Expectations, Test Results, and Lessons Learned, Flight Testing an RF DILR ALE

VFS 78 Summary: In this paper we frame the events and report the outcomes of a series of Radio Frequency (RF) Detect, Identify, Locate and Report (DILR) Air Launched Effect (ALE) laboratory, ground, flight tests and demonstrations. The flight testing and demonstrations were accomplished at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) in AZ. Elbit America, in cooperation with Area-I and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC) presented a paper in the VFS 77 Operations Forum entitled Air Launched Effects Payload and Air Vehicle Integration. In the VFS 77 paper we described the intricacies of development, integration, laboratory testing and CONOPS of an RF payload to Detect, Identify, Locate, and Report (DILR) the whereabouts of a field emitter. The objective was to demonstrate an integrated UAS/payload capability suitable for battlespace operations to help defeat enemy Integrated Air Defense Systems (IADS). Scheduling conflicts mandated the VFS 77 paper be presented prior to conducting field trials so no results were included in the VFS 77 paper. VFS 77 Abstract: ALE is a new operational concept for vertical lift warfighting and is an important element of the future warfare paradigm. All U.S. service branches have ALE capability development programs depicted in their evolving operational views and Army Aviation is the leader for vertical lift concepts. Operations with ALE will provide on-demand, stand-in effects deployed from vertical lift vehicles at very low altitudes and from unmanned aircraft systems. The U.S. Army is developing and evaluating ALE concepts of operation, air vehicle systems and payloads via capability demonstrations and field trials. A coordinated effort between multiple Industry and DoD organizations is needed to achieve success. This paper discusses an ALE capability to rapidly DILR an embedded field RADAR. The cooperative integration and evaluation effort included Elbit Systems of America with their EW DILR payload, Area-I and their ALTIUS 600 UAV and the U.S. Army AvMC ALE team.