CH 47 Chinook

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified the US Congress on 3 December 2009 of a possible foreign military sale (FMS) to the United Arab Emirates of 16 CH-47F Chinook helicopters, and communication equipment, as well as associated parts, equipment, training and logistical support. The estimated worth of the complete package is approximately $2 billion (€1.35 billion).

As the DSCA outlines in its official press release, besides the 16 helicopters the sale will also include 38 T55-GA-714A Turbine engines, 20 AN/APX-118 Transponders, 20 AN/ARC-220 (RT-1749) Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio Systems (SINCGARS) with Electronic counter-countermeasures, 40 AN/ARC-231 (RT-1808A) Receiver/Transmitters, 18 AN/APR-39A(V)1 Radar Signal Detecting Sets with Mission Data Sets, flight and radar signal simulators, support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documentation, site survey, construction and facilities, U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support.

As the DSCA explains, the proposed FMS agreement will provide the United Arab Emirates the capability to transport equipment and troops in the region, as well as to support U.S. and NATO airlift requirements in Afghanistan.

The prime contractor will be Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. According to the DSCA there are no offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale.

LONDRES, 15 décembre (Reuters) - Le gouvernement britannique a annoncé mardi une commande de 22 hélicoptères Chinook à Boeing pour augmenter le soutien aérien de ses troupes en Afghanistan.
Les dix premiers appareils doivent être livrés d'ici 2013 et cette commande d'hélicoptères fera passer la flotte de Chinook de 48 à 70 appareils, a indiqué le ministère de la Défense dans un communiqué.
Le secrétaire de la Défense, Bob Ainsworth, devait annoncer dans la journée au parlement des mesures de réduction des dépenses militaires dans d'autres domaines.
La Grande-Bretagne est en effet confrontée à un déficit budgétaire record de 178 milliards de livres (199 milliards d'euros) cette année.
Selon la BBC, une base de l'armée de l'air britannique pourrait être fermée et des milliers d'emplois supprimés à la Défense. D'autres médias ont évoqué la possibilité d'une réduction de la flotte de chasseurs Tornado et Harrier comme de celle de la Royal Navy.
Le National Audit Office (NAO), équivalent britannique de la Cour des comptes, a de son côté averti que le budget de la Défense pourrait accuser un déficit d'au moins six milliards de livres par rapport aux achats prévus d'avions, de vaisseaux et d'autres équipements.
Sur la prochaine décennie, le déficit pourrait atteindre 36 milliards de livres, soit une année de budget de la Défense au niveau actuel, en cas de gel des dépenses, a précisé le NAO.
Combler ce déficit nécessiterait une action "audacieuse" dans le cadre d'une révision stratégique de la Défense prévue après les élections législatives de 2010, a dit le chef du NAO, Amyas Morse.
"Le ministère de la Défense a un trou noir de plusieurs milliards de livres dans son budget, qu'il tente de résoudre avec une approche consistant à économiser maintenant pour payer plus tard", a-t-il précisé.
Le NAO a ainsi expliqué que le report de livraison de deux porte-avions devraient permettre d'économiser 450 millions de livres au cours des quatre prochaines années, mais qu'il coûterait 674 millions de plus à long terme.

The UK is to acquire an additional 22 [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and a seventh [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]as part of a £900 million ($1.47 billion) spending package aimed at bolstering its operations in Afghanistan.
But the plans have received a lukewarm response from UK industry, with aerospace and defence trade body ADS warning that "stopgap measures will damage both the armed forces' future capabilities and industry's ability to supply their needs".

Meanwhile, the UK National Audit Office's latest major projects report describes the Ministry of Defence's current acquisition programme as "unaffordable", and warns of a potential funding shortfall of up to £36 billion.

Although a contract has yet to be placed for the Chinooks, the MoD says the first 10 heavylift helicopters will be delivered in 2012-13. There will also be extra funding to enhance the capabilities of the UK's [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]long-endurance surveillance unmanned air vehicles, and to improve defensive aids suites and support arrangements for [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] transports.

