Greetings! I trust you're enjoying 2023 as much as we are. The return of in-person events following the pandemic has invigorated our customer base growth, making this a truly exciting time. In this month's issue of Test Connections, we're once again focusing on solutions that Make Test Easy™ for engineering and production, and that enable ACE and Multi-Capable Airmen at the flightline for air forces across the globe.
As we look toward the closing months of the year, I hope to see you at one of the conferences and trade shows on our busy Q4 calendar to learn about your test requirements and present our innovative solutions. Please contact TiffanyF@MarvinTest.com if you’d like to schedule a meeting – we have a lot to discuss.
Wishing you all the best until we meet again!
Stephen T. Sargeant
Major General, USAF (Ret.)
CEO
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MTS-3060A SmartCan™ - Enabling ACE and Multi-Capable Airmen | Agile Combat Employment (ACE) is a USAF operational concept that enhances warfighters’ resiliency and survivability through the use of a streamlined and reduced logistics footprint to support small, lethal, and survivable force packages via highly-maneuverable deployments. ACE demands multi-capable support equipment and Multi-Capable Airmen who can perform tasks across a number of systems supporting aircraft as opposed to the traditional, single-focused Airmen.
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Armed and Tested - GENASYS Rugged | | Marvin Test Solutions’ GENASYS Rugged offers a comprehensive line of PXI-based test sets that demonstrate PXI’s viability as an ultra-rugged field and flightline platform suitable for conditions where only custom electronics or MIL-SPEC VME products were capable of surviving before. |
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GENASYS Benchtop - Preconfigured Functional Test Platforms with ATEasy® | | GENASYS Semi, the most advanced open-architecture semiconductor test platform in the industry, is now powered by the next generation Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing) CPU. Advances in CPU implementations and packaging now provide new alternatives for the Test and Measurement industry, which traditionally has depended on expensive single board computers or high-speed serial links for command and control. |
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Q: SmartCan™ is SERD Certified for F-16 Armament Test
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The switching employed in Automated Test Equipment (ATE) can be as complex as any other component of a test system. The ultimate specifications of the test system directly depend on the integrity of the switching used.
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MTS-3060A SmartCan™ - Enabling ACE and Multi-Capable Airmen
ACE CONOPS
Agile Combat Employment (ACE) is a USAF operational concept that enhances warfighters’ resiliency and survivability through the use of a streamlined and reduced logistics footprint to support small, lethal, and survivable force packages via highly-maneuverable deployments. ACE demands multi-capable support equipment and Multi-Capable Airmen who can perform tasks across a number of systems supporting aircraft as opposed to the traditional, single-focused Airmen. ACE provides faster response to threats, reduced vulnerability to attack, and the ability to operate from austere locations for extended periods supporting combatant commanders.
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Mitigating Risks to ACE
Once deployed, the time and effort it takes to transition a unit from training to sustained combat operations is a key factor. For example, the time spent conducting armament functional tests on the aircraft designated for deployment at home station, only to have to repeat the process once deployed. Time spent conducting a repeated test would be a limiting factor in a near-peer conflict.
Another issue that negatively affects the overall outcome of time-sensitive deployments is the quantity and size of the required support equipment. Test equipment can be one of the worst offenders, requiring some units to pack thousands of pounds of unique, single-system test sets. The result is a maintenance support equipment model which is not agile, and cannot adequately handle a time-critical mission in a near-peer conflict.
A basic set of requirements for agile support equipment might look like this:
• Common across the Service or DOD
• Rapidly configurable to meet emerging needs
• Highly repairable at the point of use
• Micro-footprint
• Durable in adverse environments
• Rapid software (if applicable) update cycles
• Intuitive use to reduce training burden
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Enabling ACE with SmartCan™
Currently deployed O-Level armament test equipment is unable to test multiple aircraft with a single system — handheld or otherwise — limiting the successful execution of the ACE CONOPS. Marvin Test Solutions’ SmartCan Universal O-Level Armament Test Set is fully capable of replacing EVERY O-level armament test set in use today across any Service. In fact, some customers are able to consolidate and replace their fleet of armament test sets across several aircraft with a single SmartCan configured to support their armament. The SmartCan is a handheld test set that utilizes active testing to ensure aircraft are fully functional by activating every part of the armament system with munitions emulation and monitoring, enabling maintenance crews to rapidly conduct operational checks of the highest quality.
