RIDLEY PARK, Pa.—The Army Sept. 29 took delivery of the first new build MH-47G Chinook helicopter for the Army Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) (SOAR) from Boeing [BA] with seven more to come.
Photo: Boeing
During ceremonies marking the delivery, Deputy Commander of Army Special Operations Command, Col. Dean Heitcamp said all previous Chinooks in their fleet were modified from existing Army or special operations helicopters.
This newly built MH-47G aircraft, “inherently incorporates the best of the capabilities our special ops aircrews have demanded and relied on in the past,” Heitcamp said. The new helicopter’s capabilities will allow special ops to take on environments and mission profiles that “challenge the limits of man and machine.”
To the large audience of Boeing, suppliers, and Army attendees, congressional and state officials who worked as a team to produce the aircraft, Heitcamp said, “Thank you for maintaining our comparative advantage over our enemies.”
It was just over three years ago that Boeing and the Army agreed to build the advanced MH-47G, and it was delivered “one month ahead of schedule and on cost,” said Steve Parker, Cargo Helicopter and H-47 program manager for Boeing.
“Without doubt, this is the most capable helicopter Boeing has ever built,” Parker said.
The special operations aircraft has a new machined airframe, extended range fuel tanks, improved transportability, extensive electronic warfare capabilities and weapon systems capabilities.
Parker said the goal is to ensure mission success and bring everyone home safely every time.
The point of the new systems and capabilities is to ensure the helicopter remains relevant out to 2060. And that includes the active Army CH-47 Chinooks.
This means there could well be a convergence toward greater commonality in Army aviation that would benefit both communities.
Acquisition for SOAR comes from the Technology Applications Program Office (TAPO).
The new MH-47 is a product of more than 30 years of aircraft systems development and evolution, said Col. Paul Howard, TAPO program manager. Earlier Chinook models were “pushing the boundaries of possibility to produce the most capabilities,” he said.
That includes capabilities such as air-to-air refueling, an advanced glass cockpit, and multi-mode radars.
Today, the average fleet age is 45, Howard said.
The new MH-47G now heads to a period of strain and vibration testing before heading off to join the fleet in August 2015, said Helen Miller, H-47 deputy product manager at TAPO. The helicopter configurations “never stop evolving,” she added.
TAPO’s efforts are directed at how to best deliver new capability, quickly, efficiently, bearing in mind cost. TAPO receives requirements and works on getting mature or developing promising technology that could be applied in future, Howard said.
Such evolutions for the special operations aviation world of the 160th SOAR are the “potential first stepping stone for next 30-40 years” for MH and CH helicopters.
Looking to a future H-47 Block 2 program, benefits from greater lift, capacity and structural improvements would benefit from collaborative work by the Army and SOF community.
The future, Howard said, would bank on leveraging Army and SOF efforts toward common solutions and shared knowledge.
Parker said Boeing work on the very complex G has benefitted from work done on Army and international customer aircraft and efficiencies from the continuing process.
“What I’ve learned personally, and I think the company has” in building the first MH-47G is how adaptive the workforce is in building a new aircraft and providing the needed quality, while producing efficiencies.
The new build MH-47 G took about 30 days to build, and was delivered about 35 days ahead of the contract schedule.