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CH-47D Chinooks
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VT Group US, a unit of UK-based VT Group, received a contract to provide logistics analyses and support for the Army’s fleet of CH-47D/F Chinook cargo helicopters. The contract has a potential value of $29.1 million over a 5 year period.

Under the terms of the contract, VT Group’s Technical Services Division will provide CH-47D/F logistics fleet management, sustainment, CH-47F product manager, foreign military sales, and sustainment support related to all CH-47 cargo helicopters in the Army’s fleet. This includes logistic support to be performed for the CH-47D/F programs, subsystems, product improvements, and the Army’s modernization plan for the CH-47s.

“Boeing in Flight on Production of (Re)New H-47 Chinooks” examines the CH-47F upgrade program…

The Army is upgrading all of its Chinooks CH-47D to the CH-47F configuration with a more powerful engine and an improved transmission.

The US Army Systems Acquisition Review Council, the US Army’s highest acquisition review panel, approved an acquisition plan that will increase the Chinook fleet from 463 to 513 aircraft. Under the plan, the Army will modernize its entire fleet of 397 CH-47D Chinooks to the new F-model configuration, and procure at least 55 additional new-build CH-47F Chinooks for a total of 452 helicopters.

The new CH-47F has 4,868 horsepower from each of its twin T55-GA-714A engines, improving fuel efficiency and enhancing lift performance by approximately 3,900 lbs. The new engines will enable the CH-47F to reach speeds in excess of 175 mph and transport up to 21,016 lbs.

Additional upgrades include a new cockpit with a digital avionics suite, as well as improvements to reliability, maintainability, and survivability, and airframe modifications to reduce the time needed to disassemble and reassemble the helicopters before and after deployment on C-5 or C-17 transport aircraft.