AvNotes from the Aviation Branch Chief By BG E.J. Sinclair

    Prior to beginning this article, I would like to welcome Command Sergeant Major Buford Thomas, Jr. as the new Command Sergeant Major of the Aviation Branch. CSM Thomas has an exemplary military record in both conventional and special operations aviation, most recently serving as the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment Command Sergeant Major. Our branch is extremely fortunate as we had nine qualified CSMs to choose from as a replacement for CSM Walt Beckman. CSM Beckman has served our branch magnificently for the past two years and will be greatly missed. The change of responsibility ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 24 as part of the Aviation Senior Leaders Synchronization Conference.

Industry and Army Aviation Teamwork           

    The long-standing, but constantly evolving relationship between industry and Army Aviation is absolutely crucial to our future success on the modern battlefield. Past events make this relationship unique and force each to recognize the dual dependency on one another.

    It is safe to say that the Army Aviation and Industry team is critical to the defense of this nation and must continue for the long term. With the advent of the Global War on Terrorism, industry plays an even more crucial role ensuring that our Soldiers are provided with the best equipment and most recent technology. In return, our Soldiers protect our way of life and freedom enabling industry to flourish.

    Further, industry plays a tremendous role in the RESET of operational units returning from Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF). The ability and willingness of our industry partners to rapidly respond to urgent needs and accelerate production of essential repair parts and components have reduced some RESET times by approximately 30 percent. Returning aircraft to operational units faster, leads to an improved operational readiness posture for the Army. Industry’s delivery of modification work order (MWO) components and kits have allowed our RESET team to more efficiently apply MWO upgrades to improve our aviation capabilities.   

     Industry has contributed in the reduction of aviation accidents and increased both safety and the force protection of Soldiers and aircrews. The advancements in materiel, such as Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) im-provements, infrared (IR) strobes on all deploying aircraft, engine inlet barrier air filter enhancements, and Air Warrior make Army Aviation safer, more lethal, and less vulnerable. Improvements in ASE integration and application have significantly reduced enemy IR engagements and provided better warning to aircrews in our current combat environments. Industry’s rapid response to the Army’s urgent need for IR strobes has enabled our night vision equipped aircrews to operate more safely. A significant number of deployed aircraft are now equipped with IR strobes due to industry’s swift design, testing, contracting and production of this urgent need. Improvements in engine filtration technologies have reduced the number of engine changes and significantly diminished the potential for engine failures, improving both safety and operational readiness for our aircraft. The accelerated fielding of Air Warrior has enhanced our aircrew endurance in hot weather environments and allowed quicker recovery times for aircrews. 

    Army Aviation is grateful for the support and dedication the men and women working in industry provide our Soldiers.

Transformation and Global Commitments

    Army Aviation is transforming to meet the very real challenges of the 21st Century. We are dealing with terrorists, regional instability and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Efforts to transform the force have resulted in emerging doctrine, re-designed organizations, training changes within the schoolhouse and field formations, and modifications and prioritization of new equipment fielding.

    Industry’s ability to quickly field existing technologies aids the Army in achieving transformation goals by demonstrating how we are better able to achieve transformation. One example of this is Blue Force Tracker. BFT is a state-of-the-art digital tracking system that enables units to share information and communicate by e-mail even when out of radio transmission ranges. It greatly enhances situational awareness and aids in navigation.

    Industry’s ability to rapidly field equipment — such as Blue Force Tracker, a digital tracking and communications system — adds significantly to the safety and lethality of our forces. 

    Adjusted techniques, tactics and procedures from OEF and OIF showed that with the introduction of necessary convoys, the enemy adapted and began using more improvised explosive devices. In response, industry increased the implementation of vehicle armor and robotics. This example of the action, reaction, counter-action loop model demonstrates the roles that the Army and industry must perform to achieve and maintain superiority over a “thinking and adapting” enemy.  As the time between the enemy’s reaction and industry’s counteraction are reduced, American casualties will also be reduced.

