Degraded Visual Environment Mitigation (DVE-M) is a disruptive capability improvement that will allow U.S. Army aviation assets to maintain an asymmetric advantage on the battlefield, much like the adoption of night vision technology in the past.

Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) is “reduced visibility of potentially varying degree, wherein situational awareness and aircraft control cannot be maintained as comprehensively as they are in normal visual meteorological conditions and can potentially be lost”. Currently, as visibility degrades, aviation operations become more dangerous, less effective, and often impossible or deadly. The goal is to convert DVE into a combat multiplier by creating an advanced capability. This will enable commanders to conduct deliberate operations in DVE with confidence that their crews will be safe and their missions successful.

DVE-M references 11 different environments- nine ambient and artificial DVE, and two aircraft-induced DVE. Mitigating DVE means providing the aircrew with the means to precisely control aircraft attitude and accurately negotiate terrain and obstacles throughout the operational flight profile.

Importance to the Army

Over the past 10 years, there have been 87 rotorcraft accidents due to degraded visual environments resulting in 108 fatalities and over $880M in material losses. AvMC DVE Mitigation program’s purpose is to increase aircrew safety and survivability and provide operational advantage.