Ruag Aviation Provides Life Cycle Support
RUAG Aviation is a leading life cycle support provider for civil and military aircraft and helicopters. Its core competences include upgrade and modification solutions, in addition to maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services. Headquartered near Lucerne, Switzerland, RUAG Aviation operates facilities in various locations throughout Switzerland, as well as in Germany, Australia and the USA.
When most people think of Switzerland, military aviation and defence technology are not often the first things that spring to mind. RUAG Aviation has proven that the country’s reputation for delivering reliability and efficiency unquestionably extends to its military and defence solutions. The company’s expertise is based upon its innovative specialists, state-of-the-art technology and decades of experience supporting numerous air forces worldwide.
Upgrading the Swiss Air Force TH06 Super Puma fleet
RUAG Aviation is responsible for designing and performing extensive upgrades on 15 TH89 Super Puma helicopters belonging to the Swiss Air Force. The programme consists of modernising the original 1980s-standard equipment of the helicopters to exceed the advanced standards of the Swiss Air Force TH98 Cougar fleet. Initiated following RUAG Aviation’s successful tender in 2006, the programme is fully on track to meet its scheduled completion deadline by the end of 2014; 10 of the 15 modernised helicopters have been delivered as of July 2013.
Approximately fifty new systems have been integrated
into the TH06 Super Puma, turning the Transport
Helicopter (TH) into a state-of-the-art Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Search and
Rescue (SAR) platform. The upgrades deliver a
completely new experience with improved situational
awareness and safety, particularly during night
operations in difficult conditions.
The installations and integrations performed by RUAG
Aviation fulfil all European Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA) requirements. A supplemental type certificate
(STC) has been approved by the certifying authority of
the Swiss Air Force, armasuisse, in coordination with
RUAG Aviation’s EASA Design Organisation Approval
(DOA). The EASA DOA covers the design and development of minor and major repairs and modifications to small and large rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft registered in EASA member countries. It includes work related to avionics, electrical systems, cabin interiors as well as structure and performance. It further allows RUAG Aviation to approve and issue flight permits for upgraded aircraft.
Improving safety in degraded visual environments
Recognising the dangers posed by brown-out, white-out and zero-light conditions, RUAG Aviation collaborates with component OEMs to provide a scalable and modular subsystem solution for improving situational awareness in degraded visual environments (DVE).
The system provides pilot assistance during take-off and landing, as well as all flight phases between. It generates a synthetic visualisation of the helicopter’s surroundings, displaying it in the pilot’s field of vision on a helmet-mounted display (HMD), or as a full 3D visualisation on a head-down display. Merging take-off and landing visualisation with 3D symbology, the solution provides real-time information on terrain, obstacles, navigation and tactical considerations. Pilots are therefore able to make better-informed decisions in a more efficient manner, directly contributing towards greater mission success. When night operations are necessary, the system’s complete compatibility with night vision goggles (NVG) delivers even greater safety for all on board.
Protecting airborne helicopters
An aircraft’s surroundings are not the only potential dangers faced by its pilots and crew. Ground and air-based attacks are an unfortunate but all-too-real risk when flying missions over hostile territory. The Integrated Self-Protection System (ISSYS) mitigates this danger by alerting helicopter crews to imminent threats, and dispensing chaff and flare countermeasures as decoys for radar-based weapons systems and oncoming infrared-guided missiles. Developed by RUAG Aviation in cooperation with the OEM SAAB, ISSYS has been adopted by the Swiss, Swedish, Spanish and Slovenian Air Forces, among others. The system is normally installed in partnership with the local MRO company responsible for the particular aircraft within the customer’s country, ensuring a seamless network of support for the operator.
ISSYS is inherently versatile. Specially designed Plug-on Devices (POD) are mounted on the helicopter’s hard points, enabling ISSYS to be installed within 15 minutes by just two people. This simple installation procedure allows it to be easily shared among different helicopter platforms, and also eliminates the need for any re-certification. EASA certification is possible, however, for the use of ISSYS-POD on civil or special mission helicopters, e.g. for protecting air ambulances.
ISSYS consists of two parts: a Multi-Sensor Warning System (MSWS) and a Countermeasure Dispenser System (CMDS). The MSWS comprises all necessary sensors and a neuronal net-based electronic warfare (EW) controller, which detect radar and laser threat emissions across a broad spectrum. It also includes passive missile approach warning sensors for detecting ultraviolet (UV) emissions from approaching missiles. Once a threat is detected, the CMDS makes use of between 2 and 16 modern chaff and flare dispensers to intercept the approaching missile, securing the safety of the helicopter and all on board.
Together Ahead
“RUAG Aviation places immense value on maintaining strong relationships with all its partners” says Markus Mayer, Area Sales Director Europe at RUAG Aviation. “We believe in working together with local industries, because of their closer proximity to the end-customer. Local industries possess a deeper understanding of the end-customer’s needs, which in turn allows us to provide better support suitably optimised to meet this need.” This emphasis on partnership enables RUAG Aviation to maximise the advantages enjoyed by its customers, and forms an integral part of its success in the military and civil aviation sectors around the world.
