Above and Beyond: A Roadmap for the Military Airworthiness Certification for the Hybrid Air Vehicles

Abstract

Given the U.S. Navy’s (USN) 62-year hiatus from lighter-than-air programs, this research addresses the challenges of aligning military airworthiness standards with civilian certification frameworks and the complexities of certifying a new foreign-developed type aircraft (TA). The objective of this research is to evaluate and develop a new roadmap for the USN airworthiness certification (flight clearance) process for hybrid air vehicles, utilizing the Hybrid Air Vehicles Airlander 10 as a case study. An extensive literature review and comparative analysis utilizing process analytics identified a pathway and projected timeline for achieving airworthiness certification and acquiring a hybrid air vehicle for the Department of the Navy (DON). This research concludes with a look at future airworthiness technology and how it can address the challenges of this new TA with military systems integration. This research provides critical insights for Naval Air Systems Command while bridging the gap between civil and military organizations and advancing aviation technologies for national security use. This research supports the USN’s Force Design 2045, the Department of Defense (DoD) Middle Tier of Acquisition process, and an executive order titled Modernizing Defense Acquisition and Spurring Innovation in the Defense Industrial Base