To provide extra resource for Afghanistan operations, the MoD says it has taken "difficult decisions about areas of defence that are not directly linked to operations", such as reducing the number of service personnel by 2,500 and launching a review into cuts to its civilian workforce.
Other cost-reduction measures include cutting the RAF's fleet of [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] and moving the remainder to RAF Wittering, resulting in the closure of RAF Cottesmore. Meanwhile, the ageing Nimrod MR2 fleet will be phased out a year earlier than planned - by March 2010 - while the introduction of the new-generation Nimrod MRA4 will be delayed by a year, to 2012.

"We must ensure that we prioritise spending on operations to achieve success in Afghanistan," says [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien].
The UK's decision to grow its [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] fleet from 48 to 70 airframes forms part of its Future Helicopter Strategy that the MoD says is aimed at delivering "a 40% increase in the number of lift helicopters available for use on operations in extreme conditions, such as those in Afghanistan".

Rear Adm Tony Johnstone-Burt, commander, Joint Helicopter Command, says: "The superior lift performance of the Chinook has proved invaluable on operations."

Royal Navy/RAF [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] helicopters are to be taken out of service early and replaced by a combination of AgustaWestland AW101 Merlins and Lynx Wildcats.

Following the planned retirement of the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Puma by 2022, the UK's armed forces will operate four core helicopter fleets comprising the Westland Apache, Chinook, Merlin and Wildcat, each numbering 65-75 aircraft.
"It's a sad day when the [Chinook] helicopters requested so long ago are finally announced late in the day almost as an afterthought," says ADS chairman Ian Godden.

"So often in the past we have seen programmes accelerated to provide vital services at the detriment to other programmes, causing greater costs and loss of services."
ADS has renewed its call for an urgent strategic defence review and a "refreshed defence industrial strategy".
Meanwhile, Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, says: "The MoD has a multi-billion pound budgetary black hole which it is trying to fix with a 'save now, pay later' approach. Bold action will be required to prioritise defence spending as part of the planned strategic defence review after the [2010 UK] general election."

The West Country could still play a major role in producing some of the 22 Chinook military helicopters recently ordered from the US.
The Ministry of Defence will consider the economic case for some of the aircraft to be assembled by Agusta Westland at their base at Yeovil. Defence retary Bob Ainsworth has made the commitment in a letter to Yeovil MP David Laws, who has welcomed the news as: "a good step in the right direction."

When the order was announced last year, the Ministry of Defence seemed to be proposing that American aircraft-maker Boeing would carry out all the work on the helicopters in its US factory. Following a meeting with Mr Laws the Secretary of State has written to say that: "The MoD is fully supportive of AgustaWestland working constructively with Boeing to seek ways to bring together their combined knowledge and skills to successfully deliver this vital uplift to the UK Chinook fleet providing such co-operation does not add risk to the schedule or cost."

Mr Ainsworth goes on to say that the MoD is now working with both companies to look at the way ahead for such co-operation. A meeting took place on February 9 between Agusta- Westland, Boeing and MoD officials. The defence boss says that while the first aircraft may need to be assembled in the US to meet the tight timescale for delivery to the frontline, "thereafter we will consider whether there is an economic case for assembling later aircraft in the UK." Mr Laws said: "This is a good step in the right direction. I am glad that the Ministry of Defence is now actively considering a major role for AgustaWestland in building the helicopters. "Westland already has a licence with Boeing to build Chinooks in the UK, and it would in my view make good sense to use the skills and expertise of our workforce in Yeovil.

"I was very worried when the initial assumption behind this order seemed to be .....

.......that the Chinooks would be built in the United States, but following my meeting with the Defence Secretary the Ministry of Defence now seems to have taken a much more positive and constructive position.

"I am pleased that there is now a dialogue between Westland, the Ministry of Defence and Boeing, to see what role Westland can play in delivering these helicopters. "Westland has a superb record in producing all types of military helicopters, including those built under licence. "I hope that over the next few weeks we can reach an agreement on this issue which gives a major role to AgustaWestland, and which helps to secure jobs here in Yeovil, as well as our key engineering skills."

The US Air Force has decided to buy 112 Sikorsky [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] to recapitalise its ageing combat search and rescue fleet, despite a standing requirement for a larger helicopter.

