MH-47E

Photo Copyright©

Ted Carlson, 2000

The MH-47 Special Operations Aircraft (SOA) is the 160^TH Special Operations Aviation Regiment long-distance, heavy-lift helicopter, which is equipped with aerial refuelling capability, a fast-rope rappelling system and other upgrades or operations-specific equipment. The Army bought 26 of the advanced MH-47E Chinook helicopters, and has lost three -- one during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan, another in the Philippines and one in a training accident.

US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) aircraft contribute to the Joint Vision 2010 concept of dominant manoeuvre by helping to create asymmetric advantages for combined application of land, air, and sea power against enemy defences within the joint environment. They are eminently capable, as modernized, multi-mission platforms operating within tailor-to-task organizations, of supporting precise, agile, fast-moving joint operations.

The five versions of the CH-47 in the Army inventory are the CH-47D, the CH-47F, the MH-47D, the MH-47E, and the MH-47G. The MH-47D, the MH-47E and the MH-47G are air refuelable. Previously, eight NVG equipped CH-47C were used by the US Army's Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) from 1981 as long range transports. And an additional 16 CH-47D SOA (Special Operations Aircraft), equipped with improved navigation, SATCOM, and EW systems, entered service beginning in 1984 and remained in use by reserve forces.

The MH-47 conducts overt and covert infiltrations, exfiltrations, air assault, resupply, and sling operations over a wide range of environmental conditions. The aircraft can perform a variety of other missions including shipboard operations, platform operations, urban operations, water operations, parachute operations, forward aerial refuelling point (FARP) operations, mass casualty, and combat search and rescue operations. With the use of special mission equipment and night vision devices, the air crew can operate in hostile mission environments over all types of terrain at low altitudes during periods of low visibility and low ambient lighting conditions with pinpoint navigation accuracy.

MH-47E

MH-47E

Photo Copyright©

Ted Carlson, 2000

The MH-47E Chinook is a modified CH-47D with an integrated cockpit, upgraded engines, aerial refuelling capability, forward looking infrared (FLIR), terrain following/terrain avoidance (TF/TA) radar, upgraded navigation and communication systems, integrated aviation support equipment (ASE), and external rescue hoist. Included with other modifications is a significantly increased fuel capacity with modified main and auxiliary fuel tanks. The aircraft has modified integrated avionics suites and multi-mode radars and is intended to provide adverse-weather infiltration/exfiltration and support to US Military Forces, country teams, other agencies and special activities.

The MH-47E helicopters are used for long range transport missions. The MH-47E is required to complete a 5.5-hour covert mission over a 300-nm (555-km) radius, at low level, day or night, in adverse weather, over any type of terrain, and do so with a 90% probability of success. To help it carry heavy loads long distances the MH-47E had it's engines upgraded and more fuel capacity added. Two Textron Lycoming T55-L-714 engines rated at over 4,000 Shaft-horsepower were added, replacing the 3,750SHp T55-L-712's of the standard CH-47D.

The MH-47E combines many proven Chinook systems and features. Notable among these are fuel tanks providing twice the capacity of the CH-47D and an in-flight refuelling system. MH-47Es are remanufactured in the CH-47D production line, with most E-model systems installed during the final stages of completion. Many of the MH-47E's technologies, such as its integrated cockpit displays, FLIR and multimode radar, were flight-tested in the Boeing Model 360 Advanced Technology Demonstrator. They continue to be tested in the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft.

The MH-47E's integrated avionics system (IAS) permits global communications and navigation. The IAS is the most advanced system of its kind ever installed in a U.S. Army helicopter. The IAS includes forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and multimode radar for nap-of-the-earth and low level flight operations in conditions of extremely poor visibility and adverse weather. The Army requires MH-47E and MH-60K avionics systems to be common and interchangeable. Critical IAS components - basic radios, mission computers and multifunction displays, for example - can be exchanged between an MH-47E and an MH-60K in minutes. Switching avionics between different makes and models of aircraft is unique. This capability means that missions conducted far from normal supply channels have a much higher probability of successful completion.

The U.S. Army's MH-47Es remain among the most advanced helicopters flying today. Among the distinguishing features are the in-flight refuelling boom, rescue hoist, chin-mounted forward-looking infrared turret and terrain-following, terrain-avoidance radar.

The first MH-47E Special Operations Chinook served as a flight test prototype, and aircraft numbers 2 and 3 were utilized initially for electromagnetic environmental effects and aircraft survivability equipment testing at the Naval Air Test Centre in Patuxent River, Maryland. MH-47E testing was limited to the major change to the aircraft which affects vulnerability. In the case of the MH-47E, this was the addition of an 800 gallon Robertson Auxiliary Fuel Tank in the cabin and Boeing designed sponson tanks with expanded capacity and honeycomb shell construction. Analyses conducted during the test planning phase revealed that the largest potential vulnerability was associated with projectiles entering the fuel tanks in the volume above the liquid fuel. Such impacts could ignite the fuel vapours and cause explosions and/or fires with serious consequences. During test planning, USSOCOM decided to add an inerting system to the fuel tanks to avoid such fires/explosions. This will be a lead-the-fleet system that will be available for similar helicopter variants in other fleets as well.

