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Dan Manningham, a naval aviator who Participated in the development of the Navy's first all-weather ASW helicopter tactics. He now flies DC-8s for United Airlines and is Special Features Editor for business and Commercial Aviation
tack
ranges.
Since the inception of naval warfare, Surface ship commanders have sought nevv methods to extend their surveil- tance and attack ranges. Until the 20th century, these ranges were lim- lte<J by the physical constraints of fhast height, human vision, and gun size.
During the past 70 years, crow’s ncsts and telescopes have given way to ar> increasingly complex array of sur- Vt'illance devices from observation air- traft to sonar and radar. Attack radius has been significantly expanded with che introduction of shipboard missile systems and advanced technology torPedoes. Still, technical barriers limit the surface ship’s effective weapons de- llvery radius:
^ Radar does not see over the hori-
2on.
^ Sonar cannot sufficiently discriminate at extended ranges to allow accurate target classification.
' Modern weapons have limited at
The U.S. Navy’s Light Airborne Multi-Purp()se System Mk III (LAMPS will provide surface ship commanders with a substantial increase in their effective search and attack
aircraft
radius. Operating as a surface/air team, LAMPS III allows surface ships to project their visual and electronic surveillance, and their weapons, via the helicopter. When fully operational in the mid 1980s, LAMPS III will function as a lamp to illuminate new areas of tactical effectiveness for many surface escort ships—the FFG-7S, DD-963S, DDH-997, DLGN-42S, and DDG-47S.
In appearance, LAMPS III is a medium-sized helicopter. The basic- aircraft is a twin-engine, turbine- powered helicopter manufactured by Sikorsky Aircraft Division of United Technologies Corporation. Aside from some modifications for shipboard comparability and Navy equipment, the LAMPS III aircraft, designated the SH-60B, is identical to the UH-60A selected by the U.S. Army as its next-generation troop carrier to replace the Vietnam-era Hueys. This 15th Sikorsky helicopter to enter the Navy’s inventory promises unprecedented levels of utility and reliability for several specific reasons:
► Modular components in most major systems allow lateral interchangeability and convenient maintenance.
► Very low vibration levels minimize stress on all components, a major cause of electronic and mechanical downtime.
► An integral auxiliary power unit (APU) allows systems check and aircraft start-up without the need for a ship-to-aircraft power connection.
► The design effectively extends the useful radius of action by 30% over current helicopters.
► Long loiter time allows long uninterrupted missions.
► All-weather capability provides an extended mission flexibility.
The basic LAMPS III airframe is the result of an active, five-year competitive Army contract for a reliable, durable, damage-tolerant helicopter designed to operate and survive in combat. It should adapt readily to missions at sea.
The principal advantage the new LAMPS has over the LAMPS I is that LAMPS III is a fatly integrated aircraftlship system. The SH-60B helicopter itself will have a 100-nautical mile radius of action, a nominal four-hour endurance, a 20,000-pound takeoff weight, and the capability of carrying two torpedoes without affecting its range of endurance.
Still, the aircraft itself is no more than a vehicle which will carry the all-important surveillance and attack systems. One measure of the complexity of LAMPS is the fact that the airframe is merely one element of the total ship/air weapon system which is subdivided into eight individual functional areas. Indeed, IBM Corporation, not Sikorsky, is the system prime contractor for LAMPS III and, as such, assumes overall responsibility for performance of the total system. The eight functional areas of the ship/air
weapon system are the basis for tactical capabilities of LAMPS.
The helicopter: The LAMPS III helicopter is fully equipped to operate day or night in IMC (instrument meteorological conditions) or VMC (visual meteorological conditions). It will be able to perform missions independently or under data link control from the ship. In addition, the helicopter is equipped with a rescue hoist for search and rescue missions and personnel transfers and a cargo hook for vertical replenishment and inter-ship delivery, and is capable of carrying two Mk 46 torpedoes and 25 sonobuoys.
