AVT Helicopter Aid for Maritime Operations for Maximising Helicopter Operational Capability, Improving Safety and Usage Monitoring
Navy ships need to have the flexibility to manoeuvre to avoid threats and provide expansive operating envelopes for helicopter operations in order to maximise operational effectiveness. Safe operating limits are required to enable the flight crew and deck crew to perform particular on-deck operations. These include landing and takeoff, traversing the helicopter from the hangar to the flight deck, or use of a particular lashing scheme or restraint system to secure the helicopter. Traditionally on-deck limits have been based on simulation for a wide range of sea state conditions and have been conservatively defined using just pitch and roll to account for worst case likely wave encounter frequencies, ship manoeuvring and list.
The AVT Helicopter Aid for Maritime Operations system couples the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) Ondeck helicopter-ship dynamic simulation code with an inertial motion unit (IMU) and wind anememeter to provide a real time estimate of the helicopter response to actual ship motion. By using real-time ship motion data and direct measures of limit exceedance like wheel sliding, wheel lift off or lashing load levels the system will provide an optimal solution for maximising the operational envelope of both the helicopter and ship and will improve flight crew and deck crew safety as well as provide a means of helicopter usage monitoring. The system shall also include an improved means of presenting wind envelope limits for flying operations and further enhancements to make it a complete SHOL monitoring tool.
The system also has utility in the maritime UAV recovery and launching. By accurately simulating in real time the potential for roll over and sliding the system can provide an indication of whether it is safe to land or be released for takeoff. It can therefore help provide (depending on the regularity of the sea state) an improved indication at what phase in the ship motion it is safe to land.
The AID Offers:
- Enhanced Operational Capability for the Helicopter
- Simulates limit proximity using actual ship motion in real time
- Enhanced Operational Capability for the Ship
- Greater flexibility to maneuver the ship in high threat environment due to expanded helicopter envelope
- Improved Observer Situational Awareness
- Time history logged data / user interface
- Improved Flight Crew Safety
- Pilots have a more accurate indication of when it is safe to conduct operations
- Improved Deck Crew Safety
- System provides a more accurate indication of when to apply lashings and restraint systems
- Improved Structural Load Monitoring
- Peak loads can be monitored for airworthiness inspection
- Long term cyclic loads can be logged for fatigue assessment
- Potential UAV Maritime Guidance
- System provides the optimal means for maximising the operational envelope available
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