EXAMINING OPERATIONAL AND DESIGN EFFECTS OF MH-60S WITH ENHANCED WEAPON SYSTEMS IN ANTI SURFACE WARFARE MISSIONS

The United States Navy (USN) employs distributed maritime operations (DMO) by increasing the offensive capabilities of its surface fleet, known as adaptive force packages (AFP). One component of DMO, rotary wing aircraft supporting anti-surface warfare (ASuW), lacks a long-range weapon capability. The purpose of this project was to determine the benefit to DMO of providing the MH-60S fleet with a long-range standoff weapon capability, determine the feasibility of integrating a long-range missile (LRM) onto the MH-60S, and determine the capabilities required of that weapon system by answering the following main two project questions: How can the USN use the MH-60S in greater capacity in DMO for ASuW missions, and what is the current trade space of long-range ASuW weapons that can be added to the MH-60S to affect the DMO environment? A discrete event model was created to simulate ASuW scenarios within DMO and to evaluate the effects to the established measures of effectiveness and performance. Analysis shows that the addition of LRMs provides an increased capability and reduces the overall percentage of threats to the AFP. An analysis of alternatives revealed only three available LRMs are feasible for the USN’s consideration.http://archive.org/details/examiningoperati1094560366Civilian, Department of the ArmyCivilian, Department of the ArmyCivilian, Department of the ArmyCivilian, Department of the ArmyCivilian, Department of the ArmyCivilian, Department of the ArmyLieutenant, United States NavyCivilian, Department of the NavyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited