International Chinook: giving the fleet a lift

Transcription

1 International Defence Review [Content preview Subscribe to Jane s International Defence Review for full article] International Chinook: giving the fleet a lift The CH-47 Chinook has been the stalwart of global military heavy-lift operations for decades. Jamie Hunter analyses the helicopter's service life and future upgrade programmes For more than 50 years the unmistakable Chinook helicopter has been synonymous with rotary heavy-lift battlefield support operations. Although initially developed for more temperate operations, moving large volumes of troops, artillery, ammunition, fuel, supplies, and equipment on the battlefield in 'hot and high' combat conditions over the past decade has become the bread and butter of the Chinook and its crews. An RNLAF Boeing CH-47D Chinook at Kandahar Airfield. The Dutch force lost two of its Chinooks, but has upgraded the rest with defensive aid suites. (IHS/Patrick Allen) More than 1,200 CH-47s have been built to date and Boeing's Philadelphia production line remains busy, but new orders are now actively being sought to prevent the line falling silent after the turn of the next decade. The Chinook programme has never really stood still, with the early CH-47A/B/C models being remanufactured as enhanced CH-47Ds and Special Forces (SF) MH-47Es. The latest variant - the CH-47F - was authorised in December 2003 and there are a host of further upgrades along specific customer requirements. Article 1 Page 1 of 13

2 The US Army, as the largest customer, has driven Chinook development in partnership with Boeing. The CH-47D dates back to a first flight in 1979 and re-wrote the rule book when it was developed, taking early A, B and C models that were stripped down and totally rebuilt. This work centred upon the new Honeywell T55-L-712 turboshafts, with uprated transmissions, composite rotor blades, a new flight deck compatible with night-vision goggles (NVGs), and greater use of composites, all of which more than doubled the maximum gross weight for the CH-47D compared with the CH-47A. Such was the increase in performance that the army decided that further remanufacture, rather than new production, offered the best degree of affordability, with key themes remaining powerplant upgrades, as well as improvements to cargo handling systems, and cockpit enhancements. Under this process Chinook cockpits had become cluttered as new avionics were bolted on, so in 2004 the US Army revealed that it wanted to adopt the Rockwell Collins Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) cockpit drawn from the special operations MH-47G for the Chinook's next major upgrade, and that programme led to a new-generation Chinook, which subsequently became known as the CH-47F. The first RAF Chinook upgraded under the service's 'Project Julius' modification and rebaselining project. (Vector Aerospace) Boeing is working to keep Chinook production going past the end of this decade. It has delivered nearly 300 of the 464 Chinooks covered by two current multiyear agreements, including options for 60 aircraft for foreign military partner sales. Article 1 Page 2 of 13

3 Boeing also continues to build Chinooks for Japan in partnership with Kawasaki Heavy Industries and for Italy in partnership with AgustaWestland. The UK's original HC.2 cockpit configuration (above) compared with new Project 'Julius' cockpit configuration (below). (IHS/Patrick Allen) Export sales of CH-47Fs have been made to Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with India expected to order 15 (following a selection announced on 5 December 2012) and additional orders likely from Saudi Arabia. Even without newbuild aircraft, Boeing expects Chinooks to still be operating out to 2060 at the earliest, with no real replacement in sight. The largest Chinook export customer is Japan, with a total of 99 ordered since 1984, of which 94 (including US-built examples and those built locally by Kawasaki) had been delivered by early The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force's (JGSDF's) transport capability rests on the Boeing CH-47J Chinooks, augmented by a similar number of upgraded CH-47JAs, which feature an improved fuel capacity and have also received an AAQ-16 forward-looking infrared (FLIR) installation in a turret under the nose, along with a partial glass cockpit. Australia originally received 12 CH-47Cs and gradually remanufactured and swapped out airframes to establish a fleet of CH-47Ds. The Australian Army has made heavy use of its Chinooks, further upgrading its CH-47Ds with an advanced electronic warfare self-protection system (EWSP) under its common 'Project Echidna' effort. The aircraft have also received enhanced ballistic protection equipment and advanced communications to meet emergent operational needs, with additional medical evacuation kits, 0.50-calibre machine gun mountings, and blue-force tracking equipment added as part of urgent operational upgrades for in-theatre operations in Afghanistan. Article 1 Page 3 of 13

4 A team fast ropes out the back of one of the UAE's CH-47Ds. The aircraft were acquired second hand, but have been extensively upgraded for local requirements. (IHS/Patrick Allen) Australia is now set to become a CH-47F customer, trading six of its weary CH-47Ds for seven fresh F- models. Canada is another CH-47F customer, having enjoyed something of an on/off relationship with the aircraft. Canada received nine CH-47Cs (CH-147) from September 1974, but these were withdrawn from use and sold to the Netherlands in 1993 as the government of the day sought to cut budgets. However, commitments in Afghanistan saw the hurried acquisition of six CH-47Ds from surplus US Army stocks in late Boeing was additionally contracted to modernise 12 of Egypt's original CH-47Cs to CH-47D standard. Three of the 1980-vintage CH-47Cs remaining in the Egyptian fleet were not chosen to be modernised at that time, but Boeing has since negotiated the possibility of upgrading them. If these three examples are modernised, it will take the Egyptian Air Force fleet to 19 CH-47Ds. Egypt has also ordered six CH-47Ds and 16 T55-GA-714A engines. Libya acquired 20 CH-47Cs during the 1970s from Italian manufacturer Elicotteri Meridionali, which is now part of AgustaWestland. It sold at least 12 of these to the UAE in 2003 and at least eight of these upgraded CH-47C+ helicopters remain in service with the UAE special forces. Libya has also been linked to a CH-47F Article 1 Page 4 of 13

