Donald Rumsfeld, the US secretary of defence, has announced major changes in the US Special Operations Command (Socom), including increases to its size and budget.
The changes are expected to lead to the acquisition of additional Lockheed Martin MC-130 aircraft and Boeing MH-47 Chinook and Sikorsky Black Hawk MH-60 helicopters for the US Air Force and US Army's special operations forces, respectively.
Socom will be elevated from a "supporting command" to a "supported command" which will enable it to plan and carry out its own operations worldwide rather than simply support other regional commands. Socom's budget will also be increased next year to a reported $7 billion.
"Added funds are needed to pay for equipment losses that occurred in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and for additional equipment as well as extra forces," says Rumsfeld.
He confirms that some of this money will go towards the army's 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, which was heavily used in Afghanistan and the Philippines, and lost a number of specially equipped MH-47E heavylift machines.
The army has said it wants to double the Chinook fleet to 78, upgrading the current fleet to a common MH-47G configuration. It also wants to upgrade its 69MH-60K/Ls to -60Ms and buy another 30 new.
Air Force special operations also lost a number of MC-130H Combat Talon 2s last year and wants to buy as many as 54 new MC-X Talon 3s starting around 2006, probably based on the new C-130J airframe. The aircraft would partially replace older MC-130E Talon 1s. A follow-on AC-X gunship to the AC-130H/U is also under consideration.
Boeing, in the meantime, has been awarded a low rate initial production contract to remanufacture and upgrade the first seven CH-47 helicopters for redelivery to the US Army in 2004. The first batch will include six MH-47G for army special forces and the first CH-47F for the regular army.
Another 17 will follow in 2004 including six MH-47Gs. The army plans to modernise 302 CH-47Ds, though this may be increased to the full 433-strong fleet, as well as 34 MH-47D/Es.
Source: Flight International