The ship: Surface ships will be fully equipped to provide a home for the LAMPS III helicopter. They will have hangar space and support facilities for maintenance, launch, recovery, and helicopter in-flight refueling (HIFR). LAMPS ships will be provided with the capability for helicopter recovery assist, traversing, and securing under day or night conditions.
Communications: The communications element of the ship/air weapon system provides secure and nonsecure voice links between the ship and the helicopter by way of UHF or HF. Helicopter sensor data can be relayed directly to the ship through a secure link while ship sensor data will be available to the helicopter indirectly through computer interchange. Separate digital data computers on board ship and helicopter can communicate directly through secure, duplex, inter-computer data transfer. The communications function also utilizes IFF interrogation and decoding to eliminate any possible conflict or confusion with enemy aircraft.
Navigation: The navigation function determines and maintains the two units’ positions by reference to a fixed geographic point. All flight and surface tactical information is automatically plotted relative to that fix. Helicopter position can be updated via data link, TACAN (tactical air navigation system), or voice direction using radar/lFF information. Sonobuoy positions are calculated relative to helicopter position, and all information necessary for aircraft navigation and weapon release is provided to the helicopter crew.
The sensors: The LAMPS III aircraft uses four basic sensors. Sonobuoys are carried to gather acoustical data which is transmitted directly to the helicopter. Airborne radar provides a 360° surface search capability for detection and localization of surface targets. Passive electronic receivers allow radio frequency detection and classification. Magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) equipment senses the presence of underwater metal by measuring local disturbances in the earth’s magnetic field.
System management and control: The system management and control area of the ship/air weapon system provides data processing, control, and storage. System management and control are performed by a pair of digital computers which process and analyze all sensor and tactical data. These computers, one on board the ship and the other on board the aircraft, can communicate directly in a sort of electronic opinion-sharing to assure common conclusions. Systems management and control may be the biggest challenge for LAMPS because the software or computer programming alone could require as much development and troubleshooting as all of the other elements combined.
Display: The display functions are quite naturally divided between ship and aircraft. Essentially these displays are the end product of all information processing and provide the man/ machine interface. On board ship the air tactical control officer (ATCO) is provided with a comprehensive display which allows helicopter tactical control and helicopter recovery. The remote radar operator (REMRO) watches a relayed display of the helicopter’s radar. The electronic intercept operator has both plan position indicator and tabular displays, as well as remote control of the helicopter’s ESM equipment. On board the helicopter, the airborne tactical officer (ATO) and acoustic sensor operator (ASO) can use
displays of acoustic, radar, electronic, MAD, and computed tactical displays to direct the tactical situation in an independent mode.
Ordnance: The ordnance function provides for control and utilization of sonobuoys and torpedoes. The torpedo’s depth, ceiling, course, and operational mode are controlled through this function. Special auxiliary equipment allows deployment of sound underwater source (SUS) and chaff Sonobuoy selection and deployment can be done automatically or manually.
Taken together, these eight functional areas are LAMPS III.
LAMPS helicopters will be operated by several LAMPS squadrons on each coast. Detachments from those squadrons will deploy on board surface combatants as air groups now deploy \ on board aircraft carriers. A typical LAMPS aircraft detachment consisting of one helicopter with four pilots, two aircrewmen, and nine maintenance personnel would move aboard ship just prior to a deployment. Once on board, the LAMPS helicopter detachment becomes an integral part of the ship’s company, and the officer in charge becomes the air department head.
At this preliminary stage it is difficult to predict any precise tactical scenario for LAMPS because of its unprecedented flexibility. If assumptions are based on the Navy’s 25 years of experience with tactical helicopters, LAMPS operations could assume this broad pattern:
► Under way, the helicopter functions in a standby condition ready to augment the ship’s search and attack capabilities. When shipboard radar, sonar, and electronic sensors establish a solid contact, general quarters is sounded, and the air department goes into action.
