ARNG Aviation Modernization

Priority

Army National Guard

Issue

National Guard aviation must be equipped for the war fight while being prepared to respond to the needs of the homeland. This unique dual-status mission puts significant strain on the Army National Guard's aviation fleet enhancing capabilities, increasing safety and effectiveness of the National Guard.

ADK P25 Radio

Provides parity by modernizing ARNG rotary-winged aircraft with the same system used by the Army.
P25 variant for the National Guard includes interoperability between military and civil radio bands.
Essential for communication between the military and civil authorities, especially during Homeland response.
Improves Aircrew safety by meeting two NTSB recommendations following the mid-air collision over the Potomac in 2025.
- Integration of the ADS-B system enhances real-time situational awareness.
- Enables aircrew to hear audio warnings.
Greatly reduces sustainment and life-cycle costs over legacy systems by increasing commonality and by aligning with the Army's network evolution plan.

Recommendation

The National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) urges Congress to appropriate:

$55 million in FY27 for ADK P25 for the ARNG
- Includes 172 kits for ARNG UH-60Ms
- NRE for ARNG LUH-72, CH-47 & HH-60M Fleets

Degraded Visual Environment Pilotage System (DVEPS)

ARNG rotary-winged aircraft lack necessary sensors to operate in a degraded visual environment (DVE).
- DVE is any condition that causes reduced visibility and compromises situational awareness (dust, smoke, snow, etc).
DVEPS senor packages greatly increases Aircrew's situational awareness, enhancing operations and safety in austere environments.
Equipping ARNG rotary-winged aircraft enables increased safety when operating in the Homeland and additional situational awareness when operating down range.
The Department of the Army estimates 87 accidents have been attributed to DVE, resulting in 108 fatalities and nearly $900M in material losses.