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| Press Release Number: E200304281 | 28-Apr-03 |
H-1 Program shelves tradition to rush new FLIR to war |
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| By John C. Milliman, PMA-276 Public Affairs Officer NAVAIR PATUXENT RIVER, MD - Shelving traditional (and time consuming) fleet introduction procedures to help the Warfighter, NAVAIR/HMX-1 Marines and the UH-1N Huey engineering test team here recently deployed a new UH-1N navigational thermal imaging system for a true test - in combat. The FLIR Systems Inc. BRITE Star, which mounts under the nose of the helicopter and provides the crew a forward-looking infrared radar and television image along with laser designation and range finding capability, was successfully tested over the last year here and at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. With an original fleet introduction date of September, 2003, Headquarters Marine Corps tasked PMA-276 to deploy the two BRITE Star test articles directly to forward deployed units in SWA, according to Luke Crouson, H-1 class desk at COMNAVAIRLANT - the East Coast type commander for H-1's. During earlier testing, engineers and users found the units much more capable than the currently fielded system, greatly increasing the Warfighter's ability to engage targets outside hostile threat envelopes. "We were going to buy them anyway," he explained. "They were good to go so we did an early portion to put a couple in a combat situation. This would give the guys in-theater some improved capability." Program officials said routine fleet introduction procedures were only circumvented to rush the two test articles to SWA to help the Marines preparing to engage in combat and that the program will return to established procedures for the remainder of the contract with FLIR Systems, Inc. Major Eldon Metzger, UH-1N platform coordinator with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 21 here, joined the two BRITE Stars in SWA before the war started to school the Marines there in installation and use. "I instructed Marines from three HMLA squadrons on the key differences [from the older unit], possible tactical uses and how to operate them," he said. The BRITE Stars, one of which went to HMLA-169 and the other to HMLA-269, are a big improvement over the previous capability, according to Metzger. "This will bring new life to the Huey," he said. "The new BRITE Star provides expanded capabilities, including a CCD (TV) camera, enhanced optics which allow a higher resolution and greater magnification, improved tracker modes and a laser designator," Metzger said. Additionally, the new FLIR will give squadron and ground commanders more options through its greater stand-off range, better vision and ability to laser designate targets for the AH-1W Super Cobra's Hellfire missiles and other precision guided munitions. NAVAIR's contribution to the fleet, and the war effort, is going over big with the Marines, too. "The Marines in theater were all telling me this is great and asking me when they'd get more," Metzger said. Crouson, the type commander, and technically the "owner" of all Marine Corps and Navy H-1 aircraft from the East Coast, echoes the sentiment. "It's a good piece of gear, something the pilots can use - and a good use of government dollars," Crouson stated. Crouson credited PMA-276's Major Rick Bowen, Deputy Program Manager for Warfighting platforms, for pushing to have the BRITE Star replace the AN/AAQ-22C Star SAFIRE in all of the Corps' Hueys. "That's where Major Bowen has been great to push this - he's a Huey pilot and he knows what would be good." -30- Cutline BRITE Star up! Major Eldon Metzger (second from left), HX-21, recently traveled to Kuwait with two new BRITE Star FLIR systems in an effort that skipped the traditional fleet introduction in favor of rapidly deploying needed technology to the Warfighters about to head into combat in Iraq. The new system brings new capability to the Corps' venerable Huey in the form of an upgraded FLIR system with TV, laser designation and range finding capability. Here, Metzger and HMLA-169 pilots gather around the first BRITE Star installed in theater shortly before Operation Iraqi Freedom started. (Official USMC Photograph) |
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