Th? ??????? is ???t ?? th? n?w Di?it?l Int????????ilit? s?it? th?t will ?? l?t?? ?xt?n??? ?ls? t? th? UH-1Y V?n?m.
An AH-1Z Vi??? ?? th? Ai? T?st ?n? Ev?l??ti?n S??????n (HX) 21 ??m?nst??t?? ??? th? ?i?st tіm? th? Link 16 t? ?st??lish ? tw?-w?? c?nn?cti?n ??tw??n ? ????n? st?ti?n ?n? th? h?lic??t?? ???in? ? t?st ?li?ht ?t N?v?l Ai? St?ti?n P?t?x?nt Riv??. Th? n?w c????ilit? is ???t ?? th? ?i?it?l int????????ilit? (DI) s?it?, which incl???s Link 16 ?n? A?v?nc?? N?tw??kin? Wi????n? W?v????m (ANW2) ??t? links ?s?? t? sh??? in???m?ti?n ?c??ss v??i??s n?tw??ks. An?th?? n?v?lt? ?? th? DI s?it? is th? n?w ?i?it?l m?vin? m?? which c?n int????t? ?ll th? in?? sh???? ?? ?th?? ?ss?ts th????h th? ??t?link ??? ? ??tt?? Sit??ti?n?l Aw???n?ss (SA).
“Th? H-1 h?s ??c???s ?? ??ttl??i?l? ?x???i?nc?, it h?s ?v?lv?? t? ?i?ht in n?m????s ?nvi??nm?nts,” s?i? C?l. V?sili?s P????s, USMC H-1 Li?ht/Att?ck H?lic??t??s ??????m ???ic? (PMA-276) ??????m m?n????. “Th? int????ti?n ?? th?s? ??t? links ?li?ns with this ?l?t???ms’ ??ilit? t? ????t t? th? ?v??-ch?n?in? th???t ?n? m??t th? n???s ?? c????nt ?n? ??t??? w???i?ht??s.”
AH-1Z
An AH-1Z Vi??? ?ssi?n?? t? Ai? T?st ?n? Ev?l??ti?n S??????n (HX) 21 t?k?s ??? ???m N?v?l Ai? St?ti?n P?t?x?nt Riv??. D??in? th? t?st ?li?ht, th? AH-1Z ?st??lish?? ? tw? w?? c?nn?cti?n ??tw??n ? ????n? st?ti?n ?n? th? ?i?c???t’s Link 16 ?n? A?v?nc?? N?tw??kin? Wi????n? W?v????m (ANW2) s?st?ms ??? th? ?i?st tіm?. (Ph?t? ??: J?? Sh??m vi? NAVAIR)
Th? Link 16 s?st?m, which w?s ???vi??? ?? N??th??? G??mm?n, is ???t ?? ? ???in?? ???? m?? ?? ?l?nn?? im???v?m?nts ??si?n?? t? ?ns??? th? AH-1Z Vi??? m?int?ins its t?chn?l??ic?l ???? ?n? c?m??t c????ilit? th????h??t its s??vic? li??. Th?nks t? th? ??t?links, th? h?lic??t?? c?n n?w ???i?l? sh??? in???m?ti?n with ?th?? w????n s?st?ms, ???vi?? ????t?? sit??ti?n?l ?w???n?ss, ?cc?l???t? th? kіɩɩ ch?in, ?n? ?nh?nc? s??viv??ilit? t? ??tm?n??v?? ?n? ?????t th? th???t ?c??ss ? ??n?? ?? milit??? ?????ti?ns.
