and can be installed and removed by maintenance crews based on mission needs. The IDWS components consist of a weapon turret assembly, remote sensor unit, and weapons control station. The sensor and turret assemblies are housed in the forward and aft cargo wells and deploy into action by the weapons controller when required.

The CV-22 is powered by two Rolls-Royce AE1107C Liberty turbo shaft engines that produce 6,150 shaft horsepower each, which enable a cruising speed of 230 knots. The CV-22 is a fly-by-wire aircraft that provides twice the speed, three times the payload, five times the range, and more than twice the altitude of a conventional CH-46 helicopter. The V-22 program will produce 26 CV-22 aircraft between 2008 and 2012 as part of the V-22 multi-year procurement program. In March 2009, Headquarters AFSOC declared initial operational capability (IOC) for the CV-22. USSOCOM plans for all 50 CV-22s to be delivered to AFSOC by 2015.

Silent Knight – A Common Radar for the SOF Aviation Fleet

The Silent Knight Radar (SKR) program will provide USSOCOM with an affordable replacement for today’s aging TF/TA multi-mode radars employing Cold War radar technology. The required capabilities of the SKR include a TF/TA capability with a low probability of intercept and low probability of detection feature; color display of weather and weather intensity; a high-resolution display of prominent terrain features; and detection and location of other aircraft and ships.

In December 2006, the SKR program awarded a contract for system design and development of a common TF/TA radar system to integrate the system onto the MH-47G-class of aircraft and to conduct flight testing. USSOCOM anticipates benefiting from a total lower cost of ownership attained through higher reliability typical of modern avionics systems and a high degree of commonality across the MH-47, MH-60, MC-130 H, and CV-22 aircraft. Since contract award, the program has completed several major reviews, including a systems requirements review, systems functional review, preliminary design review, and critical design review. In 2009, the program anticipates fabricating early prototypes destined to undergo rigorous testing commencing in 2010. A Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) decision for the lead platform is planned for FY 2012.

Protecting the Fleet – Directional Infrared Countermeasures Program (DIRCM)

IR guided missile systems have become the adversary’s weapon of choice due to their passive nature (low probability of detection prior to launch), simple operation, low cost, and availability. At least 80 nations on six continents employ infrared-guided surface-to-air missiles that can be carried and launched by one person. To address this evolving threat, USSOCOM teamed with the United Kingdom to execute a cooperative acquisition program with merged requirements. This was the first successful program of this type. The front-end production qualification and performance certification phase of the effort was completed in early 1999, and final installation occurred in 2004.

The AN/AAQ-24 DIRCM system ensures fast, accurate threat location through on-board missile-warning sensors. The threat information is passed through the system’s main computer to the externally mounted transmitters, which contain an infrared fine-tracking sensor to slew the transmitter to the threat, as well as the IR lamp jamming energy source. The transmitter acquires and tracks the missile while maintaining a high-powered beam of modulated IR energy on the target throughout its full range of maneuvering motion, with the engagement ending in missile defeat. DIRCM was designed in modular fashion to allow multiple installation configurations on a wide range of fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft.

The success of the DIRCM system is self-evident. The USAF requirement has grown to well over 400 aircraft, resulting in the transition of program management and sustainment responsibilities for all common components to the Department of the Air Force. USSOCOM will continue to sustain the SOF-unique components until upgrades to the laser-based system are completed.