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Faster Setup and Test Times
Flightline setup and test times are significantly reduced. F-16 test setup, when compared to the current legacy test set, was reduced from 45 minutes to 4 minutes (91% reduction). Similarly, F-16 test execution times for a pylon utilizing MIL-STD-1760 and a LAU-129 being tested for both AIM-120 and AIM-9X were reduced from 20 minutes to 3 minutes (85% reduction), and from 35 minutes to 4 minutes (89% reduction) respectively. F-15 testing demonstrated similar savings. Advanced cybersecurity features and protection are provided including data and test program set (TPS) encryption and a removable hard drive in the form of a SD card.
Reduced Logistics Footprint
The AA battery-operated MTS-3060A weighs roughly 4lbs, yet provides more than 30 measurement and multiple e-load channels, and generates the audio and video signals required to simulate missile functions for the AIM-9 and AGM-65 missiles. In addition, the SmartCan supports active, full-functional testing of MIL-STD-1760 by emulating JDAM, AMRAAM, AIM-9X, and other 1760-based weapons systems.
Interoperability
The SmartCan is capable of supporting all legacy and smart weapon armament systems on all current and future fighters, bombers, armed helicopters, and UASs.
Furthermore, the SmartCan program load can include support for multiple blocks and multiple types of aircraft, providing a single flightline test solution for any size mixed fleet, increasing standardization, and reducing the test equipment footprint. The SmartCan enables the USAF to achieve ACE objectives by serving as a common flightline armament test set for all deployed weapon carrying aircraft. The intuitive features of the SmartCan ensure that airmen can quickly become experts in its use in minimum time, truly enabling Multi-Capable Airmen in the armament maintainer ranks as they can now support multiple types of armed aircraft on the flightline with a common test set.
A Smarter Approach to Maintenance and Sustainment
The SmartCan features an innovative test language that further reduces development and integration costs, allowing users to develop, create and integrate their own test programs. With this capability under the users’ control, the USAF (or other Services) can choose to have the task of maintaining and creating test set programs at the program-office level without the need for contractor support.
Additionally, data collection, storage, and download capability exists to enable trend analysis and support emerging predictive maintenance analytics initiatives.
Test Set Commonality Enables Efficiency
Maintainers understand the shortcomings of currently fielded legacy armament test equipment and have expressed the need for a common solution that supports both legacy and Smart (MIL-STD-1760) weapons. They have expressed the desire to have a small footprint, handheld armament test set that functions across multiple types of armed aircraft, meets cybersecurity requirements, supports predictive maintenance analytics, and provides easy to use menu driven operation in all operating environments.
The SmartCan delivers those capabilities, enabling ACE and Multi-Capable Airmen on the flightline, ensuring mission readiness for the warfighter wherever and whenever deployed.
Resources to Explore
The SmartCan is part of Marvin Test Solutions’ comprehensive suite of armament and munitions test sets. Visit our website to learn more about why the SmartCan is the current choice of multiple air forces and supporting their fleets worldwide. Additionally, you will find links to our armament maintainer Blog.
Finally, while there you can explore our KnowledgeBase for informative white papers and articles on the subject of armament test, including:
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Armed and Tested - GENASYS Rugged
A Range of Test Sets for the Field and Flightline
PXI has proven to be a powerful and robust standard that is suitable for most Mil/Aero test applications. PXI-based testers are widely used today in engineering test stations, as production acceptance testers, and as environmental stress screening testers, as well as full-fledged Intermediate-Level and Depot-Level testers.
Marvin Test Solutions’ GENASYS Rugged offers a comprehensive line of PXI-based test sets that demonstrate PXI’s viability as an ultra-rugged field and flightline platform suitable for conditions where only custom electronics or MIL-SPEC VME products were capable of surviving before.
These test sets are all based on an ultra-rugged COTS PXI or PXIe platform with a 14-slot backplane that has been successfully deployed since 2004, and all have demonstrated their ability to operate reliably in any operational theater, with hundreds of deployed test sets to-date. All of the test sets shown below are available in PXI and PXIe configurations.
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The MTS-207 – The Core Platform
The MTS-207 is the core platform for Marvin Test Solutions’ portfolio of armament system test sets which employ the same field-proven architecture and compact, rugged design. The MTS-207 is ideal for test and data acquisition applications requiring operation under harsh environmental conditions including flightline, backshop, or airborne applications. MTS’ state-of-the-art test sets are designed to provide advanced test capabilities with a space-efficient, small footprint, suitable for O- and/or I-Level use. |
| AN/TSM-205 Series - Armament Systems Test Set
The AN/TSN-205A/B are portable test sets designed to perform full parametric functional test with diagnostics to the LRU level on integrated Hellfire and Longbow systems as installed on the aircraft, as well as testing the entire fire control system from the cockpit switches to the launch rails.
