BACKGROUND: Fighter pilots dealing with longer and longer sorties endure significant difficulties in the closed-cockpit environment of present day fixed wing aircraft. The ability to evacuate ones bladder safely is one such difficulty. Previously available methods of bladder evacuation require the user to unbuckle their harness, partially undress and physically angle themselves forward in the seat making urinating extremely difficult. Further, many pilots willingly dehydrate themselves prior to long missions in avoidance of having to urinate. The Advanced Mission Extender Device (AMXD®) is the first solution to this specific and significant difficulty that uses state of the art technology; a self-powered and semi-automatic bladder relief system. This system permits aircrew to better concentrate on mission objectives without distraction or interruption related to the need to void while allowing them to remain fully hydrated. This study, conducted in concert with Brookes Air Force Base, was designed to assess acceptability rates for comfort, reliability and situational awareness in fighter pilots using the AMXD®.
METHODS: The Operational Assessment was initially conducted by completing a series of 50 ground trials in an F-16 training simulator. Each pilot was fitted to size and airframe with an AMXD® system and then trained on its placement and operation by a standardized method by one trainer. Following the ground trials, each pilot flew various sorties using the device in mission profile. A total of 94 flight trials were flown, 25 of which were A-10’s, 24 were F-15’s, 30 were F-16’s and 15 were F-22’s. After completion of each flight trial, each participant was asked to complete a standard survey used for to assess acceptability of any system for pilot use. The survey established the system’s Comfort, Reliability (how reliable it was in urine collecting) and effect on Situational Awareness to be Unacceptable, Acceptable or Completely Acceptable.
RESULTS: A total of 94 flight trials were completed. Comfort was rated to be Completely Acceptable in 50% of the pilots, Acceptable in 50% and Unacceptable in 0%. For Reliability, relating to the AMXD’s® overall performance, 81% found the system to be Completely Acceptable, 7% found it Acceptable, 8% found it Unacceptable with 4% not using it during the sortie. Lastly, in rating their Situational Awareness, meaning if the system impacted their overall mission goals, 91% found it to be Completely Acceptable, 6% found it to be Acceptable, and 1% found it to be Unacceptable with only 2% reporting it to be non-applicable.
CONCLUSIONS: In this evaluation study, the AMXD® was reported by fighter aircraft aircrew to be overall comfortable, reliable and with little to no detriment on situational awareness. Therefore, the AMXD® has been shown to have the potential to improve fighter pilots’ combat readiness, permitting them to concentrate on mission objectives with fewer distractions and interruptions while maintaining optimal hydration levels. Future indications are being elucidated.