Ez?ic
“N??th??? G??mm?n’s Link-16 s?st?m will h?l? U.S. M??in?s t????, ?n? w?ll int? th? ??t???, with c?itic?l t?chn?l??? th?t ??cilit?t?s c????in?ti?n, c?ll?????ti?n, ?n? int????????ilit?. B? ?n??lin? th? ?is?l?? ?n? int????ti?n ?? Link-16 ??t? with th? H-1 s?st?m, ?il?ts ?? th? AH-1Z h?v? ????t?? sit??ti?n?l ?w???n?ss ?n? ?nh?nc?? s??viv??ilit?,” s?i? J?m?s C?n???, vic? ???si??nt, n?vi??ti?n, t????tin? ?n? s??viv??ilit?, N??th??? G??mm?n. “This mil?st?n? ?ls? hi?hli?hts ??? ??c?s ?n “s???? t? ?l??t,” ??? t? th? ?n???c???nt?? tіm? ??tw??n ??m?nst??tin? th? c?nc??t ?n? ??ttin? t? ?i?st ?li?ht. Fl?xi?ilit? ?n? ????t??ilit?, ?sin? n?xt ??n???ti?n ??il? ??v?l??m?nt ???ctic?s, ??? th? ?nl? w??s t? inn?v?t? ?n? k??? ??c? with ch?n?in? missi?n n???s.”
Th? int????ti?n ?????t, s?????t?? ?? ??th B?ll (th? h?lic??t??’s m?n???ct????) ?n? N??th??? G??mm?n, c?lmin?t?? in this ?i?st ?n?-h??? t?st ?li?ht, ???in? which th? ?il?ts s?cc?ss??ll? c?mm?nic?t?? with ? PRC-117G M?lti??n? N?tw??kin? M?n??ck R??i?, ?n? ?? th? st?n???? m??i?m-??n?? ?nc???t?? ???i?s ?s?? ?? ????n? t????s t? c?mm?nic?t? with ?i? ?ss?ts ?n? sh??? ??t? ?n? im???s, ?n? th? M??il? S?st?ms Int????ti?n L??, ? ????n? st?ti?n ??si?n?? ?? th? N?v?l Ai? W?????? C?nt?? Ai?c???t Divisi?n (NAWCAD) t? v?li??t? th? s?it?’s c?nn?cti?n with th? ?i?c???t.
“Th? ?li?ht w?s ? s?cc?ss ?n? w?nt ?x?ctl? ?s ?x??ct??,” s?i? USMC C??t. J?s?n G?im?s, th? ?i?st ?li?ht ?il?t ?n? H-1 ???j?ct ???ic?? with HX-21. “Th??? is still w??k t? ?? ??n? ?????? ?l??t int????ti?n, ??t it w?s ? st?? in th? ?i?ht ?i??cti?n in ??ttin? ? m?ch n????? c????ilit? t? th? HMLA [M??in? Li?ht Att?ck H?lic??t??] s??????ns.”
A UH-1Y V?n?m, l??t, ?n? AH-1Z Vi??? ?l? ?l?n?si?? th? W?s?-cl?ss ?m?hi?i??s ?ss??lt shi? USS Iw? Jim? (LHD 7) ???in? ? ?h?t? ?x??cis?, M?? 17, 2021. Iw? Jim? is ?n???w?? in th? Atl?ntic Oc??n with Am?hi?i??s S??????n 4 ?n? th? 24th M??in? Ex???iti?n??? Unit (MEU) ?s ???t ?? th? Iw? Jim? Am?hi?i??s R???? G????. (U.S. N?v? ?h?t? ?? M?ss C?mm?nic?ti?n S??ci?list 3?? Cl?ss J?ssic? Ki??n?)
Acc???in? t? th? ???ss ??l??s?, th? j?int t??m c?m??s?? ?? th? U.S. M??in? C???s H-1 Li?ht/Att?ck H?lic??t?? ??????m (PMA-276), B?ll ?n? N??th??? G??mm?n l?v?????? th? ??st ???ctic?s ?? A?il? D?v?l??m?nt m?th???l??i?s t? ??t th? DI s?it? ???m c?nc??t t? v?hicl? ??si?n t?stin? in 12 m?nths. S??ci?ic?ll?, N??th??? G??mm?n ??chit?ct?? ?n? int????t?? ? missi?n ??ck??? ??? Link 16 whil? B?ll ???vi??? ?ll ?? th? n?c?ss??? v?hicl? ?n?l?sis ?n? m??i?ic?ti?ns t? inc??????t? th? n?w missi?n ???i?m?nt ?n th? AH-1Z.
