MIL-HDBK-268 Survivability Enhancement, Aircraft Conventional Weapon Threats, Design And Evaluation GuidelinesThis handbook is a reference document providing uniform design and evaluation guidelines for the survivability enhancement of aircraft Mission-Essential Weapon Systems \(MEWS\) for the Naval Air Systems Command, to ensure that effective combat operations are achieved when operating in a conventional weapon threat environment. The design guidelines encompass signature suppression \(or its control\) and vulnerability reduction. Those elements and design activities that are related to survivability enhancement, but are derived from the degradation of threat subsystem functions \(e.g., electronic warfare\) or from the ways that the aircraft can be utilized in a hostile environment \(e.g., tactics\) are not included. The evaluation guidelines, for the purpose of achieving systematic quantification and evaluation of combat survivability, include definition of mission scenario and associated threat environment, vulnerability to threat damage mechanisms, encounter survivability, and survivability enhancement trade-offs.

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MIL-HDBK-268 (AS)

FOREWORD

One of the unequivocal elements of design that significantly

contributes to effectiveness and availability of USN/USMC aircraft

Mission-Essential Weapon Systems (MEWS), operating as part of an in-

tegrated whole to fulfill a mission need, is the extent combat sur-

vivability is integrated in the earliest acquisition phases and sub-

sequently regarded throughout the development and operational phases.

The steadily mounting costs of MEWS, the high attrition of both aircraft

and personnel experienced in recent combat, and the essentiality of

realizing high force readiness and operational effectiveness require

utmost attention be given to combat survivability. The capability to

survive the conventional weapon threat environment depends on the

accuracy with which the expected threat is predicted and the thorough-

ness with which combat survivability is integrated into the aircraft

design and into the tactical employment doctrine to meet this threat.

Each component of every subsystem must receive dedicated survivability

considerations to ensure highest combat survivability is indeed achieved

at acceptable levels in cost, weight, and performance in the integration

and design of aircraft MEWS. Significant advances in survivability

enhancement technologies and evaluation methodologies have been made

which provide the potential to substantially (and efficiently] enhance

the survivability of existing and future aircraft MEWS.

This handbook has been prepared in recognition of the need by

aircraft designers for uniform guidelines in design techniques and

evaluation methodologies to be used in the process of enhancing the

combat survivability of aircraft MEWS. The Naval Air Systems Command

views combat survivability as a dynamic design discipline. In keeping

with evolving needs and threat changes, this handbook will require

periodic update to reflect state-of-the-art improvements in design and

evaluation techniques, to maintain and enhance its serviceability.

Comments and recommendations from users of this handbook are solicited.

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