US looking to replace re-manufactured MH-47Gs with newbuild helos

The US Army is looking at options for replacing its remanufactured Boeing MH-47G special-mission Chinook helicopters with newbuild platforms.
According to a request for information (RfI) released on 14 November, the Technology Applications Program Office is conducting market research in support of the acquisition for the production of replacement airframes for the currently fielded 61 legacy MH-47G aircraft.
The disclosure that the US Army is looking to replace its rebuilt MH-47G helicopters comes just weeks after the service took delivery of the first of eight newbuild platforms. With the final re-manufactured aircraft having been delivered to the US Army in 2011, these aircraft have seen an extremely high tempo of operations in the harsh environment of Afghanistan.
Used by special forces, such as the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the MH-47G differs from regular-model Chinooks in that it is equipped with double-capacity fuel tanks, an in-flight aerial refuelling probe, a digital advanced flight control system, and sensors and electronic warfare kit specified by the Special Operations Command.
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