Sikorsky will modify the M-model aircraft to the HH-60L configuration, replacing a fleet of HH-60G Pave Hawks that has dwindled to about 101 airframes, says Lt Gen Mark Shackelford, head of USAF acquisition.
The HH-60 represents the current standard for the USAF's SAR mission, in which its crews are tasked to fly deep into enemy territory to retrieve downed airmen.
"The new H-60s will be modified to be rescue helicopters, obviously with some tempering of performance," Shackelford says.

In 2006, the USAF [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] to buy 141 Boeing HH-47s, selecting the Chinook over the Sikorsky HH-92 and Lockheed Martin/AgustaWestland HH-71. But the contract award process became a landmark example of acquisition policy.

The US Government Accountability Office sustained two protests filed by the losing bidders, and the USAF's attempts to restart the competition without heeding its recommendations failed.

The service terminated the contract with Boeing in June 2009, clearing the way for a sole-source contract to Sikorsky for the smaller helicopter.

If Congress approves funding for the plan, the USAF will recapitalise its existing fleet, but fall short of plans to broaden the mission with a larger and more capable aircraft.

Under the CSAR-X programme, the USAF envisaged not only rescuing downed airmen, but also picking up small units behind enemy lines, or even ferrying cargo or passengers during natural disasters. That requirement drove it to ask bidders to provide a medium or heavylift helicopter.

The requirement for "personnel recovery" still stands, Shackelford says, and will be addressed by the USAF in the future. But for now it is focused on ensuring that downed aircrews will not lack a helicopter force ready to retrieve them.
"Those [aircraft] are busy fliers in a war and very much sought after," he says.

SEVRIEN a écrit:

Jeannot a écrit:Lu dans Air et Cosmos n° 2197 du 4 décembre 2009

Accord Boeing Eurocopter.
C'est dans la plus grande confidentialité que Boeing et Eurocopter ont signé un accord de coopération en vue de développer en commun un hélicoptère lourd de nouvelle génération, attendant le feu vert officiel des autorités de tutelles pour prendre l'acord public. De chaque coté de l'Atlantique , des équipes seraient déjà en train de travailler sur un projet d'hélicoptère birotor très lourd, une sorte de super-Chinook de la classe des 30 tonnes, ce qui ferme la porte à une coopération avec Sikorsky ou Rovertol un moment envisagée.

Merci, Jeannot ! J'y reviendrai ! J'espère que ceci est vrai, bien évidemment !

Australia has approved the purchase of seven [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] CH-47F [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] helicopters for A$755 million ($670 million).
The first two helicopters will enter service in 2014 and all seven will be operational by 2017, says the Australian Government. The helicopters will replace the Australian army's six older CH-47D helicopters.
"These new helicopters will give the Australian Defence Force (ADF) a robust, deployable medium-lift helicopter capability out to 2040," says Australia's defence minister John Faulkner.
"While the existing fleet of 'D' model Chinooks had provided outstanding support to the ADF since entering service in 1995, the aircraft faced increasing capability and support issues."
This "second pass approval" comes after Australia said during its 2009 defence white paper that it could buy the CH-47F to augment its army's medium-lift capabilities.
The "F" models offer a range of improvements including a strengthened airframe to reduce fatigue, improved deployability, and digital systems, says the defence ministry. "The new Australian Chinooks will also receive some additional ADF-specific equipment to meet certain operational and safety requirements," adds Faulkner.
Canberra will buy the helicopters and maintain them in the same broad configuration as the US Army Chinooks, "providing enhanced benefits to the ADF in areas including spares, support, training and airworthiness", says the ministry.
"The Government will consider whether to participate in the US Chinook Product Improvement Program when information on this programme is of second pass quality. Participation in this program would align the configuration of Australian Chinooks with future US Army Chinooks," says Faulkner

Australia has approved the purchase of seven [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] CH-47F [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] helicopters for A$755 million ($670 million).
The first two helicopters will enter service in 2014 and all seven will be operational by 2017, says the Australian Government. The helicopters will replace the Australian army's six older CH-47D helicopters.

"These new helicopters will give the Australian Defence Force (ADF) a robust, deployable medium-lift helicopter capability out to 2040," says Australia's defence minister John Faulkner.

