ATAC AIRCRAFT SERVICES: MODIFICATION DESIGN, INSTALLATION, AND CHECKOUT

ATAC provides hands-on aircraft services, to include test instrumentation support and both test-unique and fleet-wide modifications, on a wide variety of tactical aircraft at multiple security levels. Based on our experience with modifying, sustaining, troubleshooting, and repairing advanced aircraft avionics systems, ATAC has the skills and experience required to be successful in any aircraft maintenance task.

• Instrumentation support at Edwards AFB, California, supporting the design, installation, checkout, troubleshooting, and pre-mission configuration of recording and telemetry systems used on aircraft across multiple Combined Test Forces, including F 35, F-22, F-16, RQ-4, C-17, C-130, KC-135, KC-10, KC-46, B-1, B-2, and B-52. ATAC technicians performed the first-ever T-2 modification of an F-22 test aircraft that was done without any Original Equipment Manufacturer involvement, when they installed a modification to the aircraft navigation system to allow the capture of critical test data without impacting any of its systems’ performance.
• Design, installation, and checkout of aircraft modifications to support flight test programs, including the upgrade of F-15 and F 16 telemetry transmitters at Eglin AFB, Florida, under the Spectrum Re-Allocation of Frequencies (SRF), which modernized and moved aircraft telemetry transmitters to new locations in the RF spectrum. ATAC technicians performed on-aircraft removal of previous Line-Replaceable Units (LRU), mounting hardware, and wiring, then in-situ measurements of aircraft bays, and installation of new LRUs, wiring, and other hardware. Following installation, ATAC personnel performed functional equipment checks and supported maintenance personnel in operational checks, Electromagnetic Interference tests, and troubleshooting to bring the new system up to fully dependable operation.
• Detailed design, requirements definition, acceptance testing, functional checks, troubleshooting, maintenance, and sustainment of advanced recording and telemetry equipment on F-15C and F-15E test aircraft, including fiber-optic data acquisition units utilizing active-tap designs, to capture test data without impacting system performance. ATAC technicians and engineers supported acquisition, installation, and operation of recorders to support Active Electronically-Scanned Array (AESA), ADCP II, and EPAWSS upgrades to the F-15C/E, which required secure operation in a multi-level security environment and specific approaches to deconflict instrumentation systems from program protection design elements.

• Instrumentation support for F-16 Block 30 Developmental and Operational Testing at the Air National Guard/Air Force Reserve Test Center (AATC) at Tucson, AZ. ATAC engineers and technicians supported upgrades including AIM-9X integration, Sniper/LITENING targeting pod upgrades, Modular Mission Computer (MMC) upgrades, ALR-69A digital Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) testing, Center Display Unit (CDU) tests, and helmet-mounted display integration. ATAC personnel maintained existing instrumentation and performed design and installation of new recorders to replace an outdated design for the recording of video and aircraft mux data, as well as introducing capabilities to record AESA radar data.
• Installation, checkout, and sustainment of recorders and telemetry equipment on A-10 test aircraft at Eglin AFB, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, and at the AATC facilities in Tucson, supporting hardware and software test efforts, including the A-10C upgrade, Suite 8, and GCAS.

ATAC has the experience to reliably perform advanced aircraft repair, modification, and other maintenance tasks for all legacy and modern tactical aircraft.