The Live Fire Testing on these systems was completed in May 1998. The MH-47E fuel tanks demonstrated exceptional ability to withstand ballistic impacts of projectiles associated with small arms, automatic weapons, and anti-aircraft artillery. The tanks are designed to be self-sealing against .50 projectiles. However, the live fire tests indicated that the tanks designs are effective against much larger non-exploding projectiles, even with multiple impacts on the same tank. The designs also proved to be effective in mitigating the fuel loss from impacts by HEI projectiles. In addition, there were no fires in the 23 shots except for one, which self extinguished before any significant damage was done. One of the reasons for the strength of this design against ballistic threats is in part due to the fact that the tanks are designed to be crashworthy and this adds to the robustness against the ballistic threat.

The MH-47E Cockpit features high comonality with the 160^TH MH-60K Blackhawk Helicopters. This provides a higher degree of dependability when deployed in the field.

One system fielded largely because of the Army's Airborne Engineering Evaluation Support Branch research efforts is the Personnel Locator System. It allows search and rescue aircraft to find downed crewmembers without giving away the aviator's location. One of AEESB's most important projects was a prototype for the 'glass cockpit' in special operations aircraft. Most aircraft cockpits contain lots of buttons, gauges and dials that can be very confusing. AEESB's 1985 tests of a digital avionics system led to digital cockpits in the MH-47E Chinook and MH-60K Black Hawk special operations aircraft. The 'glass cockpit' basically replaces all the many instruments with computer screens. The MH-47E and MH-60K special operations helicopters are fielded with the digitized cockpits. The desktop trainer is an interactive software program that supplements the MH-47E and MH-60K manuals. It's used to familiarize transitioning pilots to the 'glass cockpits' of these two SOF airframes.

A contract issued in December 1987 provided for the development and flight-testing of a single MH-47E prototype, and 25 production aircraft. A contract allowing for long-lead purchases and the induction of the first 25 production aircraft was awarded in June 1991. In separate contracting activities, the Army selected IBM Federal Systems, since purchased by Lockheed Martin, as directed IAS subcontractor to Boeing and Sikorsky.

A total of 26 MH-47E were produced of the 51 initially planned, due to high expense [at least $14 million and as much as $40 million apiece]. All of the Special Operations Chinooks are modernized aircraft, having been converted from earlier-model CH-47 airframes. Delivery of the 26th MH-47E to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) took place in May 1995. The 160th had been operating the new rotorcraft since 1993 while flight crews completed training with the Special Operations Chinook's sophisticated integrated cockpit control system.

MH-47G

The MH-47G Cockpit features larger, more advanced Multi Function Displays. This provides the pilots with greater information flow for less workload, and can be customised to display the data needed at any specific part of the flight.

The CH-47F technology improvements will form the foundation for the new MH-47G modernization program that will improve MH-47D and MH-47E Special Operations Chinooks. The 25 MH-47E and the 11 MH-47D that are used in special missions were to be converted to the new version by the end of 2003, Operational demands in Afghanistan and Iraq meant that these upgrades were delayed and are still in progress. In May 2001 it was announced that the U.S. Special Operations Command, Technology Applications Contracting Office intends to acquire one each MH-47G helicopter. The CH-47F modernization program will sustain the U.S. Army's Chinook fleet to provide rotary-wing, heavy-lift capabilities well into the 21st century. Modernization will include aircraft remanufacturing, vibration reduction, improved avionics with integrated digital mission management systems and a digital map, and installation of more powerful Honeywell T55-GA-14A-714 engines. These core elements of the program will reduce operational and support costs to below those of the original CH-47D and provide at least another 20 years of economical and effective service.

When fielded, the MH-47G must have the same functionality that the MH-47E currently has in addition to the current MH-47D functionality. This includes, but is not limited to Mission Management; Aircraft Performance; Multi-Mode Radar Operation; Digital Map; and Aircraft Survivability Equipment Control. Dual Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation Unit (INU)(EGI). A second EGI is being integrated to provide better navigation accuracy and a more reliable redundant navigator. This second EGI replaces the current Aircraft Heading Reference System (AHRS) that is obsolete and becoming unsupportable. All Army Special Operations Aircraft must have the capability of receiving and displaying Near Real Time Intelligence Data (NRTID) to provide the crew and customers with up to the minute situational awareness.

In July 2002 the Army announced plans to expand the Special Operations aviation arm to meet a growing demand for special operations forces. The plan is to add one battalion to the three existing in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. The expansion would add 12 MH-47 helicopters, which are the only ones in the Army that can refuel in flight.