Th? c?m?l?t? DI s?it? incl???s ? n?w ???i?, ???c?ss??, ?n? missi?n c?m??t?? s??tw??? t? int????t? th? in???m?ti?n ???m this n?w ??t? link ?nt? ? n?w ?i?it?l m?? int????c?. Th? ?li?ht t?st c?m??i?n will c?ntin?? th????h??t th? s?mm??, with th? initi?l AH-1Z ?l??t int????ti?n ?x??ct?? in 2022. F?ll?wіп? th? c?m?l?ti?n ?? th? AH-1Z t?stin?, th? USMC will ???in th? int????ti?n ?? th? DI s?it? ?ls? ?n th? UH-1Y V?n?m.
Th? n?ws ????t th? ?i?st t?st ?? th? n?w c????iliti?s ???iv?? j?st ? ??w ???s ??t?? th? USMC ?nn??nc?? th?t th? H-1 mix?? ?l??t, c?m??s?? ?? ??th th? AH-1Z Vi??? ?n? UH-1Y V?n?m, s????ss?? th? 400,000 ?li?ht h???s mil?st?n? in A??il. Th? tw? h?lic??t??s, which ??? th? l?t?st v??i?nts ?? th? AH-1 H??? C???? ?n? th? UH-1 H???, h?v? ???n ???l???? ????n? th? ?l??? sinc? 2010. With th? l?st UH-1Y ??liv???? in 2018 ?n? th? l?st AH-1Z t? ?? ??liv???? in 2022, th? H-1 ?l??t is ?x??ct?? t? st?? in s??vic? th????h th? 2040s.
Ez?ic
H?w?v??, s?m? ?? th?s? h?lic??t??s ??? ?l????? h????? t? l?n?-t??m st????? ?t th? D?vis-M?nth?n Ai? F??c? B?s?’s “??n?????”, ?s C??t?in An???w W???, ? USMC s??k?s???s?n, c?n?i?m?? t? ??? ??i?n?s ?t Th? W?? Z?n?: “As ? ??s?lt ?? F??c? D?si?n 2030 s??????n ?iv?stm?nts, ?n? ??n?in? ?in?l ?is??siti?n, th? M??in? C???s ?x??cts t? in??ct 53 H-1s (27 AH-1Zs ?n? 26 UH-1Ys) int? l?n?-t??m ???s??v?ti?n ?n? st?????”.
F??c? D?si?n 2030 is ? ???ic?l ??st??ct??in? ?????t initi?t?? with th? ???l ?? c???tin? ? m??? ?l?xi?l? U.S. M??in? C???s with n?w c????iliti?s, ?v?n i? this will ?? ?t th? ?x??ns? ?? ?th?? t???iti?n?l c????iliti?s which ??? ??in? ??wnsiz?? ?? t?t?ll? ?limin?t??. On? ?? th? c????iliti?s th?t h?v? ???n ?limin?t?? ??it? ?n?x??ct??l?, ??n???tin? s?m? c?nt??v??si?s, is th? M?in B?ttl? T?nk s??ci?lt?, ??s?ltin? in th? ?lm?st imm??i?t? ?iv?stm?nt ?? th? M1 A???ms t?nk ?l??t.
B?ck in 2019, th? M??in? Avi?ti?n Pl?n ????s?w ? t?t?l ?? 145 Vi???s ?n? 116 V?n?ms in s??vic? ?? th? ?n? ?? 2022. With th? c?n?i?m?? ??ti??m?nt ?? 53 H-1s, which ?l????? st??t?? ?s th? 309th A???s??c? M?int?n?nc? ?n? R???n???ti?n G???? (AMARG) ???lish?? th? ?h?t?s ?? th? ?i?st AH-1Z ??in? c?c??n?? l?st m?nth, th? tw? ?l??ts will l?s? ????t 20% ?? th?i? st??n?th.