Boeing says it has yet to decide whether it will formally offer the CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopter as a candidate for the US Air Force Personnel Recovery Vehicle (PRV) competition, but says the mission is "looking more and more like one for the MH-47G" special operations variant.
Like all the other contenders, Boeing is awaiting the full request for proposals (RFP).
"What we do know is that there is a hot-and-high requirement, the speed is in our range and there is a lot of commonality with the MH-47G mission," says Jack Dougherty, Boeing's director of Chinook programmes.
Upgrade
Boeing has a 513-aircraft manufacturing and upgrade programme for the Chinook with the first of 16 Lot 2 MH-47Gs destined for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) being delivered in May. First deliveries for 17 new-build CH-47Fs will begin next year and a Lot 3 contract calls for 12 additional MH-47Gs and eight CH-47Fs.
The MH-47G remanufacturing programme fulfils a requirement for long-range clandestine missions at low level and will see the Chinook equipped with a fully integrated digital Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS). CAAS includes integrated forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and multi-mode radar for map of the earth and low-level flight operations in extremely poor visibility.
Like all the other contenders, Boeing is awaiting the full request for proposals (RFP).
"What we do know is that there is a hot-and-high requirement, the speed is in our range and there is a lot of commonality with the MH-47G mission," says Jack Dougherty, Boeing's director of Chinook programmes.
Upgrade
Boeing has a 513-aircraft manufacturing and upgrade programme for the Chinook with the first of 16 Lot 2 MH-47Gs destined for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) being delivered in May. First deliveries for 17 new-build CH-47Fs will begin next year and a Lot 3 contract calls for 12 additional MH-47Gs and eight CH-47Fs.
The MH-47G remanufacturing programme fulfils a requirement for long-range clandestine missions at low level and will see the Chinook equipped with a fully integrated digital Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS). CAAS includes integrated forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and multi-mode radar for map of the earth and low-level flight operations in extremely poor visibility.
Source: Flight Daily News
