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The U.S. Army's Black Hawk helicopters operate in the rugged environments of Iraq and Afghanistan, where they routinely encounter harsh temperatures, altitude, and dust. Lots of dust. The ARMOR C12 rugged convertible notebook computer, a commercially available unit from DRS Technologies, helps support a comprehensive program to keep the Black Hawks flying for air assault, air cavalry, and medical evacuation units.

Goodrich Corporation's Vehicle Health Management System records data on the entire helicopter mechanical drive train from the engines to the rotor system. "It records everything that happens on the aircraft – all instrumentation displayed in the cockpit as well as information from health sensors located throughout the helicopter," explains Al Morris, Goodrich IT Lead for Army Programs.

ARMOR C12 rugged convertible notebooks are a critical link in retrieving data from the aircraft for later analysis. "When the guys come in from a mission they download all that information into the database on the ARMOR computer, then the data is replicated to the servers," says Morris.

The ARMOR C12 combines advanced computing and communications technology with MIL-STD-810F ruggedness and durability. Its 12.1-inch touch-screen display quickly transforms from a tablet-style computer to a compact notebook with a full-size keyboard.

While operating at large, established bases in Iran and Afghanistan is more akin to an office environment, ARMOR computers are designed to be deployed to the most rugged remote locations. "Depending on the type of unit and its mission, the aircraft can be out for up to 30 days. The computers need to be prepared for rough conditions, including heat and cold, altitude, and dust," says Morris.

Housed in a die-cast magnesium case, the ARMOR C12 provides IP 54 level protection from dust, dirt, water, and other damaging elements. It operates at temperatures from 41°F to 113°F and altitudes to 15,000 ft.

According to Morris, battery life, RAM, and hard-drive space were important considerations in selecting the ARMOR C12, due to the amount of data and the need to stay out on longer missions. The C12 has a standard 512 MB SDRAM DDR2, which is expandable to 2 GB. Its 60 GB hard disk drive is shock-mounted and removable for easy swap-outs. The lithium ion battery provides standard drive time of 8 hours. An outdoor-viewable touch-screen display and full-size backlight keyboard allow full function in a variety of light conditions.

"The ARMOR computer has worked out very well in rugged conditions throughout Iraq and Afghanistan," says Morris. "It's a key part of monitoring the health of the aircraft and gathering the data that helps predict component failure so the Army can avoid serious damage, extensive repairs, and downtime."

In fact, according to the Army, a helicopter battalion equipped with the Vehicle Health Management System can operate in harsh environments for a year and not have the kind of mechanical problems that force it to miss a mission. The system reduces non-mission capability maintenance rates by 10 percent – the equivalent of having five additional Black Hawks available in each Combat Aviation Brigade.

SOURCE: DRS Technologies