    The downside of many emerging technologies is the significant “support tail” associated in installing, maintaining and sustaining them. As an example, there are currently more than 73,000 contractors on the battlefield in support of Army systems. We must attempt to minimize this number by developing systems that are not handicapped with such a large footprint.

Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leader Development and Education, Personnel, and Facilities

Doctrine:  Emerging technologies used by Army Aviation result in the need to update doctrine to reflect their implementation. The Army no longer works alone, but rather in a joint and multinational environment. Doctrine also needs to be adaptable and interdependent with all services and enabled by a network of systems.

Organization:  Modularity is the focus that is a clear indication of full spectrum capabilities within a unit. Divisions, along with Army Aviation, will be reorganizing over the next three years as part of a transformation effort. The new focus will be on the brigade vice the division. We can no longer afford to reorganize units on the fly given our expeditionary mindset.

    Industry is now challenged in the development of embedded training solutions within Army systems to train and rehearse more realistically on demand, enroute to a theater of war, and while deployed. We must take a look at lessons learned from OEF and OIF in order to identify training solutions and meet requirements. We can no longer afford Army-centric training solutions and must realize the joint national training capability to train as we fight. Industry-enabled simulators, such as the Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT), have increased crew and collective training efficiency for changing tactics. The AVCATT is a mobile, collective aviation trainer consisting of two trailers that contain six reconfigurable cockpits linked together in the virtual world. Currently the AVCATT supports the UH-60, CH-47, AH-64A, OH-58D, and soon the AH-64D aircraft. The AVCATT facilitates the collective training of aircrews, and company and battalion commanders in a variety of scenarios. Marksmanship is also critical in today’s training environment. The Engagement Skills Trainer 2000 accomplishes this training by improving and sustaining proficiency at home station and in theater.

    The Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (AVCATT) is an industry-enabled mobile simulator system providing enhanced collective training for aircrews to operate together in a variety of virtual mission scenarios.

Materiel:  The most significant challenge for industry is ensuring the interoperability of new technologies not only amongst Army systems, but also between all services. We must have survivable systems that are not maintenance and support intensive. They must also have inherent deployability for expeditionary solutions. We cannot afford a 15 year acquisition process where products quickly become obsolete due to the shorter intervals with emerging technologies.

Leader Development and Education:  Leaders are more adaptable to meet demands placed on them by the contemporary operational environment. Lieutenants and captains will now conduct nation-building tasks, such as performing the roles of city mayors, developing roads, and running power plants. Technology must enable leaders to make decisions at lower levels quicker, as part of a joint team, and with greater impact.

Personnel:  Our Soldiers are our greatest asset. The recent high operational tempo places a greater strain on Soldiers and their families. The construct of the manning processes is changing to better stabilize Soldiers and their families while still meeting training needs and deployment cycles. Technological solutions introduced by industry need to be user friendly and avoid the need for complex, perishable skills in our efforts to limit frequent rotations of key personnel to fill critical positions.

Facilities: The goal is to enhance existing and future facilities with modern and digital capabilities and ensure the ability exists to reach back from theater for data, training and mission rehearsals. Although there are many challenges, confident solutions can be found with a committed industry as a partner.

Conclusion

    Only America’s industrial base has the capacity, knowledge and capital to anticipate and enable solutions for our warfighters today and in the future. Commitment and loyalty is key to our future success as partners. The real question is how we enhance that relationship and raise the bar. Industry must continue to understand the customer’s requirements, go outside of core competencies, and anticipate needed capabilities before they are requested. Army Aviation needs non-proprietary solutions to reduce high costs and inefficiencies. Industry needs to create common standards based on Army and joint requirements. This enables us to harvest existing capabilities with other companies. Rapid capability development, facilitated by spiral development and prototyping, is a must. The present environment is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. Army Aviation cannot afford a peacetime process in wartime. We are transforming and need industry to transform with us. Our end state is to ensure that our nation’s greatest asset, the American Soldier, has the necessary capabilities to fight and win our nation’s wars.  

ABOVE  THE BEST!!!

BG E. J. Sinclair is the commander of the U.S. Army Aviation Warfighting Center and chief of the aviation branch.