Evaluation of the Special Warfare Kits of the UH-1Y Helicopter

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) Special Warfare Mission Kits were tested for fit, form, and function on the upgraded UH-1Y “Huey”. Special Warfare Kits are utilized for rapid insertion of USMC personnel where terrain or other mission constraints will not allow the helicopter to land and takeoff safely. The evaluation consisted of ground and flight test of the fast rope, Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction (SPIE), and rappel mission kits; static line and free fall parachute operations; and the internally mounted AN/ASC-26 communications package. Ground testing was conducted to evaluate each mission kit when installed on the UH-1Y. Certified Helicopter Rope Suspension Techniques (HRST) Masters and Jumpmasters were used during the evaluation conducted at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River. Flight tests were conducted in NAS Patuxent River local flying area and Marine Corps Base (MBC) Quantico with support from Reconnaissance and Amphibious Raids and Special Operations Training Group from New River, North Carolina. This paper describes the aircraft and test equipment, documents flight test planning, scope, and risk mitigation measures used, presents test results, including enhanced capabilities from the legacy UH-1N aircraft, and documents “lessons learned” for future flight test evaluations.