Rotary wing aircraft have seen an ever expanding role in support of land and sea military operations including: search and rescue, scout, attack, troop transport, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface ship targeting, cargo and electronic warfare. They are ideally suited for operation in confined and unprepared areas where no other form of aerial transport is suitable. For a helicopter to survive on the modern battlefield, flight profiles are mandated that impose unique requirements on the navigation system. These include contour and nap-of-the-earth flight as well as hover in defilade in close proximity to obstructions. Critical mission segments are conducted in nap-of-the-earth flight during which the pilot conceals the helicopter with terrain, foilage and buildings. These missions must be accomplished in all weather and visibility conditions. In the course of these missions, the rotary wing aircraft crew must maintain accurate self-location to maintain geographic orientation and situational awareness relative to friendly and hostile forces. A typical tactical mission profile overlaid on a contour map is shown, illustrating the non-linear flight path which takes advantage of terrain masking. For the anti-submarine warfare missions the helicopter navigation system must maintain stable and accurate tactical plots over long periods of time. In the anti-surface ship targeting role, a high degree of absolute and relative navigational accuracy are vital to rapid and successful action. There are further complicating factors as well. Operations must often take place under radio silence and shore-based or satellite navigation aids may be destroyed or jammed during wartime. The small crew of the helicopter must not be burdened with monitoring the functioning of, or updating, the navigation system.
Representative Vehicle Implementation: Rotary Wing Aircraft
1995
9 pages
Report
No indication
English
Navigation Systems , Avionics , Air navigation , Design analysis , Flight paths , Military operations , Nap-of-the-earth navigation , Navigation aids , Rotary wing aircraft , Terrain following , Technology assessment , Accuracy , Altitude control , Hovering , Position (Location) , Relief maps , Stability , Visibility
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