5 buy, but appears more likely to receive CHAPS CH-47Ds from surplus US Army stocks. Neighbouring Morocco is also a Chinook operator, having operated ageing CH-47Cs for many years, and received a small boost of three surplus US CH-47Ds in Australia is planning to swap its well-used CH-47Ds (as seen here) for CH-47Fs. (Australian DoD) The UAE is an unusual Chinook operator, with its fleet having been acquired from a third party and then upgraded extensively. AgustaWestland and Piaggio Aero Industries optimised the 12 Italian-built CH-47Cs acquired from Libya for special operations with a complete airframe overhaul, composite rotor blades, uprated transmissions, and 3,750 shp (2,795 kw) Honeywell T55-712E engines. South Korea operates 30 CH-47D 'International' Chinooks, 24 operated by the army and six HH-47Ds by the air force. The country has looked at upgrading its fleet or procuring new-build CH-47F airframes, but no decisions have yet been made. Meanwhile, local upgrades for the CH-47Ds have included Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) installing Thales/Samsung-supplied FLIR sensors. Article 1 Page 5 of 13

6 The new CH-47Fs offer increased range with greater fuel capacity. (IHS/Patrick Allen) Staying within Asia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand also operate modest but effective Chinook fleets. On the other side of the world, a diverse fleet of Chinooks can be found in Europe. Italy's strong participation in the Chinook programme and its ability to furnish local markets led to a deal for licence-production of the type by AgustaWestland. Having manufactured and now upgraded CH-47Cs with new T-55-L-712E engines, composite rotor blades, more advanced transmission systems, and retrofitted mobile hospital litters, Italy ordered the ICH-47F, with these too being locally assembled by AgustaWestland thanks to an agreement with Boeing signed in July 2008 covering joint manufacture of the ICH-47F for the Italian Army. The first of 16 new aircraft was officially handed over to the 1st Antares Regiment on 2 October. A second helicopter is understood to be ready for delivery, with its first flight scheduled for mid-october as IHS Jane's International Defence Review went to press. Two more helicopters should follow this year, with four more each year until completion. Article 1 Page 6 of 13

7 The CH-47F features uprated T55-714A engines. Also shown here is a decoy dispenser bottom left of the picture. (IHS/Patrick Allen) The Spanish Army's 17 original CH-47Cs (local designation HT.17) have now been modernised to CH-47D configuration, six of them fitted with Honeywell's RDR-1400 weather radar. The Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) acquired seven former Canadian CH-147s in June 1993 and awarded a contract to Boeing to upgrade them to CH-47D standard. A second batch of six CH-47Ds was acquired, with deliveries completed in A Terma Integrated Self-Protection Suite (ISPS) was immediately added, but with two 'cabs' having been lost, the Dutch sought to upgrade all 11 remaining CH-47Ds to CH-47F standard. The acquisition of a further six 'new' CH-47F(NL) from Boeing is also planned. However, the original plan to remanufacture existing CH-47Ds has been abandoned, with the Netherlands now set to purchase another 11 CH-47Fs as replacements. Dutch CH-47Fs were the first to utilise the Honeywell Block 6 Avionics Control and Management System (ACMS), tailored specifically to meet Dutch requirements, plus an L-3 Wescam FLIR, ballistic protection, weather radar, and improved high-frequency and satellite long-range communications equipment. These new Dutch F-models feature a further Terma self-protection upgrade in the Chinook Aircraft Survivability Equipment (CHASE) modular Directional Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) system. CHASE provides 360 spherical coverage and is controlled by the Terma ALQ-213A electronic warfare management system in the cockpit. Second only to Japan in terms of numbers operated, the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) remains a committed Chinook operator. Article 1 Page 7 of 13

8 Italy's new CH-47F features an electro-optical turret on the chin to increase situational awareness. (AgustaWestland/Boeing) The UK originally purchased the Chinook HC.1 version in 1980, with the fleet subsequently expanded and upgraded to HC.2/2A standard, which broadly mirrored the US CH-47D standard. The RAF Chinook fleet has seen extensive service supporting UK operations from the Falklands (Malvinas) War in 1982, through to Operation 'Granby' in Kuwait in 1991 and in the Balkans for the rest of that decade, as well as more recently in Afghanistan and Iraq. British Chinooks have received a host of upgrades and Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) enhancements including the adoption of low-ir paint schemes, new defensive aids packages, missile approach warners, and machine gun mountings. As the RAF sought to expand its Chinook fleet, it was announced in March 1995 that eight Chinook HC.3s would be procured as Special Forces helicopters with a digital/analog cockpit along with an extended nose with provision for weather radar, and larger fuel tanks to give considerably greater range. However, the acquisition and fielding was hit by a succession of delays and problems with the avionics fit, leading to many years of inaction. A decision was eventually made to broadly revert these to HC.2 standard in order to complement the existing fleet. Most of the changes concern the avionics, but the opportunity was also used to fit T55-L-714A engines for improved 'hot and high' performance and to install secure communications. All eight were in service by late 2010, bringing the RAF Chinook fleet up to 46 aircraft. Article 1 Page 8 of 13

