The Tailorable Architecture Leveraging Open-systems, or TALON, prototype project is led by the Navy’s H-60 Multi-Mission Helicopter program office, PMA-299, in cooperation with the Royal Australian Navy. It will combine digital engineering with a Modular Open Systems Approach to make future upgrades easier to integrate as operational requirements and threats change.
Sierra Nevada Corp. was identified as Lead Aircraft Integrator for the MH-60S, responsible for physical and structural integration of the Sierra variant. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems was identified for the corresponding role on the MH-60R Romeo.
Rockwell Collins Inc. and Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems were identified as Segment Lead Integrators for the Flight Critical Avionics Segment. Their responsibilities would include hardware and software architecture, interface management and system-level software integration for the avionics segment and the aircraft’s Digital Backbone.
Technology Security Associates Inc. was identified as the Open System Verification Demonstration Third-Party Integrator. It would support government assessments of how the segment integrators implement open-system standards within the Flight Critical Avionics Segment and Digital Backbone.
The Navy stressed that the industry selections are not formal contract or agreement awards. Those remain contingent on successful negotiations and finalization of the Phase 1 statements of work.
Phase 1 will cover preliminary design of the Flight Critical Avionics Segment and Digital Backbone, creation of a collaborative digital engineering environment and characterization of the baseline aircraft. It will also address physical integration, structural modifications, A-kit fabrication and preparations for aircraft-level testing.
A second phase would move the TALON effort into prototype development and verification. The Navy is using an Other Transaction Authority agreement facilitated by the Naval Aviation Systems Consortium to execute the modernization strategy.
Beyond the existing MH-60 fleet, the Navy said TALON’s portable open architecture is intended to streamline development of the Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike program. The approach is designed to provide a common technical foundation that can support faster integration of new capabilities over the life of the aircraft.
The MH-60R performs anti-submarine warfare, surface warfare, electronic warfare and command-and-control missions. The MH-60S is used for anti-surface warfare, combat search and rescue, special warfare support and airborne mine countermeasures.