"While the existing fleet of 'D' model Chinooks had provided outstanding support to the ADF since entering service in 1995, the aircraft faced increasing capability and support issues."
This "second pass approval" comes after Australia said during its 2009 defence white paper that it could buy the CH-47F to augment its army's medium-lift capabilities.

The "F" models offer a range of improvements including a strengthened airframe to reduce fatigue, improved deployability, and digital systems, says the defence ministry. "The new Australian Chinooks will also receive some additional ADF-specific equipment to meet certain operational and safety requirements," adds Faulkner.
Canberra will buy the helicopters and maintain them in the same broad configuration as the US Army Chinooks, "providing enhanced benefits to the ADF in areas including spares, support, training and airworthiness", says the ministry.

"The Government will consider whether to participate in the US Chinook Product Improvement Program when information on this programme is of second pass quality. Participation in this program would align the configuration of Australian Chinooks with future US Army Chinooks," says Faulkner.

Boeing is offering to assemble Chinook helicopters in the UK for the first time, in a sign of increased commitment to the British defence market.
Britain ordered 22 Chinooks in December in response to criticisms over a lack of military helicopters in Afghanistan.
Boeing makes Chinooks in Philadelphia and is due to deliver 10 of the 22 new ones direct from the US during the course of 2012 and 2013. It has now offered to shift final assembly for half the order to Britain.

The US aerospace and defence group said the work could take place at one of two locations: Gosport, on the south coast, where it operates a maintenance and support contract for Chinooks already in service with the RAF together with Vector Aerospace, or in the west country at a plant in Yeovil owned by AgustaWestland.

"We intend to continue to grow in the UK and will ensure, as the prime contractor, the best value for money and the greatest benefits for British industry, through the remaining 12 aircraft being assembled onshore in the UK," said Shep Hill, president of Boeing International.

He added that the UK had two "significant centres of helicopter expertise" on the south coast and in the west country. "We will engage with this capability on an equal basis to ensure the best value for the customer."

Boeing has invested about $11bn (£7.3bn) in the UK over the past eight years

..........including investment in commercial programmes.

The company agreed a support contract for Chinooks with the Ministry of Defence in 2006 at Gosport, formerly the Defence Aviation and Repair Agency and now owned by Canada's Vector.
Boeing's investment at the plant has been about £20m since the start of the programme, which will run until 2034.

Britain's operational Chinook fleet stands at 38. A further eight helicopters - grounded for several years because of a mistake by procurement officials that led to Chinooks being delivered with a standard of avionics the military authorities were unable to certify - are being reworked to a new standard. The eight are due to be delivered over the coming months, taking the fleet to 46.

An MoD official said: "No decisions have been taken on the location of final assembly of the aircraft. Any such decisions will be based on ensuring the lowest risk route to ensure that the programme can be delivered to schedule - noting the operational imperative - and at best value for money."
The ministry expects to sign the helicopter contract with Boeing later this year.

MADRID |

The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today announced that it has successfully completed its industrial cooperation program for the third phase of the CH-47D Chinook rotorcraft upgrades performed for the Spanish Army's Airmobile Force, FAMET.

Boeing finished the industrial cooperation program on schedule while exceeding the $80 million requirement, demonstrating the company's continued success in meeting its commitments.

Over the 10-year program, Boeing completed 75 projects with 20 Spanish companies and institutions.

All projects were coordinated through Isdefe, the company that negotiates and manages industrial cooperation agreements on behalf of the Spanish Ministry of Defense's Armament and Material General Directorate.

"In cooperation with Isdefe, Boeing is bringing high-value opportunities to Spanish industry," said Gwen Kopsie, director of International
Industrial Participation for Boeing Defense, Space & Security.

"Spanish companies of all sizes were an integral part of the global supply base that brought state-of-the-art upgrades to the Spanish Army's Chinook fleet.
Many more Spanish companies also benefited from Boeing's advanced technology transfer and training programs."

Boeing also supports Isdefe's efforts to develop Spanish industry through a $13 million industrial cooperation program for the Harpoon advanced weapon control system.

That program is on track for completion in 2012.

