Boeing has announced that it will be building six additional MH-47G Block II Chinook heavy-lift helicopters for the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command. The aircraft are part of a contract valued at $246.48 million. According to Boeing, they will be the first to include the new Active Parallel Actuator Subsystem (APAS), which is designed to help pilots “execute more difficult maneuvers while improving safety and reliability of flight.”
“APAS is one of many next-level capabilities that allows the Chinook to deliver more payload—faster, farther and smarter,” said Andy Builta, Boeing vice president and H-47 program manager.
With the new order, Boeing is under contract for a total of 30 MH-47G Block II Chinooks, including four that have already been delivered. The Block II Chinook features redesigned fuel tanks, a strengthened fuselage and an improved drivetrain. Boeing delivered the first MH-47G Block II Chinook to the U.S. Special Operations Command in September 2020.
Twenty years ago they said the V-22s would replace the Chinook. Over the last 5 years the eVTOL was going to replace the V-22. I’m sure next year the eV-22 will replace everything. In the mean time, the military has a job to do and being Politically Correct will just have to wait.
There are some aircraft that, regardless of when they were developed, just fill their role so well that they are almost impossible to replace. The A-10 Warthog, the C-130 Hercules, the B-52 and the C-47 Chinook are both iconic and fill a critical role in military operations. Each one has been updated and improved over time, but I wouldn’t look for any of them to be replaced any time soon.
Oops, that should have been MH-47 Chinook, not C-47.