AUSA 2015: US Army prepares for Chinook Block 2 RfP release

[Zarvan]

The US Army plans to release a solicitation for a Block 2 Chinook helicopter in the second quarter of 2016. Source: Boeing
Key Points

• The army plans to release a solicitation for a Block 2 Chinook next year
• While Block 2 enhancements are still being defined, survivability and performance upgrades will largely be based on existing technologies

The US Army plans to release a request for proposals (RfP) in early 2016 for production of the Boeing H-47 Chinook cargo helicopter in a new Block 2 configuration, the army's project manager said during a 12 October press briefing at the Association of the US Army's annual conference in Washington, DC.

"We expect an early 2016 RfP decision," said Colonel Rob Barrie, the army's project manager for cargo helicopters. While Block 2 enhancements for the MH-47G and CH-47F are still being defined, according to the colonel, survivability and performance upgrades will largely be based on existing technologies. He said that an analysis of alternatives will be presented to senior leaders by the end of 2015.

The army hopes to quickly get Milestone B approval following the RfP release and then enter an engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase.

Specific technologies for Block 2 have not been named, but one option being proposed by Boeing is the Advanced Chinook Rotor Blade (ACRB). The enhancement would raise the baseline CH-47F's payload from the current 10,886 kg to about 16,286 kg, according to Boeing. Still under development, the ACRB features a new asymmetric aerofoil to increase the lift by approximately 900 kg per blade (5,400 kg for the helicopter).

Company officials said that the ACRB could be ready for fielding in about 2019. They declined to define the financial investment they have made in Block 2 technologies, but they did say that they have been spending to develop new materials and other methods to enable advanced technologies for the past five years.

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AUSA 2015: US Army prepares for Chinook Block 2 RfP release - IHS Jane's 360

 

[yugocrosrb95]

Block 2 can transport Patria AMV... neat