"Boeing has been a partner to Spain for more than 75 years, serving the needs of both its commercial airplane customers and Spain's
military," said Pedro Argüelles, president of Boeing Spain. "Today, Boeing's presence in Spain remains strong thanks to our collaboration with airlines, government, academic institutions and industry. Through our Research & Technology Center in Madrid, we work with our partners in Spain to develop solutions for the environmental, safety and reliability, and air-traffic-control needs of today and tomorrow."

Boeing has successfully implemented industrial participation programs totaling more than US$41 billion in nearly 40 countries over the past 30 years.

RIDLEY TOWNSHIP, Pa., Aug. 3, 2010 -- The Boeing CH-47F Chinook helicopter was fielded July 30 by the U.S. Army's B Company, 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion, 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.

The 10th Mountain Division is the sixth Army unit to be trained and equipped with the aircraft.

"I am extremely excited that Boeing and the New Equipment Training Team were able to field and train the company on the F model Chinook so quickly," said Capt. Michael Farrell, Company B commander.

"With such a short period of time between deployments, this really helped us focus oncollective training."

With fielding complete, the unit will begin advanced mission training in the new aircraft, conducting simulated assault, troop-transport and cargo-movement exercises.

The 10th also will practice high mountain operations that use the advanced features of the CH-47F.

PHOENIX, Aug. 17, 2010-- Honeywell (NYSE: HON) announced today it has delivered the first 28 Honeywell T55-L-714A engines and fielding kits for the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense (MOD) Chinook helicopters, as part of the $185 million contract awarded last year to upgrade the existing Honeywell engines.

The upgraded engines increase power by 17 percent and reduce fuel consumption by nearly 5 percent.

“Honeywell’s new 714A engine significantly increases power for the Chinooks, a necessity for operating hot and high in Afghanistan,” said Paul Vidano, vice president of Militaries and Operators, Honeywell Aerospace. “Increased power and fuel efficiency mean the soldiers can go further, lift more and deliver more troops and ammunition.”

More than 5,300 T55 engines have been delivered since its launch, with more than seven million hours of global operation.

Honeywell has provided engines for the U.K. MOD since they acquired a Chinook fleet more than 20 years ago. Honeywell also provides the inertial navigation system for UK’s CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

Honeywell’s engines are available for both legacy CH-47D and new CH-47F helicopters.

Based in Phoenix, Arizona, Honeywell’s aerospace business is a leading global provider of integrated avionics, engines, systems and service solutions for aircraft manufacturers, airlines, business and general aviation, military, space and airport operations.

The CH-47 Chinook, the helicopter that has in one version or another transported troops and cargo on battlefields for almost 50 years, may not end its production run until the end of the decade. And the F-models, which are produced at Boeing's Philadelphia factory, may be in service until 2040, or beyond. Yet the Army believes the time is now to begin looking at its future replacement.

"I used to kid all my Air Force buddies that we were going to keep the Chinook in service longer than the B- 5 2," said Brig. Gen, William T. Crosby, program executive officer for Army aviation. "We're flying 70-year-old technology airframes and sustaining them effectively. That's a credit to the soldiers. But are we going to continue to sustain that for another 20 to 30 to 40 years? Or are we going to look for some new technology?" he asked at the Association of the United States Army aviation conference.

While the Chinook first entered service in 1962, the twin- engine, twin-rotor design has its roots in World War II when the Navy was developing a tandem-rotor antisubmarine helicopter.
The airframe of the current models looks about the same as the first iterations of the aircraft introduced 49 years ago.

Like the Air Force's long-range bomber the B-52, which has been flying since 1955, there have been several models with significant upgrades, though.

Improvements continue to be planned for the Chinook even though it is still in the middle of its production run. Boeing has produced 115 F-models as of February, which is about halfway through its current contract, Pat Donnelly, Boeing's CH-47 domestic program manager, told National Defense.

A change in the way the airframe is put together may make them much more durable than the preceding models.

The machined aluminum structure, which involves creating the fuselage out of a block of the metal, means there are roughly half the number of pieces and parts of previous models. This will result in less fatigue on the airframe, he said.
"It should be getting us a longer life," Donnelly said.