► The helicopter is readied as the flight crew is briefed by combat information center personnel. In the j worst case the helicopter would require about 30 minutes for preparation and launch, although that time could easily drop to ten minutes or less if the helicopter and crew were in an alert status.
^ After launch, the helicopter proceeds to the datum area to drop sonobuoys and pinpoint the contact’s area- When the tactical situation is well developed, the helicopter employs its MAD gear to further localize ar>d define the possible or probable target. When attack is indicated, the helicopter can launch a homing torpedo independently or under the ship’s direction.
^ In the datum area, and while it is Prosecuting the contact, the LAMPS III helo is feeding acoustical, radar, and electronic information back to the ship Vla data link so that the tactical situa- tlon is continually updated on a real- tlfne basis. During this time the airborne radar is searching far beyond the ship’s horizon and the passive elec- rronic equipment enjoys a similar adVantage in its search for hostile radio frequency signals which are usually l>ne-of-sight limited. In this phase, che LAMPS III helicopter is very much an extension of the ship and the two Ur>its complement each other’s natural strengths.
^ When necessary, the LAMPS III helicopter can function as an effective independent unit capable of establish- In8> processing, and attacking submarine targets by itself.
^ In an antiship surveillance and targeting (ASST) role, the LAMPS III air- eraft will complement shipboard search and attack systems for surface- to-surface warfare at greatly extended ranges.
^ In a utility role, the LAMPS III helicopter will add several new dimensions to the surface ships’ independence from aircraft carrier support. As a basic helicopter, the SH-60B aircraft can be assigned secondary missions of search and rescue, medical evacuation, communications relay, and vertical replenishment without any downtime for reconfiguration.
There is little question that LAMPS III will extend the surface commander’s search and attack capability. In fact, LAMPS commanders will need to adjust their tactical thinking to a new scope. When tactical radius is doubled, tactical area increases by a factor of four. And LAMPS III will probably quadruple that effective radius with a commensurate increase in area. LAMPS commanders will inevitably become responsible for enormous operational areas previously assigned to task forces. The challenge is exciting and real, but there are potential problems.
► Despite its impressive array of sophisticated equipment, LAMPS III is predicated on a relatively fragile component, the helicopter. LAMPS commanders could find that their tactical responsibilities are too dependent on that single complex unit.
► Despite its speed, range, and loiter time, the LAMPS helicopter is still subject to the basic constraints of fuel limitations and will only be available on-station for some limited time. Tactical planning will have to make rational allowances for refueling, crew fatigue, and aircraft maintenance.
► So-called all-weather operations have become a reality for helicopters in the past 20 years, although there are several limitations. Extreme sea states and/or winds will prevent launch and recovery. Violent weather such as that associated with thunderstorms presents a serious threat to flight safety. In-flight icing can easily compromise flight safety, particularly in helicopters. Finally, there are very real visibility restrictions. The LAMPS III helicopter can navigate and operate without any forward visibility but it cannot launch and recover under those circumstances. Pilots still require some minimum visibility to land and take off. Operational planning will have to make provision for any trend toward minimum landing visibility at the ship while the helicopter is in flight.
► Aircraft do not hibernate well. Pilots will tell you that the most troublesome aircraft is the one which has been stored the longest. LAMPS commanders cannot presume that the helicopter will function perfectly after days of storage in the ship's hangar. In fact, they would do well to plan otherwise.
► Software in the ship/air computers could well present the most difficult challenge to the entire LAMPS project. New computer programs are likely to undergo scores of changes and revisions with obvious implications for the surface commander who carries the overall responsibility. An effective LAMPS mission will truly hinge on the instructions given to those two electronic brains.
The LAMPS III program will make the traditional surface ship a potent, influential, independent unit with vastly expanded tactical abilities. Potential LAMPS commanders should take every opportunity over the next few years to expand their knowledge of this exciting tactical innovation.