Isolated Personnel Survivability and Recovery

The Isolated Personnel Survivability and Recovery program, part of the Air Force's Research, Development, Test & Evaluation efforts, focuses on enhancing the survival and recovery capabilities of aircrew who may become isolated during operations. This initiative includes two primary projects: Isolated Personnel Survival and Flight Equipment (IPSAFE) and Combat Search and Rescue Engineering and Manufacturing Development (CSAR EMD).

The IPSAFE project aims to update aircrew survival kits with climate-specific equipment to improve evasion and survival capabilities in environments where rapid extraction is not feasible. Meanwhile, the CSAR EMD project involves developing the Next Generation Survival Radio (NGSR), intended to replace the aging Combat Survivor Evader Locator (CSEL) handheld radio.

The NGSR is designed to support the Joint Personnel Recovery Agency's mission by providing secure communication capabilities for locating, authenticating, and communicating with isolated personnel. This effort includes replacing legacy satellite communication methods with modern encryption technologies to ensure secure end-to-end communication. The NGSR program is a collaborative effort involving multiple branches of the military, including the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps.

It aims to deliver a production-ready handheld radio through a competitive Rapid Prototyping process. The program plans to incorporate advanced encryption technology in compliance with National Security Agency standards and integrate with existing personnel recovery networks. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center oversees program management, ensuring that system objectives are met through rigorous testing and evaluation processes.

The Isolated Personnel Survivability and Recovery program seeks to enhance the safety and effectiveness of personnel recovery operations by developing advanced survival equipment and communication technologies. Through strategic partnerships and innovative development efforts, this program aims to provide reliable solutions for aircrew facing isolation in challenging operational environments.