All the evidence is anecdotal so far, but reports from the field suggest that there is considerably less cracking and wear on the new airframes, he said. One unit has flown its F-models for more than 10,000 total hours, and has not reported any problems, he added.
"It's clearly more efficient from our perspective to assemble," Donnelly said. "But it's pretty much a wash as far as manufacturing costs." As for the Army, it will certainly gain savings in terms of life-cycle costs because the aircraft will last longer, he added.

One of the other improvements is the digital automatic flight control (DAFC) system, which rnirnics many of the capabilities of a fly-by-wire system. Fly by wire helps pilots operate an aircraft through electrical impulses sent by a computer rather than hydraulic, mechanical systems that are directly controlled by its operator.
The F-model still features a hydraulic control system, but the DAFC box can perform many of the tasks through the digital Rockwell Collins common avionics architecture system cockpit.

"It is not fly by wire, but it has a significant amount of capability that reduces the pilot's workload," Donnelly said. For example, in brownout conditions, where pilots have a difficult time landing a Chinook in heavy dust, the push of a button automates the landing process by letting the aircraft descend one foot at a time until it gently touches ground.
The DAFC system has about 80 percent of the capability of a fly- by-wire system, but at about 20 percent of the cost, Boeing officials claim.

Fly by wire takes the burden off pilots, and swapping out a hydraulic system with wires reduces an aircraft's weight, but it is costly to install, Army aviation officials said at the AUSA conference The service is still studying whether it is worth the extra cost.

Boeing is also under contract to develop new rotor blades that will give the Chinook additional lift capability without degrading forward performance.
"That's always a challenge," Donnelly said. "Typically, if you add more lift, you add more twist, but if you add more twist, it typically gives you more drag. It's always kind of hard to go faster and lift more at the same time."
The company is wrapping up wind tunnel tests for new blade configuration. The goal is to add about 2,000 pounds of lift capability, he said.

Boeing officials interview the members of every unit returning from overseas deployments to gamer feedback on how the aircraft is performing. Overwhelmingly, they want an improved cargo handling system. To move pallets on and off the aircraft, technicians must install a kit, which soldiers are not entirely happy with, he said. Boeing is spending its own research-and-development funds to come up with a cargo loading system that would be inherent in the aircraft, and is hoping that the Army will pay for the added feature in the second half of the current production run.
Self-diagnostics that can monitor the health of aircraft components, and a counter-infrared missile system that is built into the aircraft during production instead of being added afterwards are two other features Boeing would like to add to the Chinook.

The Chinook, by all measures, has been a wildly successful aircraft for Boeing, which in 1960 acquired the Vertol Aircraft company founded by legendary helicopter designer Frank Piasecki. More than 800 remain in service worldwide, according to a December 2010 World Military and Civil Aircraft Briefing on the Chinook produced by the Teal Group, an aerospace and defense consultancy. Eighteen nations purchased the earlier C- and D-models. Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Turkey and United Arab Emirates have ordered F-models. The Teal Group report notes that India, Singapore, South Korea, Greece and Malaysia have also expressed interest. A major purchase by the United Kingdom is on hold because of budget concerns in the Ministry of Defence, Donnelly said.

The U.S. Special Operations Command also converts Chinooks to a G- model, which is designed to fit its mission requirements. Nonmihtary variants produced in the late 1970s are still being used in Oregon by the logging industry.
Boeing also has contracts to export airframes to Japan and Italy, where local manufacturers integrate their own systems into the aircraft.

The Philadelphia plant where they are manufactured is undergoing a major refurbishing in order to double the number of Chinooks produced from three to six per month, Donnelly said.
The need for increased capacity is not being driven by the Army, Donnelly noted, but rather foreign military sales.
Boeing is incorporating lean manufacturing practices learned from its V-22 Osprey and commercial aircraft operations to gain the increased efficiencies, he said. The factory will also be "green." It will employ ambient lighting and better environmental controls to save energy, he added.

But what does the Army want next?

"In the discussions we've had, they want more of everything. They want more lift. They want to go faster. They'd like to have more internal capacity/' Donnelly said.
"If you want to go faster, you start limiting yourself on how fast you can drag what you hang underneath the aircraft in the air ' he noted.

