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TUP Team delivers first fully upgraded Harrier

NAVAIR Release

Press Release Number: ECP200308051

Release Date: 8/5/2003

By Gary Rice Public Affairs Specialist

Through the top-notch skills and efforts of its TAV-8B Harrier Trainer Upgrade Program (TUP) team, the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Depot Cherry Point delivered its first fully upgraded Harrier to the fleet on June 25.

TUP is a cooperative project involving personnel from the depot and the Boeing Company. It is a team effort designed to incorporate up to three major modifications in the Harrier trainer aircraft. The TUP team's first fully upgraded Harrier was delivered to VMAT-203 at MCAS Cherry Point. The team previously completed work on two other trainers, but they were not fully upgraded.

"The purpose of this program is basically to bring the TAV-8B two-seat trainer up to mission capability for what they're flying today in the fleet," Walter Burke, Aircraft Electrical Work Leader, said. "The Ts have been around since about 1988 and have not been upgraded to what is flying today, so we're giving them what they need to be current."

Burke said the complete modification package includes all new wiring, incorporation of enhanced night vision capabilities, and the new F408 engine, which will give the aircraft more hover capability and better performance. The old F406 engines had less thrust and different parameters.

The changes will enable pilots in the training squadrons to better prepare for the flying conditions they will actually encounter in operational squadrons. This will cut down on their training cycle time in the operational squadrons and enable them to concentrate more on mission readiness.

"This project is the first concurrent engineering in the AV-8 Harrier program involving Boeing and depot engineers," Industrial Specialist Jeff Jaskolka said. "We're working with the original equipment manufacturer and doing the engineering as the changes are installed. It streamlines the process and involves less paperwork. The planes hit the fleet quicker, and we'll save the government millions of dollars over the course of the program. This is the wave of the future."

Jaskolka explained that the program will involve a total of 14 aircraft and is expected to last into 2007. It has significantly increased the workload of the depot, as each full upgrade takes about 18,000 man-hours of production work.

"We're in direct contact with Boeing both by computer and telephone," Jaskolka said, "and we have Boeing reps here on the floor with us. Our engineers and artisans are working with their engineers, and we're all trying to bring it together, solve problems as they come up, and continue the program in the most effective way."

"TUP involves a lot of hard work by a lot of people in various areas," Burke added, "and it's proving to be a great success. It's all about teamwork, and we're on a good roll right now."

NAVAIR provides advanced warfare technologies through the efforts of a seamless, integrated, worldwide network of aviation technology experts. From aircraft and weapons development to carrier launch and recovery; from sensors to real-time communications to precision targeting; from aircraft and weapons sustainment to state-of-the-art training; NAVAIR provides dominant combat effects and matchless capabilities to the American warfighter.