COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF ENHANCING AIRCRAFT SURVIVABILITY AGAINST MODERN THREATS

This white paper proposes a cost-benefit study to assess the economic and operational value of integrating lightweight advanced armor into U.S. rotary-wing aircraft, such as the Black Hawk, Chinook, Apache, Seahawk, and the upcoming FARA. Drawing from battlefield data—especially from Ukraine—it highlights how current aircraft remain vulnerable to common ground-based threats like RPGs and heavy machine guns. While traditional armor increases survivability, it also drives up fuel consumption, maintenance, and readiness costs, often outweighing initial savings. The proposed study will model lifecycle tradeoffs, analyze threat trends, and explore the return on investment of upgrading survivability systems. Optional components include live ballistic testing and a manufacturing method comparison (HIP vs. EFAS) to support smarter, scalable acquisition strategies.