This is still all in the "fantasy stage," he said. "They really haven't laid out what they want yet. But as technologies mature, let's put them on the aircraft and keep them going longer than the B- 52."
Brig. Gen. Anthony G. Crutchfteld, commanding general of the Army Aviation Center of Excellence, said at the conference that the time to begin planning for new helicopters is now. The service should aim for new airframes for all its classes of rotarywing aircraft by 2030, he said.

Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at the Teal Group, said in the briefing that the CH-47 is "essential."
After the F-model ends its production run, it will remain in service for decades He estimated 2035, or beyond. Army aviation officials at the conference said 2040.

No matter what the Army needs to do in the future, from peacekeeping, counterinsurgency, disaster relief or regular warfare, the CH-47 is vital to all these missions, Aboulafia said.

The office of the secretary of defense would like to fold all its requirements into a joint heavy lift aircraft shared by the Army and Marine Corps, but that won't happen for another 20 years, he predicted. Even that projection could slip further, he noted.

"The future depends on the Army's needs, but there's a great chance of another CH-47X upgrade," he said, referring to model that may follow the F.

"All armies need something to move a platoon, and while the [Marine Corps'] CH-53K represents some competition, Boeing will capture almost all of the market," Aboulafia predicted.

T_Har a écrit:Salut Sevrien,

Tous les arguments que vous avez repris et complétés je ne peux les contester.

Mais vous avez seulement oublié un point : l'United States Marines Corps qui a toujours été rattaché administrativement (et assez logiquement) à la Navy.

Tant que l'USMC existera, le CH-53 (peut importe la version) aura un avenir.

C'est une double question d'empreinte au sol et de diamètre du (CH-53) ou (CH-47) des rotors.

Je crois comprendre que vos références sont la R.A.F. et l'U.S.A.F.

Rappelons nous seulement que l'U.S.M.C. compte tout de même plus de 200.000 hommes.

Je crois savoir que le cahier des charges initial (c'est plus vieux que moi) stipulait que le Stallion devait pouvoir se poser sur tous les navires prévus pour recevoir des hélicoptères de la classe S-61.

Et de toute manière, les CH-46E et CH-53D sont en cours de remplacement par le V-22 qui n'a plus rien à voir, ni avec le Stallion ni avec le Chinook.

De mon seul point de vue, il n'y a pas d'opposition CH-47 / CH-53.

Si les Chinooks se sont posés à de multiples reprises sur divers types de navires (conflit des Falklands) reconnaissez que ça n'est pas son boulot initial.

Par contre le Sea Stallion oui. Et j'en ai vu pas mal effectuer des missions entièrement terrestres (Desert Shield / Desert Storm).

En fait c'est un complément pas une contradiction ;)

Semper Fidelis

Paul1 a écrit:La Turquie s'intéresse au CH-47 F et pourrait en commander une dizaine

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

Et le 737 AEWC en retard....

The UK has signed a £1 billion ($1.65 billion) contract to acquire an additional 14 [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] transport helicopters, with the move to expand the [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]'s fleet of the type to 60 aircraft by late 2015.

Boeing is due to deliver its first [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] HC6s to the RAF in 2013 for trials, with the remainder to be handed over by late 2015, the Ministry of Defence said.

Available for deployment from early 2015, the new batch will be fully operational by early 2017, it added.

"These additional helicopters will significantly enhance our existing heavy lift helicopter capability," said defence secretary Dr Liam Fox, who announced the contract signature during a visit to RAF Odiham in Hampshire on 22 August.

Also included is an initial five-year package of support activities, the MoD said.

In operational use for almost 30 years, the RAF's Chinooks are expected to remain in service until at least 2040.

The UK's current Chinook inventory includes 38 HC2/2As and eight extended-range HC3 aircraft, all of which are to be upgraded to an enhanced HC4 configuration.

Its 14 new-build examples, which include replacements for two aircraft lost during non-fatal accidents in Afghanistan, will feature a high level of commonality.

One significant enhancement to be included with the Chinook HC6 will be the addition of a digital automatic flight control system, which will enhance operational safety in reduced-visibility, such as during "brown-out" while landing in dusty conditions.

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• [Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien] Puma transport
  
• RAF Merlin transports
  
• AgustaWestland AW101
  
• Lynx AH9A,
  
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• Westland/Boeing Apache AH1 attack helicopter.