AV-8B Aircraft - Eng Dev

The PE 0604214M: AV-8B Aircraft Engine Development program is a Navy Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) line item focused on sustaining and enhancing the AV-8B Harrier aircraft's operational relevance and safety through the end of its service life. The program's primary goals are to design, develop, integrate, and test improvements to the AV-8B platform, with an emphasis on engine life management, avionics and mission system upgrades, obsolescence mitigation, and system safety enhancements. These objectives are critical to ensuring the AV-8B remains a viable asset for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, particularly during the transition period to the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter.

A major component of this program is the Engine Life Management Program (ELMP), which aims to increase the safety and operational readiness of the AV-8B's F402-RR-408 engine and its accessories. The ELMP is executed through a contract with Rolls-Royce and involves engineering investigations and solutions for emergent safety issues, obsolescence, foreign object debris prevention, fatigue life extension, and maintenance challenges. By addressing these factors, the ELMP seeks to reduce mission failures and improve fleet readiness while minimizing the cost of ownership.

Another key objective under this line item is the development and integration of Operational Flight Programs (OFPs) and avionics/weapons systems. The program funds the design and testing of software and hardware upgrades to the aircraft's mission systems, including the integration of advanced datalink technologies, compliance with crypto modernization, and compatibility with GPS-modernized weapons. These upgrades are essential for maintaining tactical interoperability with platforms like the F-35 and ensuring the AV-8B can respond effectively to evolving and emergent threats.

The OFP and Avionics/Subsystem/Weapons Systems Development efforts include the integration and testing of new weapons, survivability upgrades, radio and communication system enhancements, and countermeasure systems. The program also addresses obsolescence concerns by redesigning avionics components and conducting stores expansion testing to ensure the aircraft can safely and effectively employ new and upgraded munitions. These activities are supported by engineering teams at locations such as NAWCWD China Lake and NAWCAD Patuxent River.

In addition to hardware and software upgrades, the program supports system safety, structural integrity, and readiness initiatives. This includes research and analysis to correct system safety deficiencies, improve fuel system safety, monitor structural fatigue, and develop solutions for aging equipment and materials obsolescence. The program also funds studies and technical planning to ensure continued safe operation and mission availability of the AV-8B through its projected end of service.

Test and evaluation activities are a significant part of the program, with developmental and operational testing conducted by organizations such as NAWCWD China Lake and COMOPTEVFOR Norfolk. These tests validate the effectiveness of new OFPs, weapons integrations, and system upgrades, ensuring that all enhancements meet Navy and Marine Corps operational requirements before fleet introduction.

The acquisition strategy for this program is evolutionary, with improvements delivered in blocks to incrementally enhance the aircraft's capabilities. The program's funding profile reflects the completion of major development efforts by FY2026, with the final OFP fielded and the project concluding. Throughout its execution, the program has prioritized maintaining AV-8B combat relevance, addressing obsolescence, and supporting the safe and reliable operation of the aircraft until its retirement.