Marvin Test Solutions Showcases Armament Test Expertise at the Farnborough International Airshow
Proven Test Solutions Close Warfighting Armament Test Gap for Legacy 4th and 5th Generation Aircraft; Provide Post-SDD Warfighting Enhancements for the F-35
Farnborough, England – July 14, 2014 – Marvin Test Solutions, a trusted provider of globally deployed innovative test solutions for military, aerospace, and manufacturing organizations, is demonstrating its solutions this week at the Farnborough International Airshow in Hall 2 – Booth A11. Increasingly complex “smart” armament systems equipped with MIL-STD-1760 interfaces demand test systems with capabilities that go beyond simple stray voltage and continuity tests to reduce the risk of mission failure. Marvin Test Solutions has the proven equipment and domain expertise to meet these demands, and will be showcasing multiple armament test systems at the show.
“We know that as air forces across the globe look to modify or extend the life of current aircraft by adding new weapons systems, they often require new, more capable maintenance and sustainment equipment that can test advanced functionality amidst stressed acquisition funding,” said Major General Steve Sargeant, USAF (Ret.) and CEO of Marvin Test Solutions. “Our MTS-3060 SmartCan™ Universal O-Level Test Set represents a paradigm shift away from the traditional one-for-one test equipment replacement approach, offering maintainers on the flightline the new test capabilities they need while meeting the constraints of shrinking budgets.”
In addition to the MTS-3060 SmartCan™, the Marvin Test Solutions MTS-2xx series of I-level test sets are designed for serious backshop troubleshooting and repair, but rugged enough to withstand the harsh flightline environment if taken there by maintainers.
Understanding the Warfighting Armament Test Gap
Over the years, the avionics and armament systems of 4th and 5th generation aircraft – from the A-10 to the F-22 – have received numerous upgrades, including Smart weapons technology and enhancements to legacy weapons. Today’s armament systems seldom resemble the systems deployed almost four decades ago. Yet, maintainers are still required to use the same or similar flightline test equipment – “beercan” testers and big-box test equipment – to verify that these new, sophisticated armament systems are actually full mission capable (FMC). The legacy test systems leave a gap in armament testing, as they do not deliver the comprehensive test capabilities required for the new Smart weapons during preload testing, and are neither cost effective nor easy to deploy.
Because of this armament test gap, there are multiple failure modes that can go undetected until after a weapon has been loaded. Discovery of a defective system error after upload can result in risk of failure or degradation that could affect a warfighter’s ability to perform its mission.
For more about the Warfighting Armament Test Gap, readers can visit marvintest.com/armament for a white paper.
Proven Solutions for Armament Test with the MTS-3060 SmartCan™ and MTS-2xx Products
The MTS-3060 SmartCanTM Universal O-Level Test Set standardizes and consolidates flightline test equipment across legacy 4th and 5th generation aircraft. It tests Smart weapons and associated aircraft interfaces as well as all legacy armament systems. In addition, the SmartCanTM also provides rapid, on-aircraft troubleshooting for armament and several weapons. Furthermore, the SmartCanTM simplifies maintenance by automating the test processes and reducing the test footprint on the flightline. Because the SmartCan™ spans maintenance tests across legacy aircraft, it can result in significant cost savings through standardization and streamlined training. The MTS-3060 SmartCan™ is already successfully deployed and proven effective on the F-16 Block 15 and 50, F-15C, TA-50, FA-50, and F-5 aircraft.
The MTS-209 Common Armament Test Set complements the MTS-3060 SmartCan™ and tests launchers, racks, and pylons at the I-Level, removed from the aircraft. The MTS-209 supports testing of legacy launchers for AIM-9 and AGM-65 missiles as well as racks and launchers for smart weapons including AIM-120, JDAM, and more.
For missile testing, the MTS-206 and the MTS-916 combine to test Maverick and Hellfire missiles at the I-Level and depot level. The MTS-206 and MTS-916 combination provides a thorough verification and boresighting of optical seekers and guidance sections.
Providing Warfighting Enhancements for the F-35
Looking to the future and post-System Design and Development (SDD) for the F-35, the SmartCanTM stands ready to deploy to the flightline if warfighters seek an enhancement to the current level of armament testing. At the O-level, the armament test requirements during SDD only call for the use of a simple, stray voltage and continuity test set. While continuity testing is credited with detecting historically many of the problems with the MIL-STD-1760 bus, some failure modes can go undetected until the weapons are loaded. The SmartCan™ can significantly reduce the unknowns and, therefore, mitigate mission risk by performing functionality tests on the MIL-STD-1760 bus validating communications, arming, and release prior to loading weapons.
If countries using the F-35 decide to move beyond the current two-level only maintenance strategy, supporting “remove and replace” module maintenance activity, maintainers can use the rugged and proven MTS-235 F-35 Armament Test Set to conduct critical, post-SDD I-level troubleshooting and repair of the F-35 armament. The MTS-235 is a depot-level test designed to withstand the rigors of the deployed backshop (I-level). It has been in daily use for years in Inglewood CA, qualifying all of the F-35 AME produced by the Marvin Engineering Company.
Showcasing Solutions at the Farnborough International Airshow
At the Farnborough International Airshow, attendees can see demonstrations* of our armament, avionics, and other innovative test solutions, including:- MTS-206 and MTS-916 – Combination test system for I-level test of Maverick missiles and launchers
- PATS-70 – O-level MTS-207-based platform for A-10C avionics
- MTS-210 – Aircraft Noise Test Solution
- MTS-209 – I-level test set for legacy and Smart AME
- MT1888 – Eye Safe Laser Simulator for O- to D-level test of Laser Guided Weapons and sensors
- AN/TSM-205B – Flightline test set for Hellfire Missiles and Launchers
- MTS-235 – Depot test set for F-35 armament ready to use at the I-level if the users decide to implement I-level armament maintenance
*To make an appointment to meet with our CEO, Major General Steve Sargeant, USAF (Ret.) and our President, Mr. Loofie Gutterman, at FAS 2014, contact Donna Van Dyke at DonnaV@marvintest.com.
About Marvin Test Solutions, Inc.
Marvin Test Solutions, a vertically integrated aerospace test and measurement company, has delivered innovative, feature-rich test solutions for factory,
flightline, intermediate-level, and depot-level applications since 1988. As a member of The Marvin Group, an award-winning aerospace company with a 50-year history
in the Defense and Commercial Aerospace industries, Marvin Test Solutions has test equipment deployed in support of most of the major defense aircraft and munitions
in use around the world. Marvin Test Solutions quickly delivers full-spectrum, successful test solutions - making test, maintenance, and sustainment of the most
mission-critical systems easier and faster.