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| MTS-206A Series - Maverick Field Test Set
The MTS-206A is an I-Level portable test set for the AGM-65 Maverick missile system and for AGM-114 missiles. The MTS-206A performs parametric functional tests on Hellfire missiles and on Maverick missile system components including: AGM-65 missile (all versions in tactical and training configurations), AGM-65 missile sections (GCS & CAS, all versions in tactical and training configurations), LAU-117 and LAU-88 Maverick launchers (all versions), and launcher-missile clusters.
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| MTS-209 - Common Armament Test Set
The MTS-209 is an O- and I-Level portable test set for various armament systems used on the F-16, F-15, F-18, TA-50, FA-50 and additional aircraft, providing full parametric test with built-in diagnostics. The MTS-209 supports a wide range of Alternate Mission Equipment (AME) including launchers, pylons, and racks deployed on these aircraft.
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| MTS-235A - F-35 Armament Test Set
The MTS-235A is a production I, and D-Level portable test set for various armament systems used on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter including launchers, pylons, and racks. The MTS-235 performs parametric functional tests on F-35 Alternate Mission Equipment (AME) components including Launchers (iARL and eARL), Pylons (Air-to-Ground and Air-to-Air) and associated subassemblies and adapters, with full support for the MIL-STD-1760 bus interface, facilitating the testing of Smart weapon systems.
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| PATS (Portable Automated Test Set)-70
The PATS-70 is an automatic test system designed to perform functional tests on the Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II’s IFF, Anti-skid, Alpha Mach, Stability Augmentation System (SAS), and Fuel Quantity Indicating System. The PATS-70 uses the MTS-207 as its core. Developed by the U.S. Air Force, the PATS-70 provides the logic and hardware control necessary to coordinate and automate control of these system functions. The PATS-70 is an automated, user friendly, adaptable test set that provides robust system diagnostic capability, significantly reducing the time required to bring an aircraft into mission ready status. The next-generation PATS-70A configuration adds armament systems test capability to the existing avionics test capability of the PATS-70.
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These PXI implementations demonstrate the robustness and ruggedness of PXI and establish PXI as a viable solution for any flightline or field test application. With PXI’s small footprint, low cost, and range of products to meet the requirements of just about any application, PXI should be the preferred choice for rugged military testers.
To learn more about PXI solutions for O-, I-, and D-Level test, the following articles are available from the MTS website:
Modernizing Automated Test Systems for DoD Depot
Field and Flightline Testing of MIL-STD-1760 Systems
A Portable, Engineering-Design Partnership to Replace Obsolete Test Systems
F-35 Armament Maintenance and Sustainment Test
GENASYS Benchtop - Preconfigured Functional Test Platforms with ATEasy®
Common Core Requirements
Selecting the PXI platform for your next test system is the easy part, but navigating the maze of hardware and software suppliers to find the best application fit can be daunting. Many applications have similar “common core” functional requirements, such as basic signal routing, voltage and resistance measurements, and digital I/O. The common core can easily be extended to meet the needs of specific applications, for example aviation electronics, high-speed digital, and mixed signal test, with the addition of other instrumentation and switching. |
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Application-Ready Test SystemsThe
GENASYS Benchtop Series Pre-configured Functional Test Platform is “application ready” from day one, allowing you to focus on developing your application rather than developing the test system. This turnkey test set, as the name implies, is compact enough to be placed on a benchtop or cart, yet powerful enough to meet critical timing and accuracy requirements found in many Mil/Aero, medical and automotive applications.
The GENASYS Benchtop test interface employs a unique design approach which allows customization of the system using any of the platform’s standard instrument options, without incurring the cost and design time typically associated with a customized functional test system.
The
ATEasy® Software Suite, MTS’ Software Development Environment and integrated Test Executive which combines execution, sequencing, debugging and fault analysis of tests, is also included with each system. ATEasy provides all the necessary tools to develop, deploy and maintain software components including instrument drivers, test programs, and user interfaces, as well as incorporating comprehensive simulation capabilities to accelerate test program development and deployment.
