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	Director, Operational Test & Evaluation
FY97 Annual Report

AN/ALR-69 ADVANCED CRYSTAL VIDEO RECEIVER (ACVR)

	Air Force ACAT III Program Total program cost (TY$) $87.35M Average unit cost (TY$) $12.5K Full-rate production 1QFY01 Prime Contractor No Prime Contractor has been identified at this time. Warner Robins Air Logistic Center is the responsible government integrator for the ACVR program.

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION & CONTRIBUTION TO JOINT VISION 2010

The ACVR contributes to full-dimensional protection by improving individual aircraft probability of survival through improved air crew situation awareness of the radar guided threat environment. The ACVR consist of radio frequency (RF) Triplexer, Extended Range Dual Log Video Amplifier (ERDLVA) and Logic Board. The ACVR will replace the existing preamplifier of the ALR-69 Radar Warning Receiver (RWR). The ACVR will provide increased receiver sensitivity, increased dynamic range, and increased pulse density and signal processing capability. Additionally, the ACVR will reduce maintenance costs through improved reliability and maintainability and enhanced Built-In-Test (BIT).

The ACVR upgrade is designed to increase the types of threats that the ALR-69 can detect and classify and should improve detection range and direction finding accuracy. More specifically, the ACVR upgrade should enable the ALR-69 to process both airborne and ground pulse Doppler threat emitters. RF pulse density processing requirements for ACVR are necessarily increased by orders of magnitude over previous emitter environments tested against.

The AN/ALR-69 RWR has been installed on Air National Guard (ANG), United States Air Force (USAF) and USAF Reserve F-16 (except Block 50), A-10, AC-130 and the HH-53 aircraft. The AN/ALR-69 RWR is a mature system and has been in continuous service since the mid 1970s. From June 4, 1993 through July 23, 1993 the Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Test Center (AATC) conducted a qualification operational test and evaluation (QOT&E) for the AN/ALR-69 reliability and maintainability (R&M) modification. The R&M modification was necessary at the time to avert support problems. More specifically, the R&M modification entailed the replacement of the aging AN/ALR-69 system processor and controller with more modern supportable components. Following successful completion of the QOT&E for the R&M modification, the ALR-69 Product Improvement Program (PIP) was initiated in 1993 to replace the current ALR-69 receiver with an advanced crystal video receiver. The first platforms scheduled to receive the ACVR equipped ALR-69s include the HH-60 PAVEHAWK Air Force Combat Search and Rescue Helicopter and F-16 fighter aircraft.

The Operational Requirements Document (ORD) and the Test and Evaluation Master Plan (TEMP) for the ALR-69 are being updated to include the ACVR. The ACVR TEMP for the F-16/A-10/C-130 aircraft is currently in preparation at Warner Robins Air Force Base Air Logistics Center (ALC). The HH-60 Integrated Electronic Warfare System (IEWS) ORD articulates the requirement for radar warning in the HH-60 PAVEHAWK helicopter. The principle developmental testing of the ALR-69 ACVR prior to QOT&E field testing in either the HH-60 or F-16, is planned to be conducted in the Electronic Warfare Avionics Integration Support Facility (EWAISF) at Warner Robbins AFB. The EWAISF testing is currently scheduled to start in December 1997 with test completion in August 1998. At this time it is not clear whether QT&E and QOT&E of the ALR-69 ACVR will occur first on the HH-60 or the F-16 aircraft. The lengthy delay in the entire ACVR program since the R&M upgrade in 1993 has been attributed to software development problems.

DOT&E staff will continue to monitor and participate in test planning activities through attendance of ALR-69 ACVR TPWGs.

Although no operational testing has been conducted, an adequate test program is being structured. The Test Director intends to re-baseline the full capabilities of the ALR-69 with the ACVR upgrade. QOT&E will conduct baseline testing of ALR-69 performance with ACVR compared to the ALR-69 alone. All major effectiveness and suitability performance parameters will be evaluated. The focus of testing will include:

• Testing against available airborne and ground pulse, continuous wave, and pulse Doppler threats

• Operating equipment in dense pulse environment

• Determining increased receiver sensitivity impacts on false alarm rate, compatibility, and pilot overload and confusion

• Quantifying improvements in direction finding accuracy

Testing will likely include all pulse Doppler threats and the majority of pulse and continuous wave threats available at the Western Test Range (WTR) and the Electronic Warfare Threat Environment Simulation (EWTES) Range. Additional testing may also be conducted at one of the hybrid, hardware-in-the-loop simulation facilities, such as at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Surrogate aircraft will be used for threat aircraft. Flights will include both onboard jamming and non-jamming missions.