Honeywell Aerospace (NYSE: HON) has signed a five-year contract with the U.S. Army to provide modernized signal processing units to support Honeywell’s innovative Health and Usage Monitoring System, which can detect and predict potential problems before they occur for the Apache attack helicopter.

The processing unit is a combat-proven solution that provides onboard sensing and processing capabilities, and is a crucial diagnostic tool in keeping the Apache fleet flying safely and efficiently.

“The Army’s fleet of Apaches has seen real and sustainable improvements in efficiency and operating costs with Honeywell’s health and usage monitoring technology, including a 30 percent reduction in cancelled missions and a 5 to 10 percent reduction in scheduled maintenance,” said Carey Smith, president of Defense and Space, Honeywell Aerospace. “This technology helps ensure Apache pilots and maintenance personnel have confidence that the equipment they rely on will be safe and ready for the missions that lie ahead.”

Honeywell’s Health and Usage Monitoring System (HUMS) assesses, predicts and provides the Army with a detailed health assessment of the operating condition of the Apache fleet. By using sensors on moving components, such as the main rotor shaft, HUMS can detect potential mechanical issues before they happen. This provides the Army with better maintenance planning, less unplanned downtime, faster turnaround and increased aircraft availability to conduct missions.

With maintenance hours, mission aborts and asset costs declining with the help of HUMS, Honeywell is evolving its condition-based maintenance technology to meet the real-time need for data and insight.

“Our health and usage monitoring system technology consistently generates industry-leading cost and safety benefits for both the commercial and military markets,” said Smith. “Our Next Generation HUMS product will be our most innovative and user-friendly solution in the industry when it’s released in 2016, bringing a modular design, a compact footprint, and advanced diagnostic and prognostic functionality. The upgrade will include Honeywell connectivity products and provide pilots and maintainers with unparalleled visibility into the health and condition of the aircraft.”

As a result, Honeywell is building upon its established position as a leader in predictive maintenance technology for the Army’s current and future helicopter programs, including the Apache, Chinook and test aircraft for the Army’s Joint Multi-Role technology demonstrator program.

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