NEW CONCEPTS AND INNOVATIONS FOR AERONAUTICAL SYSTEMS/SUBSYSTEMS- SOF AIRCRAFT

SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES (SOFS) HAVE BEEN AND CONTINUE TO BE RELIED UPON FOR USE IN A GENERAL ALL-OUT WAR AND IN LOW-INTENSITY CONFLICTS (LIC). IN BOTH CASES, THE SOFS WILL REQUIRE UNIQUE EQUIPMENT AND POSSIBLY UNIQUE TRANSPORT VEHICLES IN ORDER TO ASSURE MISSION SUCCESS. ANY FUTURE SOF TRANSPORT VEHICLE (WHETHER CTOL, STOL, VTOL, OR HELICOPTER), MUST PENETRATE INCREASINGLY LETHAL AIR DEFENSE NETWORKS. IF CURRENT TRENDS CONTINUE, BY THE YEAR 2005 MOST THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES WILL HAVE FIELDED SOPHISTICATED MEDIUMTO LONG-RANGE SURFACE-TO-AIR DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS. THESE SYSTEMS WILL BE ADJUNCTS TO CURRENT SHORT RANGE MISSILE AND SMALL ARMS THREATS. THIS ACTIVITY PROPOSES TO EXAMINE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SOF SUPPORT AIRCRAFT IN THE 2005 TIMEFRAME. TOYON WILL DEVELOP A METHODOLOGY FOR EVALUATING DIFFERENT SOF AIRCRAFT DESIGN CONCEPTS WHICH WILL INCLUDE A REVIEW OF THE PROJECTED THREAT, SOF SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS, RANGE/PAYLOAD AND CARGO-SIZE REQUIREMENTS, A SURVIVABILITY ANALYSIS, AND A TRADEOFF STUDY BETWEEN OBSERVABLES AND PENETRATION AIDS. THE GOAL OF THE METHODOLOGY IS TO DEFINE THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE SOF SUPPORT AIRCRAFT. THE PHASE I EFFORT WILL INCLUDE AN EVALUATION OF A SINGLE SOF DESIGN CONCEPT.