ARMY FIXED WING AIRCRAFT

By U.S. ArmyNovember 4, 2014

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MISSION

To provide Life Cycle Acquisition Management of the Army's fixed wing fleet of transport and manned ISR aircraft.

DESCRIPTION

Army fixed wing aviation units serve as intelligence and electronic warfare assets, provide timely movement of key personnel to critical locations throughout the theater of operations, and support worldwide peacetime contingencies and humanitarian relief efforts. The fixed wing fleet consists of over 339 aircraft comprised of eight (8) missions, 16 designs and 35 series. All Army fixed wing aircraft are commercial derivative aircraft and are divided into three categories: Special Electronic Mission Aircraft (SEMA), Transport Aircraft and Mission Support Aircraft.

The EO-5, RC-12 and B-300 are classified as special electronic mission aircraft (SEMA) and provide real-time intelligence collection in peace and wartime environments. The C-12, C-26 and UC-35 are classified as Transport Aircraft and provide direct fixed wing support to warfighting combatant commanders worldwide. The C-20 and C-37 are classified as Executive Transport for the Chiefs of Staff and the service secretaries.

The mission support aircraft include the C-208 and T-34 that are used for Research, Development, Test & Evaluation, the CE-182 Engineering Flight Laboratory United States Military Academy (USMA), and the UV-18 and C-31 for the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team.

SYSTEM INTERDEPENDENCIES

None

PROGRAM STATUS

• FY13-current: C-12, RC-12, and UC-35 aircraft sustained using a Life Cycle Contractor Support (LCCS)

Maintenance contract (L-3 Vertex)

• FY13-current: C-23 and C-26 aircraft sustained using a LCCS maintenance contract (M-7 Aerospace)

• FY13-current: C-20 and C-37 aircraft sustained using LCCS maintenance contracts (Northrop

Grumman Technical Services (NGTS) and Gulfstream)

• FY13-current: EO-5 aircraft sustained using a LCCS maintenance contract (King Aerospace)

• FY13: Delivered three specially modified UV-18C (DHC-6 Model 400) replacement aircraft for the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team; transferred previously utilized aircraft to the Army Materiel Command and the Naval Post Graduate School

• FY13: Six (6) RC-12D aircraft were divested to the Army Research Laboratory

• FY13: Divested three (3) C-23 aircraft; two (2) aircraft were transferred to the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) and one (1) transferred to the Air Advisory Academy

• FY14: Divested twenty-two (22) C-23 aircraft; fifteen (15) C-23 aircraft transferred to the U.S. Forest Service; seven (7) aircraft have been divested to multiple organizations (1 via LESO and 6 via GSA); eight (8) aircraft are being screened for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and the remaining seven (7) aircraft will be divested through GSA

• FY14: Fixed Wing Utility Aircraft (FUA) Materiel Development Decision (MDD) Acquisition Decision Memorandum (ADM) was signed by the Army Acquisition Executive; ADM designated FUA as an ACAT II program entering at Milestone C; MDD was approved; FUA Milestone Decision Authority was transferred to PEO Aviation; FUA is a retirement and replacement program for the Army's fleet of C-12 aircraft

• FY14: PM Fixed Wing assumed overall program management responsibility for the ACAT II Enhanced Medium Altitude Reconnaissance Surveillance System (EMARSS) Program of Record (POR)

• FY14: EMARSS -- Approved Milestone C Decision, 18 Aug 14: Authorized an acquisition strategy to leverage and incorporate Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) AISR systems into the EMARSS POR

PROJECTED ACTIVITIES

• FY15: Deliver four (4) T-6 Texan II aircraft to replace four T-34C aircraft for the Army Test and Evaluation Command (ATEC)

• FY15: Procure replacement aircraft for the C-31 used by the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team

• FY15: In response to a HQDA G-3 directed requirement, PM FW will initiate a contract action to procure up to six (6) DHC-8-315 QRC aircraft systems for transition into the ARL-E Program of Record; Separate contract will follow to integrate supporting Mission Equipment Packages provided by PM Sensors Aerial Intelligence

• FY15: Initiate strategy to modify QRC aircraft to incorporate into the EMARSS Program of Record

• FY15: Successful divestment of six (6) RC-12H aircraft; Initiate planning to divest seven (7) RC-12N aircraft

FOREIGN MILITARY SALES

• FY13: PM FW FMS cell provided responses to RFIs, Pre-LOR activities, Case Development and Case Execution efforts; FMS customers included Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, Greece, Netherlands and Pakistan

• FY 14: PM FW was able to integrate SAMD personnel into the FMS Team enhancing the provision of customer support. Efforts have included RFIs, Pre-LOR activities, Case Development, Case Execution and disposition activities associated with Excess Defense Article Fixed Wing Aircraft. FMS customers included Argentina, Canada, Chad, Colombia, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Estonia, Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, Mongolia, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Turkey and Yemen

CONTRACTORS

L-3 Vertex (Madison, MS)

M-7 Aerospace (San Antonio, TX)

King Aerospace (Addison, TX)

Gulfstream (Savannah, GA)

Hawker Beech Corp. (Wichita, KS)

Viking Air Limited (Sydney, British Columbia)

Northrop Grumman Technical Services (Dallas, TX)

General Atomics (San Diego, CA)

Boeing Defense, Space and Security (St. Louis, MO)

Leidos, Inc. (Reston, VA)

SRI International (Menlo Park, CA)

Dynamic Aviation Group, Inc. (Bridgewater, VA)

L-3 MID (Greenville, TX)

Sierra Nevada Corp. (Sparks, NV)

CACI International Inc. (Arlington, VA)