AV-8B Aircraft - Eng Dev

A V-8B Aircraft - Engine Dev under the Navy's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation budget activity, aims to support the AV-8B Design, Development, Integration, and Test of various platform improvements. These include Engine Life Management Program (ELMP), Escape Systems, Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS), and Block upgrades to various mission systems and software Operational Flight Programs (OFPs). The program also addresses obsolescence and readiness of avionics structural, hydraulic, electrical, environmental and mechanical systems to ensure aircraft safety flight clearances and responses to evolving threats. Additionally, it focuses on sustaining the AV-8B air vehicle's mission availability and operational readiness until end of service through component and system analyses, technical planning, and allocation of resources for engineering solutions.

The program's specific objectives include conducting Engineering Project Description investigations to develop engineering solutions that address emergent safety, obsolescence, foreign object debris detection and prevention, fatigue life, and maintenance issues for the AV-8B F402-RR-408 Engine and accessories. It also involves efforts on follow-on OFP software upgrades (H7.2/H7.3) and future capability studies to respond to evolving and emerging threats. The program aims to improve safety and reliability by addressing known, predicted, and emergent obsolescence issues while continuing fatigue life tracking analyses for safe operation of the aircraft through its end of service. Additionally, it includes research and innovation studies for airframe, avionics, subsystem engineering efforts to mitigate obsolescence issues and improve safety and reliability. These efforts are crucial for maintaining combat relevance and ensuring the sustained mission availability of the AV-8B aircraft.