Ground and flight testing of the V-22 Interim Defensive Weapon System was conducted from 15 May 2008 to 18 September 2009 in order to qualify the system for use on both the MV-22 and CV-22. The IDWS was designed to provide suppressive weapons fire coverage in all quadrants in all aircraft modes (Airplane, Transition, and Vertical Take Off or Landing). Aircraft ground testing began on 15 May 2008. The first flight test mission was conducted on 13 June 2008. Nine versions of software and four versions of hardware were evaluated during the program. A total of 268 hours of ground test and 78.5 hours of flight test (37 sorties) were accomplished throughout this program. The qualification test consisted of a wide variety of test objectives that spanned from aircraft performance degradation to weapon system accuracy to aircraft egress, and nearly everything in between. Performance testing showed that the when the sensor and weapon are deployed, the flat plate area and required fuel flow increases by 3.8 ft~2 and 4.4%, respectively. With the IDWS installed and weapon retracted the flat plate area and required fuel flow increased by 1 ft~2 and 1.3%, respectively. Installation of the IDWS had no noticeable effect on aircraft flying qualities. Via only software, the system properly kept the weapon from aiming at the aircraft throughout the V-22 flight envelope. The IDWS sensor was able to track a point within ±25 feet for at least two seconds, which was required for successful application of the weapon. Both sensor performance and weapon accuracy were tested, but the results are sensitive; therefore, they will not be presented here.
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