The Army’s Extended Range Multi-Purpose (ERMP) unmanned aerial system (UAS) program awaits a signed Acquisition Decision Memorandum, allowing it to move into limited rate production, a service official said.
The Pentagon’s chief acquisition officer Feb. 2 approved limited-rate initial production at a Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) review, Col. Gregory Gonzalez, project manager, UAS, told sisterpublication Defense Daily in an interview.
“It may be one of the most significant decisions that you have in the life of a program, because it validates the work you’ve done in the [system development and demonstration] SDD phase and allows you to start buying basically limited pre-production systems,” he said. “It shows they have confidence we’re on our way to a full program of record.”
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA ASI) is the developer of the long-endurance ERMP, winning the work in 2005 (Defense Daily, Aug. 9, 2005).
The successful DAB was the culmination of weeks of briefings to Army and Office of the Secretary of Defense staff, Gonzalez said. “The main decision we were asking for is to be given permission to use procurement dollars to procure two ERMP systems,” Gonzalez said. “Those systems are company sets of 12 aircraft each. Each of those company sets will be fielded to separate active Army divisions.”
One ERMP system consists of 12 aircraft, five ground control stations, and all the other associated ground data terminals and portable data terminals and data links.
“Our plan is to field those to the second and third units equipped during fiscal year 12,” he said. “We’ll get those systems on contract as soon as possible in fiscal year ’10. They will be developed and we’ll accept those and field it to active Army divisions in fiscal year 12.”
The Army staff is working to identify which units will receive ERMP, based on the requirements for such things as an airfield of a certain length, restricted airspace, and hangars.
Since the program is accelerated, the priority will be to station the systems where they can be supported, then use military construction funds to build up locations at other sites.
The DAB also approved the Army request to procure eight additional aircraft and six ground control stations through supplemental funds, he said. That equipment will be used to supplement current systems in theater to support the war effort.
Ashton Carter, DoD’s acquisition chief, said “he was impressed with the ability of the program to get equipment to the warfight soon and in parallel continue on the path of a normal acquisition program that sometimes requires additional time to carry out,” Gonzalez said.
Following receipt of the signed ADM, the UAS office can move to a contract with GA ASI.
Because the program is accelerating, Gonzalez’ office is preparing to send another Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) platoon to Afghanistan (Defense Daily, Feb. 2,). A Limited User Test (LUT) in May for this platoon will be used to evaluate readiness of the equipment and the soldiers to go into theater at the end of the summer.
The first QRC air vehicle fielded last year did not carry weapons, though QRC 2 will be able to carry weapons.
Gonzalez’ office tested Hellfire missiles in December. “It’s to show our readiness for QRC 2, but it also helps us establish a baseline for our program of record,” he said.
The test shots were fired at stationary and moving targets, and importantly, at off-axis targets, he said. “As far as we are aware, it’s the only system so far in the Department of Defense that has fired off-axis–meaning that you don’t have to be flying directly toward your target. You can fire a missile and it will bend around up to 180 degrees, behind you, and hit a target.”
So far, tests were up to 75 degrees and were successful, he said. The tests involve a new missile, the Hellfire II +.
There will be more live fire tests during the LUT and follow-on testing will take place before integration on the full program of record.
At the end of FY ’10, the Army will take the results of the LUT and other data and request a second LRIP of two systems.
The Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) is slated for FY ’11. Based on the results of that test, the Army would request permission to enter full rate production in FY’12. If that is approved, the Army would buy two systems per year until the buy is completed.