PATUXENT RIVER NAS, Md. — Avionics designers at Raytheon Co. will produce 63 smart multifunction color display (SMFCD) B-kits to upgrade the avionics aboard U.S. Marine Corps CH-53E heavy-lift helicopters under a $15.1 million U.S. Navy order.
Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., are asking Raytheon Intelligence, Information, and Services in Indianapolis to produce these cockpit display upgrade kits. Marine Corps leaders are attempting to reduce the number of lost aircraft and personnel due to poor situational awareness.
The smart multifunction color display (SMFCD) consolidates all the CH-53E helicopter's survivability information, blue force tracking, and some time-sensitive threat information onto one display.
CH-53E air crews need to be able to process, filter, sort, and display information from various sources to enhance situational awareness. The smart displays consolidate all the helicopter's survivability information, blue force tracking, and some time-sensitive threat information onto one display. Marine Corps CH-53 crews have all this information today, but must view it in different places in the cockpit.
The SMFCD has its own integrated processor, which enables pilots to display and manipulate current data streams cleanly using one color display screen for each pilot. This SMFCD enables the CH-53E air crew to view forward-looking infrared (FLIR) picture information with intuitive hover display, aircraft flight instrument data, integrated moving map display, and real-time threat display. This approach can eliminate the need for a separate pen tablet computer to display aircraft position. The SMFCD can accommodate future aircraft modifications, such as Situational Awareness Data Link (SADL), LARS V12, and Intelligence Broadcast Receiver.
The CH-53E Super Stallion by Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, Conn., is a three-engine heavy-lift helicopter used to transport Marine Corps infantrymen and equipment from landing ships offshore to invasion beaches, and for general-purpose, heavy-lift helicopter operations.
Raytheon engineers are modifying the company's existing SMFCD to meet the updated requirements, integrate a prototype SMFCD system into a CH-53E helicopter, perform qualification and aircraft flight testing, as well as build and install prototype displays. On this order, Raytheon will do the work in Indianapolis, and should be finished by August 2020.
For more information visit Raytheon online at www.raytheon.com.