Below is a summary of the standard configurations:
Model Description| TS-705 | Basic Core System |
| TS-710 | Basic Functional Test Platform with Digital I/O |
| TS-720 | Functional Test Platform with Boundary Scan |
| TS-730 | Mixed-Signal Test Platform |
| TS-750 | Digital Test Platform |
| TS-770 | Commercial Avionics Test Platform |
| TS-775 | Military Avionics Test Platform |
Each configuration includes a 14-slot, PXI chassis with (6) 6U and (7) 3U peripheral slots, 960 pin, high-density, zero insertion force iCON style UUT interface, system controller and general purpose analog and digital I/O. Additionally, each system is delivered with a comprehensive self-test subsystem, including software and self-test adapter, which verifies the functional integrity of the system and resource connections to the test system interface.
Newsworthy Happenings at Marvin Test Solutions
Trade Show NewsThe tempo of our trade show calendar continues to increase, with a return to live events throughout the year. We truly enjoy this interaction with customers, and we look forward to seeing you at one of these upcoming events in the near future:
Sep 25 - 26, 2023, Caribe Royale Hotel Resort, Orlando, FL
Oct 16 - 17, 2023, Hilton DoubleTree Hotel, Tucson, AZ
Oct 17 - 19, 2023, Warsaw Hilton Convention Centre, Warsaw, Poland
Oct 17 - 22, 2023, Seoul Airport, Seoul, South Korea
Nov 13 - 17, 2023, DWC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Our trade show schedule is always available
on our website, but if trade show attendance is not in your plans, please
contact us to schedule a meeting, either in person or virtual, to discuss your test needs.
Industry PressAir & Space Forces Magazine - Sep 8, 2023
Innovative Armament Test Solutions Empower ACE and Multi-Capable Airmen
Air & Space Forces Magazine - Aug 25, 2023
MTS-3060A SmartCan™ – Empowering ACE and Multi-Capable Airmen
Semiconductor Packaging News - Feb 1, 2023
VIEWPOINT 2023: Major General Stephen T. Sargeant, USAF (Ret.), and CEO, Marvin Test Solutions
Military & Aerospace Electronics - Nov 21, 2022
Test and measurement: the right results at the right time
Air Force magazine - Jun 3, 2022
Accelerating Warfighter Solutions That Enable Agile Combat Employment
Electronic Product Design & Test - May 1, 2022
PXI breathes new life into legacy test systems
Press ReleasesJul 11, 2023 Marvin Test Solutions’ MTS-3060A SmartCan Selected for ACE Common Aviation Support Equipment Challenge Showcase Event
Sep 13, 2022 Lockheed Awards Marvin Test Solutions' SmartCan SERD Certification
Jul 8, 2022 Marvin Test Solutions Welcomes New Director of Military and Aerospace Business Development
Dec 21, 2021 Jon Semancik, MTS Director of Marketing, Named PXISA President
Connect With Us! Connect with MTS on social media (
LinkedIn,
Twitter,
Instagram, and
Facebook) to learn more about how We Make Test Easy™, and visit our
YouTube channel to view our latest videos. Our
blog features interesting and timely articles about current test topics, and our Facebook presence includes specialized pages for the
Warfighter Test Solutions Community and for
ATEasy users.
SmartCan™ is SERD Certified for F-16 Armament Test
Marvin Test Solutions’ MTS-3060A SmartCan™ Universal O-Level Armament Test Set was officially certified for testing the F-16 armament systems by Lockheed Martin’s and the USAF for their first FMS customer that requested the SmartCan. Specifically, both the USAF’s F-16 System Program Office (SPO) and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (LMA) declared that the SmartCan O-Level Armament Test Set is a fully qualified and approved armament test solution for the F-16 Fighting Falcon and assigned SERD #75A77. |
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Support Equipment Requirements Document (SERD) certification signifies that the SmartCan is safe, operable, and effective for testing F-16 armament systems including launchers, bomb racks, pylons, fuel tanks, and the gun.
SERD certification gives the warfighters we serve the confidence that the SmartCan is qualified for flightline armament test by both the F-16’s Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and the F-16 SPO. Going forward, all other F-16 customers who desire to replace their existing O-Level armament test sets will only have to request the F-16 SPO or LMA to conduct a “Delta SERD” for their specific F-16 Block and armament configuration.
To learn more about the advanced features and capabilities that make the SmartCan the choice of Air and Ground Forces in many countries supporting their aircraft and armament systems at the flightline and in the field, please see our detailed product information and specifications located at
MarvinTest.com or
contact us today to discuss your armament test requirements.