New ADS-33 Requirements for Cargo and Maritime Operations

The US Army's rotorcraft handling qualities specification, ADS-33, was initially intended to be a tri-service (Army, Navy, and Air Force) document. Early developmental work on the basic structure of ADS-33 was funded by the US Navy. As funding structures within the US armed forces changed, and as the Army defined the need for an acquisition document for the RAH-66 Comanche program, ADS-33 evolved into a scout/attack specification and work on requirements for the other branches of service came to an end. As the usage of ADS-33 has expanded, the US Navy has begun to adopt it for maritime and cargo helicopter programs and has identified a need for a similar specification for unmanned helicopters, necessitating an extensive review and update to encompass the Navy's requirements. Recently, work has been underway to define the necessary changes to the specification. This paper summarizes the proposed modifications and additions for ADS-33E-PRF.