9 As the UK looked to expand Joint Helicopter Command assets further, another purchase of Chinooks was also planned. Boeing was contracted to provide 14 new CH-47Fs for the RAF under the designation Chinook HC.6. With initial deliveries in 2013, the RAF is working towards initial operational capability (IOC) in early 2015 and full operational capability for the new helicopters by The UK MoD decided to reduce the complexity of operating mixed standards of helicopters by upgrading and standardising the RAF's Chinooks, the plans for which were announced in August The 38 original HC.2s become HC.4s, the eight HC.3s become HC.5s and the 14 new CH-47Fs being known as the HC.6s - giving a total fleet of 60 Chinooks. The plans called for the entire RAF fleet to be upgraded by mid-december 2015, according to the September 2009 contract. 'Project Julius' includes GBP128 million (USD207 million) for new Honeywell T55-714A engines to improve thrust and fuel efficiency and GBP280 million for a new Thales glass cockpit with digital avionics as well as new night-vision equipment, improved defensive aids and upgraded communications. Japan is the second largest user of Chinooks, after the US. Its circa 100-strong CH-47J (as shown here) and CH-47JA fleet was built by Boeing and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. (JASDF) The upgrade is a crucial step in re-baselining all 46 of the current aircraft to a common standard. With all the aircraft equipped to the same Theatre Entry Standard (TES) including DAS, mission commanders will now be able to select suitable aircraft from across the entire fleet. The new cockpit is based on the commercial TopDeck Primary Flight Display (PFD), which comprises four main 6x8-inch colour displays, two standby flight displays, updated communications, and two new air data computers. Balancing operations, upgrades, and crew training is a challenge for the RAF Odiham-based Chinook Squadrons. "It's a fine balance because in Afghanistan now we only operate the 'Julius' modified aircraft," Gp Capt Maddison continued. "It is the right thing to do because it's a better aircraft, it gives you better situational awareness and it's a lot easier to do some things with. It just means that our fleet of Mk4s back Article 1 Page 9 of 13

10 here is constrained. So what we sometimes have is too many crews with the wrong qualifications but not enough aircraft to match. We use our Mk3s, which are very reliable, on the conversion unit. But everyone we convert on that old cockpit needs a subsequent conversion further down the line." The Chinook HC.3s are still being flown with the old analog cockpit, but they are slated to enter the 'Julius' line next. "That creates a secondary burden for us," said Gp Capt Maddison. "We now have only one course of ab initio students left that will graduate on the old cockpit. In the next three to four months all our instructors will convert to teach on the new cockpit and in November our first course of ab initio will train solely on the new cockpit - in the HC.4." Gp Capt Maddison gave a few details on how the re-baselining of the fleet will enhance the Chinook force. "The difference between an HC.4 and an HC.5 is not going to be all that much, they will fly similarly, you've obviously just got the extended range in the Mk5. The important thing is that from November we will graduate solely on the 'Julius' cockpit. At the moment 18 Squadron is our lead squadron for being fully 'Julius' converted, No 27 Squadron will likely not be fully converted until around June 2015." The Chinook Development Flight (CDF) is heavily involved with bringing new types into service. The officer commanding the CDF is Squadron Leader Adam Shave. "On a grand platform stage, bringing in a new aircraft needs a dedicated team. The CDF tends to supply subject matter experts on [mission] roles. We started with the Mk3, before we'd finished that work the Mk4 was on the table and then the Mk6 came along. We develop the training, provide role-specific SMEs [subject matter experts] to the test community. We look at any new capability and the Mk6 will ultimately change how we do things. On the other hand, we have the station feeding in to us. If there is a capability that the frontline squadrons think is lacking, they will feed it into us. There are a few things in the pipeline, most of which are safety related. I would like to see a daylight version of the D-NVG introduced as a safety enhancement. We are also looking at a traffic and wire/obstruction avoidance system, which will use the wire and obstruction database overlaid on our map. UK armed forces are ever-shrinking, but we still have a broad remit and our task has not got smaller, therefore we have got to be able to do a lot of things with our Chinooks." Copyright IHS Global Limited, 2014 For the full version and more content: IHS Jane's Military & Security Assessments Intelligence Centre This analysis is taken from IHS Jane s Military & Security Assessments Intelligence Centre, which delivers comprehensive and reliable country risk and military capabilities information, analysis and daily insight. IHS country risk and military capabilities news and analysis is also available within IHS Jane s Intelligence Review. To learn more and to subscribe to IHS Jane s Intelligence Review online, offline or print visit For advertising solutions contact the IHS Jane s Advertising team Article 1 Page 10 of 13

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